City of York Council
Boosting music and arts venues in York.
We’re working with City of York Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to boost five music and arts venues in the city. We’ll be helping to boost community places and spaces hosting live music, arts and culture, whilst providing our free hands-on work experience opportunities for local young people.
Here’s a round-up of the venues we’ve supported so far.
“VIY have now become part of our Construction Skills Initiative and have brought in sponsorship and pro-bono support from industry to add value to their projects.”
Simon Brereton, Head of Economy, City of York Council
The Fulford Arms
Our first project in this new programme saw us help popular York music venue, The Fulford Arms, to become more accessible for gig-goers with mobility issues or physical disabilities, by creating a ramp at the entrance of the venue and building a sound booth to provide a safer experience for audiences and music tech teams.
One of our projects match-funded in 2023 by VIY partners Barclaycard, with support from Dulux.
See our feature with Fix Radio following their visit to this project.
The Vaults
Our work at The Vaults was to improve the facilities and enhance the environment for gig goers watching live music, including building a lighting box, a DJ podium, boxed-in lighting and painting the stage area. We’re thrilled to hear the venue has since seen an increase in over 200 hundred additional customers attending gigs since our renovations in January 2024!
“Thank you to you and your team for your excellent work at the York Vaults. We have had many positive comments about the under-stage light boxes; they really add to the atmosphere when the bands play. Repainting the stage in grey rather than black has been great for the bands as they can easily see the cables and the wheeled boxes for the monitors have released more stage space and allow easy repositioning. The soundproofing to the fire door has reduced sound leakage into the street. Again, thanks to you and your team for your efforts on our behalf.”
Chris, Manager of The Vaults, York
Door 84
Our work at Door 84 focused on revitalising this valued community hub by applying a new paint scheme and creating stunning wall art in collaboration with talented local artist (Kiana). The transformation has brought fresh energy to the space, and we’re excited to hear that the local community is already enjoying the new environment. Since the renovations, Door 84 has become an even more welcoming place for people to gather, engage, and connect!
We’re proud to share that this project has been featured on BBC News and York Press, highlighting the positive impact we’ve had in the community.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time and dedication to this project. The finished product is outstanding, and the quality is of the highest standard. It was also fantastic to see the different young people who contributed to the project.”
George Arksey, Youth Manager & Designated Safeguarding Lead
