Show Scarborough 2023! proves a huge success for town's Ukrainian community

Show Scarborough 2023! is a Ukrainian-based photographic, art and literacy project, with people from the town’s Ukrainian community using cameras and imagination on the theme of ‘Light’ to produce images in words and pictures for a public display.

Borough Mayor, Cllr Eric Broadbent and the Mayoress, Lynne, who presented the prizes, said: “It was a wonderful event and it was very moving to meet many of our Ukrainian guests; a huge well done to everyone involved.”

Event co-ordinator, David Lewis, said: “It was one of our most important projects of recent years and made a strong impression on everyone who attended throughout the week.

"A huge thank you from all the team at Bryn Stowe Publications on behalf of Ukraine to all the fantastic exhibitors, volunteers, sponsors and donors and all who supported this great event in whatever way, you were magnificent.

"A special thanks goes to Leslie Stones, owner of Gallery 6 for hosting and generally encouraging us at every stage.”

During the week, more than 200 people visited the exhibition of photographs, jewellery, art and literature.

More than £1,200 was raised, with more than half of that going to help the Ukrainians living in Scarborough, the remainder going to Ukrainian families already being supporting in various parts of their home country through Hoggy’s Fund for Ukraine, set up by Bryn Stowe Publications of Cloughton after the invasion last year.

Nine cash prizes were provided by sponsors Bright’s Jewellers and Lightbox, both in St Nicholas Street, B Bernard and Sons of Scarborough, Bryn Stowe Publications and a number of private individuals.

The prizes were awarded by the Mayoress during the awards night which was attended by more than 50 people.

The overall winner and most popular photograph of Scarborough was The Beauty of the Night by Olena Speranska, which depicted the fabulous Aquarium Top roundabout, part of the Scarborough Borough Council’s Project Sunshine by artists Badgers of Bohemia.

Exhibitor Serhii Tkachenko, from Cherkasy in Ukraine, gave a moving speech about the importance of how all the events combine to make a huge difference to Ukraine.