I realise it is a bit early to be promoting an event in October, but anything emanating from the partnership between LeedsBID and Welcome to Leeds is bound to be in great demand. They also don’t mess about by cutting corners as can be seen from the Christmas spectaculars and the Summer Holiday specials, details of which will be released shortly.
As you will have gleaned from the poster, this is the fifth incarnation of the festival and I have had the privilege to attended them all. In my piece about the launch event for the first LIFI in 2020, I started my article by saying that it spanned 10 days and comprised 29 events with 45 speakers in 13 venues. Over the years it has become more streamlined and the 2025 edition will host 11 events over 5 days at 1 venue, Leeds Playhouse, which is a far more hospitable environment in which to sit and concentrate on what is being said than was a huge pink inflatable cube outside The Tetley.
The years have seen the festival move from concentrating on one main theme, 2020 was the environment, to covering a range of topics, such as Crypto Currency, What Can We Laugh At, The Invisible Rule of Law and How Do We Talk About Mental Health among many others. The speakers involved are now national, or even international household names.
Kirsty Wark
A cursory glance at the programme illustrates the diversity right out of the traps. On Tuesday, 14th October, Kirsty Wark hosts a discussion on Who Rules The World? in Courtyard, while, in Quarry, Chuck D will be talking to Nihal Arthanayake about How Hip-Hop Changed The World.
Chuck D
This tried and tested format of panel discussions and fireside chats, has worked very well in tailoring the presentation to the subject, so, if it ‘aint broke.
Tamsin Greig
Wednesday, 15th finds Caitlin Moran head a panel of experts on modern manhood, called Where Have All The Good Men Gone? while the fireside is monopolised by Gaynor Faye chatting with Sally Wainwright and Tamsin Greig, about smashing clichés and stereotypes in a section ominously titled I Predict A Riot!
Victoria Derbyshire
Thursday, 16th has two panel discussions; one at noon, hosted by Peg Alexander asking a group of experts, including Fred Sirieix, Who Picks Up The Tab For A Hospitable City? followed by a second at 7.30pm in which Victoria Derbyshire poses the question Why Do We Need To Talk About Domestic Violence?
David Baddiel
Keeping the heat of the fire off the audience that same evening is David Baddiel with Prof Mona Siddiqui discussing Is Religion The Ultimate Culture War?
William Hanson
Myleene Klass hosts Friday’s panel event, Can Mums Have It All? while William Hanson decodes etiquette and explains to Kirsty Sedgman why Manners Cost Nowt.
Vicky McClure
The festival ends on Saturday night on an uplifting note – literally – with Dr Nicky Taylor and Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir in Quarry, showing the life-changing power of music in the face of dementia, while, in Courtyard, Sebahn Aherne hosts a discussion on the state of equality in sport today by asking How Level Is The Playing Field?
So, there you have it, something to fire up your imagination and get the grey cells pumping away.
For more details please go to https://leedsinternationalfestival.com Tickets can be purchased by priority subscribers via the LIFI newsletter now, with the general sale opening at 1.00pm on 24th June.
Leeds International Festival of Ideas is organised by LeedsBID (Business Improvement District) with Welcome To Leeds. To see what else they get up to please click on https://www.leedsbid.co.uk/ and https://welcometoleeds.co.uk/
Photographs provided by Chapter 81
Tyke It To The Limit 