The York Centre for Print is building a community and creating opportunities for dedicated creatives and curious minds alike. Our exhibitions and activities secure the future of traditional printing techniques, not just preserving the past but bringing it to life.
In 2022, the ‘York in Print’ strand of StreetLife offered a fresh look at lesser-known histories by celebrating them together with the best of contemporary print. We began work with The Science Museum Group and Type Archive to display and interpret items from the DeLittle Collection (DeLittle were the last wood type manufacturers in the UK, and were based in York until they closed in 1989), and held a reunion for the former newspaper printers of Coney Street alongside an exhibition showing how they shaped life in the city. We commissioned new work in partnership with the Aesthetica Short Film Festival, uncovered the processes behind a finished print through First Impressions, published letterpress-printed books, and revealed a clear demand for more.
We are on the cusp of launching the York Centre for Print: a makerspace, museum and gallery that will preserve an ancient craft, teach new skills, spark cutting-edge creative projects, and bring to light York’s forgotten history of print and design.
Traditional printing is on the red list of endangered crafts and without our intervention, these skills won’t survive to the next generation. So we’re creating an affordable, well-equipped workspace, for artists, writers and printers, who will be supported by an expert team.
Our team offer a unique combination of world-leading knowledge, practical training, and extensive experience, with the University of York’s unique teaching and research printing studio, Thin Ice Press, and StreetLife paving the way for this venture.
The Centre currently uses the StreetLife Hub on Coney Street as incubator space. If you’re interested in joining our community then subscribe to our mailing list. If you’ve got questions about our selling gallery and shop; memberships, workshops, residency opportunities, and away days; or want to find out about how you can support us, please contact info@streetlifeyork.uk.