Photography highlights featured at the Big Ideas By The Sea Festival in Scarborough

Scarborough–born Derrick Santini, who is best known for portraits of leading figures from music and the arts, will be giving a talk on his work at St Martin’s Church on Saturday May 18 at 1pm.

Amongst his numerous luminary portraiture subjects are Dame Judi Dench, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Idris Elba, One Direction and Adele.

Mr. Santini, a former pupil of St. Martin’s School and the Graham School, will also have an exhibition running concurrently at Scarborough Art Gallery.

Titled ‘Self-Made’, it reflects his career over the past three decades and runs across the summer months from Saturday May 18 until Sunday September 1.

Scarborough-based Paul Wilson, a professional photographer, has his latest bespoke themed exhibition titled ‘ShelfLife’ with a personal visual interpretation of consumerism and its consequences on the environment at

the Pre-Raphaelite St. Martin’s Church on the South Cliff.

Mr. Wilson’s exhibition is on display daily throughout the festival period from May 17-31.

A third photographic event, staged by Photo Scarborough, a newly formed creative and research initiative, also on Saturday May 18 at St Martin’s Church is a talk by Martha Cattell and Jonathan Wallis that explores the

legacy of Scarborough’s photographic history, focussing on the many exponents of the medium that were attracted to the town.

The event at 3 follows on from Derrick Santini’s lecture.

The Big Ideas By The Sea festival is now in its fourth year, and is headlined by three internationally eminent figures from art and design with broadcaster and author and former Royal College of Art Rector Sir Christopher Frayling, Scarborough-born Richard Seymour, one of the world’s leading product designers and exhibition and museum designer John Sunderland, creator of the original Jorvik Viking Centre.

All three are featured in a special day of three-dimensional design talks on Saturday May 25 at St. Mary’s Church commencing at 11.00am.

Other lecture highlights include talks by renowned artist Jeremy Deller and the well-known Egyptologist and television broadcaster Professor Joann Fletcher.

This year’s festival also features a return of the popular Big Day Out at The Castle, wildlife talks on cetaceans and the RSPB Bempton Cliffs seabird colony, live music, poetry, theatre, practical archaeology, drawing workshops and guided walks amongst the varied range events.

As a prelude to the main festival, the initial event is a concert by Scarborough Symphony Orchestra featuring works by Brahms, Fogg, Boulanger and Grant Still on Saturday May 11 at Queen Street Methodist Hall, commencing at 7.15pm.

Big Ideas By The Sea festival is funded by Yorkshire Coast BID, ROUTE YC, and Lottery Funded by Arts Council England.

The festival is held from Friday May 17 – Friday May 31 May at various venues across the town.

Full details and tickets are available on the festival website at bigideasbythesea.com.