Exciting news! The British Origami Society has secured a lecture space at the York Festival of Ideas, one of the most popular science and culture festivals in the North. In 2024, the festival attracted an impressive 58,311 attendees, and we’re thrilled to be part of this vibrant event.

The BOS will be represented by a talk developed and delivered by Lee Armstrong at Bootham School, no more than 20 minutes away from the York Minster and York railway station. While the exact dates and details are still to be confirmed, the talk’s theme is clear:

“Folding Waves: How Teaching, Technology, and Community Transformed Origami”

The presentation will explore the history of origami, tracing its “waves” as the artform moved between East and West in the pre-modern era. It will highlight how 20th-century pioneers and organizations—particularly the British Origami Society—helped shape origami into what it is today.

If you’re free between 31 May and 13 June 2025, keep an eye out for the final event schedule via BOS social media accounts — we’d love for you to join us! We also plan to run a family-friendly folding session and are exploring the possibility of a small (or large!) origami exhibition.

Call to Action: Help Create the BOS Exhibition!

We are looking for donations of folded origami models to be displayed in the BOS exhibition corner at the York Festival of Ideas. If you’d like to support the society’s efforts to popularize origami—and see your work showcased in York—please contribute!

How to Participate:

• • Prepare models you’d like to have displayed.
  • Label them with the model name, creator, and folder details.
  • Bring them to the Milton Keynes Convention in April.
  • If not attending the convention – please get in touch and we can consider the best ways to transport the models from your place to York.

Please note: Models will not be returned, but your contribution will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping us share the beauty of origami with the wider public!

Liliya Brezina