Transform is a festival of powerful international performance, it says on their programme, and, judging by the contents, it certainly lives up to the claim. The 2025 event marks ten years of the biennial, this, being number six, shows that they must be doing something right. That is a feeling reinforced by the way in…
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The Real Little Women at Leeds Grand Theatre
Little Women is part of The Stories We Tell Season, which accounts for my observation about the plays which are based on novels in the introduction to my review. The season celebrates works that have reflected the experiences of individuals and, in keeping with that ethos, Grand Theatre’s Learning and Engagement team has been working…
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2025 Leeds International African Arts Festival Launch at Hyde Park Picture House.
It’s not often that I spend a Tuesday tea time dancing to the beat of two African drummers, in fact I can’t remember it ever happening before, but this event was to change that. I was at the amazing Hyde Park Picture House for the launch of the 2025 Leeds International African Arts Festival, but…
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Autumn/Winter at South Asian Arts
Here we have a preview covering the end of the year with not a mention of Christmas, so, should you want to escape the tinsel and fairy lights and experience something completely different, check out these events. Saturday, 28th September sees Memories As Harmonies at Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, a double bill of music…
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One Night, One Dream, Life in the Lighthouse by Mohammad Barrangi at The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery.
It is a couple of weeks since I went to this exhibition at the University of Leeds and in the interim it has attracted a lot of interest from experts in the field, not to mention enquiries from London museums. As I am still trying to come to terms with writing about art installations I…
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Fragile Microbiomes by Anna Dumitriu at Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds.
I am often astounded by where artists get ideas for their work but this exhibition had even me surprised. The name for the branch in question is Bioart and is a marriage between art and science, with, as its name suggests, a leaning towards biology. As Edward Appleyard, Chief Executive of Thackray Museum of Medicine,…
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Books and Benefactors: Brotherton Gallery, Leeds University
I knew that the higher education system was in need of further funding, but when I was invited to view some books donated to the University Library I assumed things were more serious than I thought. I was contemplating taking along my old Jeffrey Archer novels or well-thumbed paperback copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover from…
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Contested Bodies at The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, Leeds University
Of all the types of events I write about, I find art exhibitions to be the most challenging. When I look at a painting, sculpture or any other item in a gallery I resist the temptation to read the explanatory notice next to it until I have made my own interpretation. Invariably my take on…
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Sonia Boyce & Jacqui Dankworth at Howard Assembly Room
I normally post reviews as soon as time permits with events which run for a few performances getting priority so that you can read about them whilst there is still time to book, or avoid! One night stands may be left for a day or two as they have come and gone. This particular article…
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Ribbon Cutting on Paolozzi’s Sculpture at Leeds University
I admit to not knowing a great deal about sculpture, in fact you could write my entire canon of expertise on the back of a Christo work. In the spirit of my writing, I am open to experiencing and learning about unfamiliar aspects of all forms of art, I jumped at the chance to witness…
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Tyke It To The Limit 