Chrysalis Arts

Chrysalis Arts Chrysalis Arts is a leading visual arts, creative industries, training and arts development company.

Chrysalis Arts provides a range of creative development opportunities and support services to visual artists and creative practitioners primarily across York and North Yorkshire, as well as developing audiences for high-quality contemporary visual arts. We believe that artists and creative practitioners can transform places and invigorate communities both through the work they make and through their contribution to the wider social and economic infrastructure.

06/01/2026

Happy New Year!

A small update from us.

With our Mapping Marton Wood project all wrapped up, we’re now looking forward to what’s next for Chrysalis Arts Development. We’re currently in a stage of evaluating and forward planning. As many of you know, navigating funding processes is time intensive. 

Things may seem a bit quiet from us through winter, but we hope you’ll continue to stay with us as we move into our next chapter focusing on what matters most to us and the wonderful creative community we work with. 

With that in mind, we’ll be back with more updates in the coming season.

Best Wishes,
Chrysalis Arts Development Team

19/12/2025

‘Where can you find the shared endeavour?’

Artist has spent a great deal of time working with ecologists and scientists in her creative practice.

Her advice for artists looking to make connections and work closely with scientists is to find the shared endeavour.

Watch the ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium highlights video through our link in bio.

Special thanks to , , and York St. John University.⁠

18/12/2025

Our ability to truly be a part of nature, time for reflection in arts projects and the unremarkable.

Rick Faulkner speaking about Chrysalis Arts way of working and our Mapping Marton Wood project at ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium in partnership with ⁠

The day brough together artists, ecologists and academics to discuss our projects and explore different ways of working.

👉 Watch the full highlights video, link in our bio.

Speakers & facilitators included: .and.eric .sue ⁠
⁠
Special thanks to , , and York St. John University.⁠

Find out where we’ve been this year, and we we’re headed next. Read our December 2025 Newsletter via our link in bio.📷 P...
17/12/2025

Find out where we’ve been this year, and we we’re headed next.

Read our December 2025 Newsletter via our link in bio.

📷 Photograph of ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium by Amy D'Agorne at ⁠

23/10/2025

It’s a whole separate kingdom to plants and animals
‘but it’s not had a kingdom’s worth of attention’

Fungi expert Andy Woodall quoting Merlin Sheldrake.

Have you spotted any fungi recently?

This clip features Andy Woodall and Persephone speaking about fungi at Marton Wood.

🎧Sound on for sounds of the woodland

16/10/2025

‘When I first encountered the artists community, you lot scared the life out of me. I thought you were dreadfully elitist. I thought you were an impenetrable community. I was extremely wrong.’
– Dr. Simon Pickles, from the North Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre

Simon worked with Sound Artist Rob Mackay on our Project. Here’s Simon presenting with Rob at our ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium in June.

‘It’s so lovely to bring so many different types of people together. I learned so much from the ecology, data side of st...
08/10/2025

‘It’s so lovely to bring so many different types of people together. I learned so much from the ecology, data side of stuff, that’s not what I would naturally engage with. I’m much more of an intuitive, holistic kind of person. So then to be met with learning stuff I had no idea about birds or ecological processes going on, to me that wasn’t separate to my beliefs or connections, it actually enhanced them and made me understand deeper and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity without this project.’
– Orb Arts Panel Member, ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium

‘How grateful we all are to connect with all these amazing people we never would normally do. In my daily life I never would have. To have this kind of opportunity is amazing’
– Orb Arts Panel Member, ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium

is a friendly local charity in Knaresborough which promotes positive mental health for all through participation in creative community activities. Over the course of our project, we were able to deliver a variety of artist-led and ecologist-led sessions at Marton Wood and indoors. It was wonderful to hear from some of the group who spoke at our ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium.

'Honest wonderful discussion from orb arts. The enthusiasm and genuine feeling among the group was truly lovely.'
– ‘An Unremarkable Wood’ Symposium Attendee

🌲‘It has made me keen to go to the woods in my local area and enjoy its peace and beauty. ‘ – Mapping Marton Wood Exhibi...
07/10/2025

🌲‘It has made me keen to go to the woods in my local area and enjoy its peace and beauty. ‘

– Mapping Marton Wood Exhibition Visitor, North Yorkshire Libraries

Mapping Marton Wood has always been about something much bigger than Marton Wood itself. We hope everyone will find and connect with a patch of woodland near them.

🌳 'It reminded me of the peaceful excitement I feel near trees'
– Mapping Marton Wood Exhibition Visitor, North Yorkshire Libraries

We feel that peaceful excitement too.

It was well worth a visit to Hepworth Wakefield to see this exhibition.
27/08/2025

It was well worth a visit to Hepworth Wakefield to see this exhibition.

Earlier this month, we launched our Mapping Marton Wood exhibition in the local village of Marton cm Grafton. Alongside...
22/07/2025

Earlier this month, we launched our Mapping Marton Wood exhibition in the local village of Marton cm Grafton. Alongside the exhibition, Sue Harrison held a drop-in weaving workshop with natural materials. Thank you to everyone who came down to support the project and see the exhibition.

The exhibition will now be touring libraries across North Yorkshire.

Thirsk Library, Tue 15 Jul–Wed 30 Jul
Pickering Library, Fri 1 Aug–Tue 19 Aug 
Selby Library, Thu 20 Aug–Thu 4th Sep
 Knaresborough Library, Fri 25 Jul 10.30am–12pm

You can also find all of the artist comission’s on our website or through the link in our bio.

Mapping Marton Wood ExhibitionTouring Libraries across North Yorkshire this Summer.Thirsk Library, Tue 15–Wed 30 JulMead...
16/07/2025

Mapping Marton Wood Exhibition
Touring Libraries across North Yorkshire this Summer.

Thirsk Library, Tue 15–Wed 30 Jul
Meadowfields, Chapel Street, Thirsk YO7 1TH

Pickering Library, Fri 1–Tue 19 Aug
The Ropery, Pickering YO18 8DY

Selby Library, Thu 20 Aug–Thu 4 Sep
52 Micklegate, Selby YO8 4EQ

Note: Please check the libraries for their most up to date opening times.

The exhibition intertwines images, stories, artworks and information gathered and created during the Mapping Marton Wood project.

Featuring work by:
Rob Mackay
Rebecca Chesney
David Haley
Sue Harrison .sue

Featuring photography of Marton Wood by:
Lizzie Shepherd

A special thanks to our funders, Arts Council England and National Lottery Community Fund and Chrysalis Arts Development.

Address

The Art Depot, Eshton Road
Gargrave
BD233SE

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