Artists add sparkle to Advent in Leeds

By Andrew Cooper, chief executive of LeedsBID

LEEDS is all set for Advent this year, with an immersive art and lights trail bringing added sparkle, originality and innovation to the city over the festive season.
 
Christmas In Leeds is something new; a trail of art, light and magic for all ages, designed to guide people around Leeds whilst simultaneously showcasing both local creatives and shining a light on all of the city’s corners.

I am delighted we at LeedsBID have been able to create and lead this innovative, engaging and intriguing Christmas campaign for the public of Leeds to enjoy and the city centre businesses to feel the improved commercial benefit from at this crucial trading period for them all. For the retail and leisure sectors it is essential that their fantastic Christmas offer is enhanced driving increased footfall into the city and extending the all-important ‘dwell time’ people then spend in and around our key commercial area, leading to potentially extra spending in those businesses.     

Such an exciting and creative approach to marketing Christmas in our city would not have been possible without fantastic collaboration from a huge number of people and organisations, from across the sectors we represent including the creative and arts world, retail, food & drink, our first class education institutions, professional services businesses and key partners such as the First Direct Arena, Northern Ballet and Network Rail.

Following a major review meeting in January 2016 including senior representatives from all the sectors above, it was clear the unanimous view was to bring something special to Leeds this Christmas, a campaign that would make the city standout both regionally and nationally as a ‘go to’ destination this Christmas. Almost 10 months later, through Christmas in Leeds we have achieved just that.

Leeds is an incredible and unique city with an outstanding and diverse range of creative talent. By harnessing all this creative energy into the Christmas in Leeds campaign we have delivered a showcase for this talent and I would like to thank them all for their support and commitment. East Street Arts helped assemble some of the finest creative talent from within the city, who themselves are both nationally and internationally renowned artists; David Shearing, Glass Cyphers, Dave Lynch & Alison Smith. Leeds College of Art students have designed a stunning projection for Wellington Place, the College of Music have brought outstanding musical animation to many of the events we have staged around each piece of the 15 features on the trail, to name but a few! 

“I would encourage anyone who hasn’t engaged with the excellent Christmas in Leeds marketing yet, get on there right away via the microsite and app, find the trail, do the trail and read all about the huge range of Leeds finest who have combined to create the best Christmas campaign Leeds has ever seen.

Discover the Christmas In Leeds art, light and magic trail at http://christmas.welcometoleeds.co.uk #christmasinleeds