RURAL ARTS

29/10/2026

A sneak peak at one of our current exhibitions!

The Human Hand by Robert Isherwood is currently on display at The Old Courthouse. The show is located upstairs and can be accessed via the stairs or the lift.

Portraits and Conversations with Artists in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

"As a photographer, I am exploring my own creativity in an increasingly digital world. I wanted to understand how other rural artists approach their creative practice and open a wider conversation about human creativity in an age of Artificial Intelligence.

I worked collaboratively with local artists, photographing them and their work within the studios and landscapes that shape their creative lives. These environments reveal connections to place, materials and personal experience. The portraits celebrate the human qualities behind creativity and the individual stories that give each artist’s work meaning.

Each artist has provided a personal statement describing their creative practice and reflecting on the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on rural arts. Their responses explore both opportunities and concerns. AI may provide greater access to creative tools and encourage experimentation, while also raising questions about authorship, originality and cultural identity.
The Human Hand creates a space for dialogue, asking what makes creativity human and how it might evolve alongside Artificial Intelligence.

I would like to thank the artists who participated in this project: Alison Britton, Dove Armistead, Jane Claire Wilson, Michelle Wade and Sandra Storey. They were welcoming, generous and patient, and their enthusiasm and love for their work helped inspire my own creativity.

I hope you enjoy this short exhibition, that it raises questions for you, and that it encourages you to explore your own creativity, whatever form that may take"

- Robert Isherwood

If you can't make it in person the digital book of the work can be accessed via our website, link in bio!

28/10/2026

27/10/2026

As part our ongoing Bookmarked project we're recruiting for Artist Residencies at Rural Arts and our partner venues. The first three are live on our webiste visit: https://www.ruralarts.org/about-us/job-opportunities/ for full details. Keep an eye out as there are two more residencies to be announced.

Artist Residency Opportunities:

🔵Freelance Sculptor to join the Bookmarked Thirsk project as Artist in Residence at Rural Arts.

🔵 Freelance Podcaster to join the Bookmarked Thirsk project as Artist in Residence at White Rose Book Cafe.

🔵Freelance Mural Artist to join the Bookmarked Thirsk project as Artist in Residence at Thirsk Community Library.

As part of each residency all posts require hybrid working as Thirsk is at the heart of the project. The selected artists will work with the community to develop their works. Each venue has a specific art form they would like to explore. The residencies will culminate in an Art Trail at the end of April.

The residencies take place between November 2026 - April 2027

Fee for each residency:
15 freelance days @£200 per day
3 days of development and prep
6 days of delivery - onsite and hybrid
6 days of making
Total fee: £3,000

Bookmarked Thirsk is funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

22/10/2026

👽October Half Term – Out of This World Ceramic Aliens!👽

Looking for a fun and creative activity this October half term? Join us at The Courthouse for a colourful, hands-on ceramic workshop inspired by Julia Donaldson’s wonderful story ‘The Smeds and the Smoos!’

Little ones can get creative with clay, sculpting their very own quirky ceramic aliens complete with unusual eyes, wiggly antennae, colourful features and funny expressions, just in time for Halloween!

Workshop details:
Date: Thursday 29 October
Time: 10:30am – 12pm
Tickets: £8 per child

📍 The Courthouse, RURAL ARTS
🎨 Suitable for ages 6+ | All materials provided

Our first workshop has SOLD OUT, so act fast to avoid disappointment!

Book your place and get ready for some out-of-this-world creativity this half term:

https://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/workshops/bookmarked-october-half-term-out-of-this-world-ceramic-alien/

Bookmarked Thirsk is funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

21/10/2026

🧙‍♀️October Half Term - Ceramic Witch Heads Workshop! 🧙‍♀️

Looking for something creative to do this October half term?

Join us at The Courthouse for a spellbinding clay workshop inspired by Julia Donaldson’s much-loved story ‘Room on the Broom!’

Little ones can get hands-on with clay to sculpt their very own ceramic witch heads, complete with pointy noses, wild hair, quirky features and plenty of personality! With guidance from our tutor, they’ll bring their magical creations to life, ready to be fired and collected once complete.

Workshop details:
Date: Wednesday 28 October
Time: 10:30am – 12pm
Tickets: £8 per child

📍 The Courthouse, RURAL ARTS
🎨 Suitable for ages 8+ | All materials provided

Our first workshop has SOLD OUT, so act fast to avoid disappointment!

Book your place and join us for some creative, half-term fun:
https://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/workshops/bookmarked-october-half-term-ceramic-witch-heads/

Bookmarked Thirsk is funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

15/10/2026

We're looking forward to our upcoming bookclubs! We meet on the third Tuesday of the month. The sessions cost £5 per person.

The Rural Arts book club is all about bringing people together through the power of a good story. Come along to our welcoming monthly sessions and chat about the book we’ve chosen with friendly fellow readers.

📚Our October book is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
📍The Old Courthouse, Thirsk
🗓 Tuesday 20th October
🕰 6:30pm - 8pm

There’s absolutely no pressure to have studied the book just come along ready to share your thoughts and reactions. Whether you loved it, felt conflicted, or have lots of questions, it will all make for a great conversation.

If you can't make this month, there's plenty of time to start reading our November book which is Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Book now via ruralarts.org

Bookmarked Thirsk is funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

12/10/2026

Our café will be temporarily closed tomorrow, Tuesday 13th October, while we work to resolve a technical issue with our payment system.

We're sorry for any inconvenience and really appreciate your patience and understanding while we get things sorted.

The Courthouse will remain open as usual, including the Thirlby Group exhibition and workshops, so you're still very welcome to pop in!

We hope to have the café back up and running very soon.

Thank you for your continued support.

The Rural Arts Team

10/10/2026

The stage is set for 'Batty' tonight at Thirsk and Sowerby Town Hall. There's still time to book your ticket via our website!

Doors: 7pm
Showtime: 7:30pm

Have you got a wild side?

Batty has, she dreams of running barefoot, wild swimming, of talking trees, strange animals and the scent of the seasons turning. In fact she’s starting to wonder if she might be a witch...

Join Batty and her companion Wildthing for gossip, gay abandon, exquisite tenderness and raucous stories (with a side order of ranting), as they explore the magic and power of ageing.

This new production from Victoria Firth & Company explores the wildness - as opposed to madness - of women, and how our feral side can reconnect us to ourselves and our environment.

Suitable for age 14+

Show Length 65 minutes + Q& A at the end. There will be a 10 minute break at the end of the show followed by 20-30 minute Q&A.

Bookmarked Thirsk is funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

10/10/2026

We can't wait for the show tonight!

There's still time to grab a ticket:
https://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/performances/batty/thirsk-sowerby-town-hall/

08/10/2026

We're looking forward to having Katie Spencer with us at the Old Courthouse in Thirsk on Thursday 5th November.

Doors: 7pm
Performance: 7:30pm

Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull (UK), Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through her assured guitar style and songwriting. Now, as Katie steps into this new era with a third album, her focus turns to those deeper inner spaces, inviting the listener to engage with her heartfelt and intricately-crafted songs.

Her writing, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Julie Byrne and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, weave into her sound. Katie absorbs these influences into her songwriting and with her distinctive deep vibrato and crystal-clear guitar style, she makes the music inimitably her own.

Book your tickets via our website: https://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/at-the-courthouse/music-monthlies-katie-spencer/