Leeds 2023
leeds stylized leeds designated year culture taking place leeds west yorkshire year culture specific year city region dedicates significant resource investing cultural initiative initially proposed bid host city european capital culture postbrexit exclusion european union initiative meant leeds could longer bid resulted leeds city council partner deciding run independent year culture leeds culture trust charity separate leeds city council established develop programme fund raise year culture kully thiarai appointed creative director year launched headingley stadium followed range project every ward city new performance public artwork commissioned hibiscus rising yinka shonibare leeds city recognised cultural offering field art architecture music sport film television fourteenmonth consultation public vote leeds city council lcc approved creation bid city uk nomination european capital culture october city submitted proposal department culture medium sport dcms city put bid nottingham dundee milton keynes belfast leeds initial proposal cost £ council invested £ another £ came private investment proposal included construction lighthouse commemorating john smeaton south bank aire well extension city light night festival initial bid proposal chaired sharon watson principal northern school contemporary dance time bid artistic director phoenix dance bid team stated aim develop local international programme point bid submission city impression brexit negotiation would impact application however november european commission wrote dcms stating due uk withdrawal european union country could longer involved european capital culture programme despite fact city istanbul reykjavík stavanger country outside eu previously capital culture response eu decision leeds city council partner decided build existing momentum run year culture city independent eu support move described financial time bid european capital culture thwarted brexit city decided anoint start partying anyway leeds culture trust charity separate leeds city council established develop programme fund raise year culture leeds culture trust first chair ruth pitt joined stepped june frank findlay became acting chair prior recruitment gabby logan role november took position january logan stepped chair september replaced findlay acting chair remainder year culture kully thiarai appointed creative director leaving role artistic director national theatre wale previously worked cast contact theatre manchester leicester haymarket theatre theatre writing partnership red ladder theatre company took post january major investor leeds include leeds city council west yorkshire combined authority art council england leeds community foundation paul hamlyn foundation esmée fairbairn foundation british council kpmg hbd mott macdonald bruntwood amongst others june leeds received £ million grant national lottery heritage fund british council leeds culture trust core international partner leeds culture trust agreed wage working condition set range artistic union including equity supported tracy brabin mayor west yorkshire year culture followed extensive cultural programming kirklees calderdale bradford bringing regional cultural investment strapline letting culture loose leeds announced communitydriven programme late year culture also planned support city post covid pandemic recovery described mission independent notforprofit year culture supporting hundred creative cultural event across city beyond programme worked across every ward leeds recruiting neighbourhood host make hyperlocal connection link community funding opportunity banner leeds sport included definition culture year culture drawing junior british lead climbing championship city september well leeds united wearing themed kit elland road hosting unique lightshow celebrate year culture skate boarding featured partnership promote skating woman people marginalised gender unsung sport focussed important role gaelic football table tennis womens basketball aikido roller skating petanque play leeds spring artist commissioned produce work divided three season year entitled awakening playing dreaming held headingley stadium january awakening opening event leeds hosted gabby logan sanchez payne strong crowd entertained range performer presenter leeds including corinne bailey rae jamie jonesbuchanan kadeena cox george webster simon armitage band lyr well chorus opera north leeds west indian carnival spoken word artist testament danmark cleary ntantu graft well tabla expert inder goldfinger finale drone display featuring giant speaking people leeds audience received ticket exchange sending original image artwork made programmer took inclusive view art citing tiktoks valid artistic expression painting work exhibited person merrion centre title waking artist well featuring billboard poster drum around city also included themed beer name collaboration north brewing co early partnership included noah flood benjamin britten performed child collaboration manchester collective leeds literature festival featuring lemn sissay april leeds playhouse launched story series performance created performance ensemble designed celebrate older people vast creativity part series performance alan bennett read diary sinfonia one piece developed performance ensemble due go national tour end year culture unveiled may partnership woman world festival wow barn new barn built entirely woman nonbinary people undertook training leeds college building learn skill raise building used venue leeds first iteration wow festival initially located woodhouse moor barn later moved kirkstall valley farm month exhibition feeling way sonia boyce shown leeds art gallery june making stand seven metre tall installation city square inspired forest used cover leeds revealed public created artist michael pinsky studio bark sculptural forest intended connect civic realm theme around sustainability conservation month conservative councillor alan lamb stated year culture potential damp squib public imagination yet captured programme opinion rebuffed labour councillor jonathan pryor stated already undeniable positive economic impact city view reiterated artistic director kully thiarai citing leeds expected double investment made leeds city council childrens day reimagined held roundhay park july inspired history childrens day leeds ran included parade organised local teacher event designed child celebrate place leeds society today produced fevered sleep month criticism voiced councillor central city ward benefitted outer one leeds summer programme communityled event leeds council ward included food music festival led neighbourhood host august programme announced nest sitespecific outdoor theatre production national youth theatre took place rspb st aidens september play set deadline paris agreement imagined future climate crisis region written emma nuttall directed paul roseby inspired achievement civil engineer john smeaton smeaton programme celebrating science creativity moon palace mobile astronomical observatory designed artist heather peak ivan morrison bus toured leeds second half partnership leeds industrial museum exhibition entitled engineery opened october used object discus smeaton civil engineering included design eddystone lighthouse another collaboration museum work wanted series artist intervention explored life disabled mill worker nineteenth century september saw launch city without seam project artist keith khan burberry celebrating leeds textile heritage identity ward included designing new logo ward exhibited leeds corn exchange criticism project specifically logo ward rothwell raised councillor diane chapman khan artistic director kully thiarai defended illustration stating depicted rhubarb growing candlelight agricultural practice area famous october programme included series event entitled life artist ellie harrison zion art studio mexico used mexican day dead celebration explore death dying yorkshire multimedia installation forest also launched bringing indigenous artist working invisible flock display newly commissioned work leeds artist included jenni laiti anushka athique vandria borari nwando ebizie outi pieski built crooked house another commission collaboration artangel uk artist gemma andersontempini created installation empty victorian villa explored theme string theory motherhood first permanent outdoor sculpture yinka shonibare unveiled november entitled hibiscus rising commemorates david oluwale nigerian homeless man persecuted officer leeds city police leading death new installation artwork leeds train station neville street also unveiled part year culture included finale project northern dreaming gifting linked together creative storytelling gifting took place december directed kully thiarai alan lane slung low coproduced british library show piece immersive theatre audience member wore headphone northern dreaming distributed copy new book every child born leeds part partnership british library january predicted leeds would create growth leeds visitor economy bring £ million additional direct indirect revenue bring new job create freelance role train volunteer final evaluation year culture undertaken audience agency centre cultural value university leeds initial review bbc suggested although year suffered bad luck related covid pandemic poor weather may help change perception city challenge reiterated kully thiarai speaking yorkshire evening post december however went state year put leeds cultural map nationally internationally – think certainly say thats happened way people talk city official leeds website