A YORK immersive exhibition on the life of Vincent Van Gogh will remain in the city into next year.

The Immersive Experience in York St Mary’s, Coppergate was due to close at the end of the year, but organisers have extended it to lift peoples spirits over the winter months.

Exhibition manager, Evie Blackstock, said: “We know that lockdown impacted on just about everybody’s sense of wellbeing, and it seems like the feedback we’re getting from visitors now is even more positive than when we first opened.

“The Zen-like experience of the main immersive projection is having a huge impact on our visitors, who are commenting about how it has lifted their mood.

“We’re seeing more and more returning for a second or third visit, alongside visitors from further afield coming as part of a day trip or staycation, and as the attraction is set out in a socially-distanced way, they feel safe and able to relax, leaving feeling positive and uplifted.”

The attraction was one of the first in York to re-open in July following the nationwide lockdown, securing Visit England’s ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation, which reassures visitors that all steps are being taken to create a safe environment, and indeed, wearing a mask was mandatory from re-opening day.

The deckchairs in which visitors sit for the main 35-minute projected displays are spaced with two-metre gaps, and gloves and hand sanitiser available for the mindful colouring section, which is as popular with adults as it is with children.

Evie added: “We’ve taken extra precautions around our Virtual Reality section, which is an optional extra at the end of the visit.” Disposable covers are used on the masks so that the viewer’s face doesn’t come into contact with the mask itself, and each headset is sanitised after every use.