ACOMB WARD SUMMER 2026 MAGAZINE

CITY OF YORK COUNCIL WARD FUNDED

NEW VISUALITY

CULTURE MAGAZINE

YOUNG ARTISTS OF ACOMB READ, DRAW, PAINT

Summer in Acomb feels brighter when young people have space to create, explore, play and feel part of their community. Our Acomb project brings children and teenagers together through art, reading, local visits, outdoor activity and shared experiences, helping them build confidence, friendships and pride in the place they call home.

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FROM PAGE TO PICTURE.

This summer, Acomb itself became the classroom, gallery and storybook. Working with young people from Carr Junior, Acomb Primary and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, we set out to explore, celebrate and reimagine the area through art, literature and plenty of fun. Holy Redeemer became one of our creative bases, alongside Books & Bevs, giving the group familiar places to meet, make, read and plan their next adventure. From there, we headed out around Acomb, looking differently at streets, buildings, stories and everyday landmarks that can easily be overlooked. Leading the way were Kate and Kaiden from York High, who helped younger participants feel confident, included and ready to get involved. Books sparked drawings, local places became inspiration, and trips around the neighbourhood turned into opportunities to notice what makes Acomb distinctive. The priority throughout was simple: to help young people feel proud of where they live, curious about the culture around them and excited by what they could create together. Acomb wasn’t just where the project happened — it became the subject, the inspiration and the star of the show.

It was also time to celebrate Dolly Parton's life. Our project had been basing our art on literary figures. Dolly encouraged us to take that further.

Her remarkable literacy legacy shows what can happen when books are placed directly into children’s hands.

Inspired by her father, who could not read, her Imagination Library has sent more than 240 million free books to young children around the world, removing barriers and making reading part of everyday life. In Acomb, that same spirit is being carried forward locally. New Visuality’s Acomb Advocates have been leading with reading, encouraging younger children to see books as something exciting, social and creative. Visits to Acomb Explore — the refurbished Front Street library and community hub — have helped children discover the value of a welcoming public space built around learning and curiosity. Meanwhile, Books & Bevs brings a different energy, mixing an independent bookshop, café and strong sense of personality. Together, these places show that reading thrives when books are accessible, visible and woven into Acomb life.

Our tribute to Dolly Parton included a trip to Acomb Explore

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ACOMB: READ THE ART. SEE THE STORY

Reading became one of the quiet joys of the summer holidays, and books came to us from every direction. Young people brought favourites from home, borrowed from New Visuality’s portable library, discovered treasures at Acomb Explore and Books & Bevs, and even found inspiration in the charity shops on Front Street. Those stories became a springboard for relaxed, imaginative art, plenty of fun, and, of course, cake.

DOLLY PARTON

BOOKS & BEVS

BEVS BOOKS &

CAKE & ART

A RT CAKE &

"We’ve made sure there’s plenty here for younger readers, with a carefully chosen young fiction and teenage section alongside our children’s and adult books. And if there’s a particular YA or teen title someone is looking for, we can usually order it in for them — having access to Gardners means we can get hold of almost anything.” Joe Long, co-owner, Books & Bevs “Books & Bevs made us feel welcome from the minute we arrived. What I loved most was watching the younger children choose books for themselves, get excited by a story or an illustration, then turn that inspiration into their own artwork. It made reading feel really relaxed, creative and fun — something we could all enjoy together.”, Kate, Art Advocate, York High pupil and Acomb resident CITY OF YORK COUNCIL WARD FUNDING: ACOMB

ACOMB:IN BOOKS, INSPIRATION

Boosts school brainpower: Reading stops children from forgetting what they learned during the school year.

“Keeping her reading over the holidays really helped. Because the books were mixed in with drawing, chatting and making things, it never felt like schoolwork — but she was still using her imagination, vocabulary and concentration.”

— Sarah, parent of an Acomb Primary pupil “I liked that reading was just part of the day rather than something they were being told to do. He’d pick up a book, talk about what he’d found, then use it as an idea for his artwork. It kept his brain switched on without feeling pressured.”

— Daniel, parent of a Carr Junior School pupil

Builds massive vocabulary: Kids discover new words easily just by looking at the story pages.

“My daughter kept coming home with new words she’d picked up from the books.

Because they were talking about stories, pictures and characters while they made art, she seemed to remember them without even trying.”

— Emma, parent of an Our Lady Queen of Martyrs pupil “He started pointing out words he recognised and asking what unfamiliar ones meant. It was lovely seeing his confidence grow — reading became something social and creative rather than something he had to sit down and practise.”

— James, dad of a Hob Moor Community Primary pupil

Calms mind and body: Sitting with a book lowers stress, helps energetic children relax quietly and gave us a lovely way into learning about the history of Acomb.

“My son is usually on the go all day, so it was great hearing that he’d actually enjoyed sitting down with a book and talking about old Acomb. It seemed to calm him, but he was still learning and getting ideas for his artwork.”

— Laura, parent of a Carr Junior School pupil

Sparks creative thinking: Books train the brain to imagine new worlds, people, and exciting ideas.

“She came home full of ideas from the stories they’d been reading — inventing characters, changing endings and turning little details from books into drawings. It really seemed to unlock her imagination.”

— Rachel, parent of a Carr Junior School pupil “My son loved that there was no ‘right answer’. They could take an idea from a book and run with it, making something completely different of their own. It gave him real confidence to be inventive.”

— Paul, dad of an Acomb Primary pupil

Costs absolutely nothing “She loved finding out little stories about the area and then drawing what she imagined Acomb might have looked like years ago. Reading gave her a quiet moment in the day, but it also made her much more curious about where she lives.”

— Chris, dad of an Our Lady Queen of Martyrs pupil

ACOMB ARTISTS AND READERS

THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY REDEEMER NEW VISUALITY GOES BACK A LONG WAY WITH THIS ACOMB CHURCH. WE SENT KAIDEN AND A CAMERA TO CHRONICLE SOME CREATIVITY From my point of view, Holy Redeemer is one of those places in Acomb that you can walk past without really thinking about, but once you spend time there you realise how interesting it actually is.

It feels welcoming and relaxed, which made it a really good base for us, but there is also loads of history hidden in the building.

I found out that the church was finished in 1964 and was the first new parish church built in York after the Second World War. It was designed by George Pace, and what makes it especially unusual is the way modern 1960s architecture sits alongside old stone and pieces rescued from the medieval church of St Mary, Bishophill.

ARTICLE BY KAIDEN, 15, YORK HIGH PUPIL

I liked that mix of old and new because it fitted what we were doing. We were learning about Acomb, looking at its history, reading, drawing and making our own work. Holy Redeemer gave us somewhere that felt connected to the past without feeling oldfashioned, and that made it a really inspiring place to be creative.

WELCOMING THE LORD MAYOR OF YORK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ACOMB ADVOCATE SOPHIA Creativity matters deeply in Acomb, a part of York with a strong identity, a welcoming community and plenty of stories worth celebrating. Through art, reading and exploration, our young

MEET COUNCILLOR MARGARET WELLS, THE LORD MAYOR OF YORK FOR 2026–27 AND THE CITY’S CEREMONIAL FIRST CITIZEN, HELPING US CELEBRATE ACOMB

people have been looking again at the places around them — from Holy Redeemer and Acomb Explore to Acomb Green and the streets they know every day — and turning those experiences into artwork that reflects pride in their local area.

It was fantastic to welcome the Lord Mayor of York to York College, where she saw work created during our Acomb activities and exhibited alongside further pieces at English Martyrs Church Hall. As the Lord Mayor said, “Acomb is a thriving, welcoming area of York. It’s great to see the young artists reflect that.” Her visit gave our participants a real sense that their ideas, their creativity and their community are valued as an important part of York’s wider cultural life.

Greg McGee, co-director

ACOMB: ART, CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION

ABSTRACT ACOMB York High pupils Kate and Kaiden have been reimagining Acomb Green through a bold series of abstract artworks, using colour, shape and texture to capture the energy of one of the area’s best-known public spaces. Their work turns familiar views into something playful, expressive and unmistakably their own.

The pair said they wanted to show Acomb as somewhere creative, positive and full of character. Their paintings were later displayed as part of the wider project, giving visitors a chance to see the Green through younger eyes. “We didn’t want to just paint what it looks like,” Kate says.

“We wanted to show what it feels like.”

Kaiden added that working together helped them see the area differently. “You notice loads more when you stop and actually look. Acomb Green has got loads of colour and life in it — we just pushed that a bit further.”

“Acomb has a real new energy about it, and the Lord Mayor’s visit felt like a wonderful vindication of that. For young people who may not always feel seen or celebrated, having their creativity recognised by the city’s civic leader can be hugely powerful. It builds confidence, pride and aspiration, while reinforcing the message that what is happening in Acomb matters — and that its young people are an important part of York’s cultural future.”

Ails McGee, co-director

Acomb Click. Create.

Repeat.

Photography and words by Herve

‘REST’

‘RESPECT’

there is something important about simply

who came before us. ‘Lest We Forget’ gives

sitting on a park bench. It gives young people

young artists an opportunity to reflect on the

permission to stop, look around, talk, notice the

lives lost through war, the sacrifices made by

trees, the people and the life happening around

ordinary people and the importance of keeping

them. Creativity doesn’t always begin with a

those stories alive. Through creativity,

paintbrush — sometimes it starts with ten quiet

remembrance can be artistic, it becomes a way

minutes at St Stephens, watching the world go

of showing gratitude, empathy and

by and seeing a familiar place differently.”

understanding across generations.”

‘THINK’

‘CONTEMPLATE’

“THINK can also mean slowing down enough to

“AMBITION can begin with making space to

notice the natural world around us. Spending

think. For some young people that might mean

time beneath trees gives us space to think,

prayer; for others, quiet contemplation. Either

explore and feel connected to something bigger

way, stepping away from constant digital

than us. Their strength, age and changing

sensation creates room for ideas, reflection and

seasons can inspire creativity, curiosity and a

imagination. Sometimes the most creative thing

deeper appreciation.”

we can do is find a quiet place.”

“In a world that always seems to be rushing,

NEW VISUALITY / ACOMB ART

“RESPECT also means remembering the people

NEW VISUALITY