The Inaugural York Wayzgoose

From 6th-8th August 2026, Thin Ice Press will host the first York Wayzgoose: a three-day gathering of traditional print, contemporary practice, research and exchange.

Rooted in craft, shaped by scholarship, and offered as a meeting point for lovers of print and printmaking, York Wayzgoose brings together practitioners, researchers, designers, students, and studio owners.

Expect superb guest speakers, a curated Suppliers’ Fair, hands-on workshops and demonstrations, exhibitions, excursions, a print auction, a drinks reception, and the Wayzgoose dinner.

This being York, there will also be a print-your-own-beermat pub crawl and plenty of actual geese — one of them more than 500 years old!

Excursions & Exhibitions

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Demonstrations

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Wayzgoose Dinner

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Drinks Reception

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Print Auction

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Talks & Plenary Lectures

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Suppliers’ Fair

Excursions & Exhibitions ✳︎ Demonstrations ✳︎ Wayzgoose Dinner ✳︎ Drinks Reception ✳︎ Print Auction ✳︎ Talks & Plenary Lectures ✳︎ Suppliers’ Fair

Programme

Join us in York—the UK’s first UNESCO City of Media Arts—home to a world-renowned historic centre, a rich print heritage, and a thriving contemporary creative scene.

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  • Including plenary lectures from Laura Boswell, Vera Estafieva, Jamie Murphy, and Belinda Ugalde.

    Talks include:

    • Chiara Betti, Under the Surface: 3D Imaging and the Materiality of Print in Historic Collections

    • Vega Brennan, ‘Printing Fast and Printing Badly: How Fluxus Might Help Us Think Differently about Printing’;

    • Patti Harper, ‘From Press to Process: What Building a Printing Press Taught Me About Learning’

    • Mat Lazenby, ‘CityFolk: Message from a Memorandum’

    • Nathalie Rennhack, ‘Materiality and Periodial Space in Isaiah Thomas’ Massachusetts Spy around 1800’

    • Emily Rowe, ‘Printing Wrong: Error and Constraint in Letterpress Pedagogy’

    • Peter Soemers, ‘The Renildis Hand Press’

    • Ben Weiner on scholarly and hands-on work;

    • Maria Ztyaruk, ‘Gutenberg’s Ghost Rises in Canada: a Cross-Disciplinary Project to Design a Wooden Screw Hand Press for a Book Arts Lab at the University of Calgary’

    • Helen Smith on the hidden histories of printing in York.

    Full programme to be shared in early May.

  • Including:

    • Vera Estafieva on calligraphy;

    • Bob Wakefield (Chevington Press) printing colour wood engraving;

    • Nick Gill casting type in a hand mould;

    • Jen Anne on wood type cutting;

    • the Thin Ice Press team on poster printing, combining riso and relief printing, and much more!

  • Including:

    • an exhibition of the HotBed Press 20:20 Print Exchange;

    • a visit to ‘Making Waves’ at York Art Gallery;

    • a walking tour of printing in York;

    • a print-your-own beermat pub crawl;

    • and more!

  • The Wayzgoose registration fee includes lunches on all days, tea and coffee throughout, an evening drinks reception, and the Wayzgoose Dinner on Friday 7th August.

  • The Suppliers' Fair will run from 11.00-16.00 on Saturday 8th May, and tables cost £60. We ask exhibitors to provide their own tablecloths and signage. Exhibitors will also be welcome to join us for the Wayzgoose Dinner on the evening of Friday 8th May, at a cost of around £40.

    You can book a table via this link. If you have any questions, or would like to know more about the Wayzgoose plans and programme, please get in touch (thinicepress@york.ac.uk).

  • Call for Papers Deadline Extended!

    We are delighted to extend the deadline for paper and demonstration proposals until Thursday 20th April. For more details, see our Call for Papers.

  • Laura Boswell

    Plenary Speaker

    Laura’s work explores light, space, and scale within wild landscapes. Her prints are built through multiple washes of transparent ink, using shading techniques inspired by traditional Japanese printmaking. Her aim is to capture the living landscape with its ephemeral light and atmosphere

    Laura is a member of the Royal Society of Printmakers, with work held in public collections in the UK, USA, and Japan. She studied at Aberystwyth University and with the Nagasawa Art Programme in Japan, and has published books on Japanese woodblock and linocut techniques with The Crowood Press.

    Hates: the random addition of chocolate to traditional recipes.

  • Vera Evstafieva

    Plenary Speaker

    Vera Evstafieva is an independent type designer and calligrapher in Cambridge, UK, designing letters since the 2000s. She is a full member of the Letter Exchange Society and has served as a jury member for international type design competitions.

    Vera is passionate about exploring historical sources. She experiments with transparency, colour, and layered intersections created with a flat brush,  and she takes advantage of the one and only optimal shape of a letter in type, thoroughly balancing black and white.

    Her designs include Amalta, ALS Direct, Birra Lambic, Moscow University, Rossica, and Apriori, alongside Cyrillics for Literata, Postea, Futura 100, and other TypeTogether fonts. Amalta has recently been cut as wood type.

    Vera avoids garlic at all costs.

  • Jamie Murphy

    Plenary Speaker

    Jamie Murphy is an artist, designer and educator based in Dublin. He operates under the imprint of The Salvage Press, making books with particular attention to concept, materials and fine letterpress printing. At The National College of Art & Design his focus with students is on book-making and typographic experimentation. Jamie has exhibited and spoken broadly about his work. His books reside in private, public and institutional collections across the globe.

    Jamie hates Helvetica.

  • Belinda Ugalde

    Plenary Speaker


    Belinda Ugalde Mellado is a graphic designer and printer based in Xalapa, Mexico. She specializes in visual identity and editorial design, and her work in social and cultural posters has been exhibited both in Mexico and internationally. She also teaches at the School of Design at Universidad Anáhuac Veracruz. After working in a letterpress workshop, Belinda developed a passion for wood type and began conducting independent research on Mexican letterpress printing and its educational applications. She is the author of the book Imprenta Enlace: Carteles de tradición tipográfica mexicana, a project supported by the Ministry of Culture of Mexico.

    Belinda hates the loss of letterpress heritage and cold baths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take a look at the FAQ, then register below to secure your place. Contact us at thinicepress@york.ac.uk for more information.

Register
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  • Historically, a Wayzgoose marked the transition to candlelit winter working, celebrated with a late-summer feast given by a master printer for their journeymen.

    Today it is a living tradition: a space to meet new and familiar faces, share and sell work, and celebrate the craft. Some great examples include the Stroud Wayzgoose, the St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose, the wonderful Shipley Wayzgoose, and our very own Christmas Frost Fair!

    Beyond the UK, the term often describes events akin to conferences, where practitioners and researchers connect, reflect, and shape the field.

  • York Wayzgoose welcomes printers, printmakers, designers, typographers, researchers, students, volunteers, curators, and anyone with a keen interest in the past, present, and future of print.

  • We’re happy to offer tips on travel and budget-friendly stays. York’s central location puts it within a few hours by rail from London, Edinburgh, and nearby international airports, making it accessible to both UK and overseas visitors.

    A small number of travel bursaries are available, and payment by instalment is supported. We are also happy to assist with grant applications.

    Please contact thinicepress@york.ac.uk with any questions.

  • Speakers are asked to pay the registration fee. This covers the costs of hosting the event — including catering, exhibition access, staffing, and venue hire — and helps to ensure the event is sustainable, allowing Thin Ice Press to host this ambitious gathering independently.