Reignite VIII: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
York BID’s Project Manager, Rachel Bean, presented at Reignite VIII: The Stories We Tell Ourselves on the importance of placemaking and storytelling. For those who were unable to attend the event, you can read on for the full presentation:
Tonight we are here to talk about stories: the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell each other, and the stories our city tells the world. And in York, we are so lucky to have so many fascinating stories to tell.
In terms of placemaking, this city speaks for itself. York’s rich history is woven into the very fabric of our streets, and it’s this strong heritage that makes York the place it is today. Around the world, York is known for its stories of Romans and Vikings, its railways and beautiful built heritage, but a key part of York’s 2000-year history is the story of a city that is constantly evolving and moving forward; a place of pioneers and innovators, and a place where history isn’t just preserved, but it is made every day.
At York BID, we are incredibly passionate about placemaking and storytelling, and we are constantly pinching ourselves that businesses continue to let us do all the weird and wonderful projects like the ones you can see here.
Placemaking is the bread and butter of the BID industry, using our high streets as the canvas on which to tell our stories in a way that we hope excites, that broadens people’s perceptions of York, and that celebrates the people and stories that have made York what it is today, and are shaping its future.
And it’s because of York’s wealth of local stories that we’ve been able to develop these truly home-grown projects that residents can feel proud of and that visitors will travel to see. The most recent example of this was Colour & Light at York Minster last month.
This large-scale outdoor projection used cutting-edge technology to retell the story of York through wildlife and shine a light on York’s rich cultural assets, bringing York’s built heritage together with its UNESCO City of Media Arts designation in a way that seemed to really resonate with locals and visitors. The 2025 event alone brought an estimated 100,000 viewers to the city, at a time when businesses needed it most.
And this is just one example of how York BID is using creative interventions to support our local businesses. No one has seen this before, but here’s a sneak peak of a project we’re currently working on with York Civic Trust, The University of York, and BrightWhite, a connection we made at the very first Reignite event, to tell the medieval history of the city’s snickelways in an engaging and visually impactful way, again using creative interventions to shape our public spaces and spark curiosity in our stories.
Alongside partners across the city and region, we are committed to delivering an ambitious programme of free cultural experiences that amplify stories from York through art, to reposition our city, and leverage our UNESCO City of Media Arts designation to aim higher than ever before. By telling a compelling story of innovation, creativity, and heritage, we’re showcasing York as a leading cultural destination that seamlessly blends heritage and innovation, increasing York’s profile as a city that continues to grow and build upon its historic foundations.
York is the only UNESCO City of Media Arts in the UK and one of only 26 globally. Our UNESCO designation is a powerful tool for repositioning York on the global stage, and what’s more, we have the opportunity to bring our UNESCO designation together with our 2000-year history to create something truly unique to our city and our stories.
The stories we tell about our city and region shape their future, and I’d urge us all to come together across sectors to promote York as a place where things happen, a place for creatives and a place where people and businesses want to be.
Thank you again for coming and for continuing to support this event and show up for the creative industries. I hope you’ll join us later at the Art gallery feeling inspired by the presentations and panel discussion you’re about to hear, and that you make new connections that hold the potential to reshape our city. Together, let’s reignite York and let’s make history.