rise @ bluebird is our Acomb evening arts venue.
The space regularly plays host to live music, spoken word, art exhibitions, theatre, comedy, family- friendly nights and much more.
Rise aims to be a vibrant and independently-run creative hub, driven by love and support from the local community - and an ardent sense of adventure.
Pop down and check us out - we’re looking forward to you helping shape this place just as much as we do.
Gallery
What's on
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October Rise Up!
NB Due to personal circumstances, Helen Mort will no longer be headlining this month. Instead, we have the wonderful Zaffar Kunial.
Zaffar Kunial lives in Yorkshire and is a recipient of Yale University’s Windham-Campbell Prize. His first poetry collection, “Us”, was published by Faber and appeared on a number of shortlists including the Costa Poetry Award and the T. S. Eliot Prize. His latest book, “England’s Green”, was also shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and it won the Ledbury Prize for best second collection. “England’s Green” was The Times poetry book of the year. In the Irish Times, Zaffar was described as: “Thrillingly innovative ... one of the most exciting voices in British poetry.” Jazmine Linklater is a poet and writer based in Manchester where she works for Carcanet Press and Corridor8. Her most recent poetry publication is Figure a Motion (Guillemot Press, 2020).
Rachel Curzon is an English poet from Leeds, and lives in North Yorkshire. In 2007, she won an Eric Gregory Award, and her debut pamphlet was published under the Arts Council-supported Faber New Poets scheme in 2016.
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Curtis Eller's American Circus
Curtis Eller is a banjo player, songwriter, dancer, and storyteller. The beloved show business veteran started his career at the age of seven as a juggler and acrobat, but has since turned to the banjo because that's where the money is. The iconoclastic troubadour has spent thirty years relentlessly touring the burlesque houses, beer halls, underground theatres, and punk rock dives of North America, Europe, and Australia. His band, Curtis Eller’s American Circus, has developed a devoted international following based on spellbinding stage performances that combine compelling songcraft with silent-film-style physical comedy, and explosive rock & roll energy. This October, Eller will return to the UK for a limited run of club and festival dates, joined by a heavy-hitting, four-piece lineup of The American Circus featuring musicians from both sides of the Atlantic.
- 24/10/2025
6-9pm
Exhibition
Free - all welcome
Art Preview: Di Gomery
Be among the first to see the beautiful new exhibiton of paintings by Di Gomery. The exhibition - titled Floresce - will be a fantastic showcase for Di's series of colourful and uplifting artworks, informed by her sketchbook drawings.
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Heart in a Jar
Decadent Romance and sumptuous Body Horror to quicken your heart. Join storyteller Lara McClure for her annual Hallowe'en storytelling show at Rise, suitable for ages 16+
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BETWE"EN TWO WORLDS: A Twin Peaks Hallowe'en special.
Join us for coffee and cherry pie (or crisps and ale) at Rise for a Twin Peaks spectacular. Come as yourself or as your favourite character. PLUS for one night only, newly formed band The Log Lady and the Axemen will conjyre up the haunting melodies of Twin Peaks. Featuring phantom of the keys, Tom Burgess alongside two guitar-riffing reapers: Finley Potter and Will Evans. Laying down the thunderous basslines will be Eddy Sutherland with wannabe Julee Cruise on vocals, Cordi Hobbs. This event is supporting IDAS charity.
- 02/11/2025
3pm - 9pm
Family Friendly Activities
Free
BYO Vinyl
Come and have a cosy afternoon with us and your vinyl - now the nights are dark, share our space and our decs and maybe share a nice bottle of red! All welcome, all musical genres welcome.
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Unwritten: The Literary Improv Show
Improv based on your literary suggestions.
The Bluffs take classic short-form improv games and infuse them with storytelling flair. Every show is completely unique, shaped by audience suggestions and spontaneous creativity.
Last time we visited a James Bond themed restaurant, reimagined Married at First Sight (Australia) as a Shakespearean drama, saw Poirot solve the mystery of the killer toilet and experienced a musical based on a war novel. Who knows where this evening will take us. Expect an evening of laughter, surprises, and plot twists! -
Connie Peel's 'Service Please'
All Lara wanted was an easy job as she started to write her first novel. But hospitality is no joke and she is confronted with the sexist, stressful and chaotic reality of working in the service industry. Peel’s writing debut returns after a four-star run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Please be aware there will be two performances of "Service Please", one on the fourth of November and one on the seventh.
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York launch of Richard Cave's poetry collection: Village Fox
Join Stairwell Books for the York launch of poetry collection, Village Fox, by Richard Cave. Richard will read from his collection, and will be supported by poets Fiona Timothy, Laurence Tilley. Musical guests (TBA). Richard Cave’s long-awaited first collection offers poems whimsical to environmentally-aware to, dare we say it, poems of “Dylanesque” power and beauty. From the stark horror of Aberfan to the marking of past lives and loves, to the joy of re-learning your child after they have found themselves, all with that touch of a Welsh cadence. Richard’s poems are tales told gently, pragmatically, but with great love for his fellow humans.
Richard was born and brought up in South Wales before moving to Llandrindod in Mid-Wales during his teens. After leaving school, Richard worked on a farm for a year and then for a few years as a decorator and carrying out general building jobs. Richard moved to Yorkshire, gaining a degree at Leeds Polytechnic, and has since worked in construction. Richard, and his wife Julie, are currently enjoying life living just outside York; they have one daughter. Village Fox is his first published poetry collection. -
Connie Peel's 'Service Please'
All Lara wanted was an easy job as she started to write her first novel. But hospitality is no joke and she is confronted with the sexist, stressful and chaotic reality of working in the service industry. Peel’s writing debut returns after a four-star run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Please be aware there will be two performances of "Service Please", one on the fourth of November and one on the seventh.
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Fidelio Hot Club
Fidelio Hot Club are one of the finest gypsy jazz quartets in the UK today, bringing together four of the most sought after musicians on the London scene (Reonel Rafolls violin, Cornelius Corkery guitar, Sol Grimshaw guitar, Toby Yapp, double bass). The group are steeped in the tradition of the great Django Reinhardt and Stephanie Grappelli, however they are far from the average band playing the regular old classics in the regular old way. As well as the authentic hot club sound of the 1930s, expect to hear compositions from the likes of Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Paizzolla, David Bowie, as well as plenty of Django Reinhardt and original compositions. After their highly acclaimed 2024 live performance on Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’, a debut recording release and a full UK tour are in the works for late 2025/2026.
‘Simply Wonderful’ - Sean Rafferty, Radio 3 -
Book launch - Caleb Klaces and Kimberly Campanello
Join rise and Little Apple Bookshop for the York launch of novels by Caleb Klaces and Kimberly Campanello. Kimberly and Caleb will read from their new novels and ask each other questions, including what happens when poets create characters and write paragraphs. Kimberly Campanello's An Interesting Detail was published by Bloomsbury in April. Her debut novel Use the Words You Have is out now with Somesuch Editions. She was born in Elkhart, Indiana, and is Professor of Poetry and Director of Poetry@Leeds at the University of Leeds. Caleb Klaces is the author of novels Mr Outside and Fatherhood, and the poetry collections Away From Me and Bottled Air. He teaches creative writing at York Centre for Writing, York St John University. He grew up in Birmingham.
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DBC3
Hot off the festival circuit, DBC3 and special guests are back at rise. Electro Dub with Dandy Dizzle, Sis Ananda, Nikki H on vocal duties & Col J on melodica, DJ Minesh & Sister Ananda on the wheels of steel dropping reggae classics before 8pm and after DBC3s's live set.
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Blair Dunlop
“The busy crowd… is testament to Dunlop’s talents. Dunlop brings an air of tenacity while displaying a fine repertoire of well-crafted songs spanning traditional and contemporary. He’s determinedly taking the traditions of folk in his own direction” The Independent
Blair Dunlop is an award-winning British singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has released 5 albums, 2 EPs and toured around the globe.
Blair burst onto the scene with his debut album ‘Blight & Blossom’ in 2012, showcasing virtuosic musicianship and lyrical maturity, and was awarded a prestigious BBC Folk Award in the wake of its release. A string of critically acclaimed albums followed, along with headline tours and festival appearances in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. ‘Gilded’ and ‘Notes from an Island’ were released on his own label and singles ‘The Egoist’ and ‘356’ received national playlist status on BBC Radio 2. Following this, ‘Trails: Queensland’ (2021), Blair’s first live album, documented a tour of rural Australia, playing for isolated communities. From Glastonbury to Tuscany, Queensland to Palestine, Blair has brought his musicality and storytelling to audiences young and old. Album five was released 24th May 2024.
“From the outside, when listening to the music of Blair Dunlop, you get the impression that though he’s something of a natural talent he continues to work hard to progress both his songwriting and musicianship…. you can hear the folk heritage coursing through his veins as well as the originality he brings to the genre.” Songwriting Magazine
“A cult hero whose work is adored by those who come across it”
Clash Music
“An adept guitarist whose epic songwriting instincts prevail on a personal-political fourth album”
MOJO
“Blair Dunlop’s fourth album finds him fully ensconced as a singer-songwriter of maturity and sophistication…
‘Notes From An Island’ really ought to give Blair Dunlop the wider exposure he deserves”
RnR Magazine
“On his fourth full length LP, ‘Notes From An Island’, he develops a more mature sociopolitical undertone to his music…
Blair Dunlop could help bring the genre back to the forefront of the UK music scene.”
Guitarist Magazine -
THE JAYBIRDS
York-based string band specialising in American roots music with a smattering of contemporary and original material. Blues and rags, old-time and bluegrass, featuring a balanced mix of ballads, breakdowns, and current fiddle tunes. The instrumentation includes guitar, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, and double bass. A quartet of multi-instrumentalists, the current line-up comprises:Pete Hull - guitar and dobro and vocals. Burt Sawdon - guitar, fiddle, banjo, and vocals. Marcia Mackey - double bass, fiddle, and vocals. Kevin Booth - mandolin, banjo, and vocals. Pete Hull and Burt Sawdon have been active on the York music scene for over 40 years, playing together throughout the 80s/90s in the highly successful and much-loved R&B combo Burt’s Band, together with playing as an acoustic guitar-based duo. Pete Hull is currently the leader of Bad Saloon, a York-based blues rock band. Burt has been the bass player for Steve Phillips and the Rough Diamonds for the past 15 years.
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Songs Without Borders: Adderstone & Soundsphere
Full folk immersion in joyous harmonies and leftfield stories from Soundsphere and Adderstone, to fire up your blood on a November night. Adderstone - music-threaded storytelling.
Hope and inspiration come from strange places, these days. Adderstone will fire up your blood with their unique blend of acappella and alt-folk songs telling the stories of ancient crones and mysterious ponds, revolutionaries and radical medieval nuns!
"Beautiful and powerful"; "Harmonies like butter"; "Your blend of song and spoken word make for such rich experience." Soundsphere - Three Voices ~ One Unique Sound.
"Each song a jewel ~ creative, passionate, beautifully sung". From the medieval to the contemporary, let Soundsphere take you on a fabulous journey with songs from around the world and through the ages, all arranged with stunning three part harmony and percussion. - 24/11/2025
Doors 7:30
Live Music
£20 adv
Lou Barlow
Forever in our hearts and forever at the heart of things, Lou Barlow is a founding member of Deep Wound, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion. After a lifetime of creativity under various enticingly-named handles, including Sentridoh, Barlow now records under his own name. The directness of using 'Lou Barlow' rather than a recording alias results in similarly direct songwriting and, in particular, a directness and strength in the author's voice - one of the loveliest instruments in the independent music canon.
- 27/11/2025
5pm - 9pm
Family Friendly Activities
free
Christmas Makers' Fair
The first of our two Christmas shopping evenings this year. Expect ceramics, plants, jewellery, print makers - all to assist with your Christmas shopping! Christmas hot chocolate as standard!
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Ellie Gowers
Ellie Gowers is a UK singer-songwriter blending contemporary acoustic sounds with the storytelling traditions of folk. Her 2022 debut album Dwelling by the Weir earned critical acclaim for its lyrical depth and ecological themes, praised by The Guardian and TradFolk. In 2024, her new EP - You The Passenger, received national airplay on BBC Radio 2, 6 Music, and the RADMAC show. With influences ranging from MIPSO to Jeff Buckley, her sound explores themes of distance, longing, and identity. An extended version of the EP arrives in autumn 2025, followed by a UK headline tour in November.
Doors 7:30pm - Music 8pm
“Full of delicacy, precision and gentle delight” The Guardian -- “Absolutely beautiful” Zoe Ball BBC Radio 2 -- “Really impressive” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 - 11/12/2025
5pm - 9pm
Family Friendly Activities
Free
Christmas Makers' Fair number two!
This Makers' Fair will host a whole new group of local and talented makers' for your shopping needs, for friends, or a gift to self! Please make sure you try our amazing frangipane mince pies...
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Femme Fatale Faerytales: Mirror, Mirror
🪞✨ Mirror, Mirror ✨🪞
An enchanting evening of dark delights and feminist twists from Femme Fatale Faerytales 🌹
Still a work in progress — come be part of the magic as new tales take shape.
Meet the cat who got the cream, the dog who stayed home, and follow the faeries through a forest with no fear at all… 🌙 -
Winter Botanicals Lino Printing
We are thrilled to host illustrater Lara Aitkin for the second time this year - join us for a greetings card workshop, with all materials provided. Mulled wine and our famous frangipane mince pies available to purchase to make the evening extra festive.
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Baps and Buns Burlesque
We are thrilled to announce that York’s Burlesque Queen, Freida Nipples, is back at Rise this September.
Freida is an internationally award-winning burlesque artiste who will seduce you with astounding aesthetics and enthral you with her captivating stage presence.
Alongside her will be a selection of sensational cabaret artists. From drag queens to acrobats, you always know you will be in for a fun night at Freida’s shows which have been sell-out successes across York for the past six years, at venues such as York Theatre Royal, The Basement, Impossible and more.
So - prepare yourselves for an evening of debauchery & glamour in Acomb. The big question is, are you ready for it?!
Tickets include a welcome drink on arrival. (Non-alcoholic option available).
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John Osborne Presents: There Will Be Tinsel
With a stage covered in tinsel and Christmas lights, this is the perfect show for nights out in December with festive poems and stories that have proved popular at Christmas shows across the country. Step into the magic of the season with theatre-maker and Radio 4 regular John Osborne.
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Edwina Hayes
Doors 7:30pm - Music 8pm
One of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own.
Highly accomplished she’s toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few.
Edwina numbers Michael Parkinson and Mike Harding among her fans and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith who calls her 'the sweetest voice in England'.
Her cover of the Randy Newman song Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister's Keeper and has since had over twenty million plays on Spotify and over fifty million plays on You Tube.
Edwina's 4th album Ruby Rose was released in 2022.
'The sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman, so gifted and full of song.' Nanci Griffith
'Haunting, honeyed, solo songwriter.' The Guardian -
Please Please You & Brudenell Presents Jeffrey Martin
Join us to welcome Jeffrey Martin to the rise @ bluebird stage. On a small corner lot in southeast Portland, Oregon, Jeffrey Martin holed up through the winter recording his quietly potent new album Thank God We Left The Garden. Long nights bled into mornings in the tiny shack he built in the backyard, eight feet by ten feet. What began as demos meant for a later visit to a proper studio became the album itself, spare and intimate and true. Recorded live and alone around two microphones, Jeffrey often held his breath to wait for the low diesel hum of a truck to pass one block over on the busy thoroughfare. During the coldest nights, he timed recording between the clicks of the oil coil heater cycling on and off.
Martin's fourth full length album, Thank God We Left The Garden comes out on Portland's beloved Fluff and Gravy Records Nov __. He produced and engineered it himself, recalling, "There was a magic quality to the sounds I was getting in the shack with these two cheap microphones, some lucky recipe of time and place that allowed my voice and the way I play guitar and the shape of these new songs to come together with the kind of honesty I was craving. "Whether singing about his own internal landscape, telling a story of someone else's, or reflecting on the elusive relationship between scarcity and contentment, Martin's writing never pushes the listener away, never points a finger. He sings of things we can all pin a memory on, holding the rough shorn gem of human experience up to the light. More events coming soon!