New trustees for 2023
Leeds 2023 has unveiled its board of trustees, bringing together experts from the arts, academia, business, marketing, popular culture and sport.
Led by Culture Trust chair Ruth Pitt, the trustees have been appointed to work alongside Leeds 2023 executive director Mark Hollander and creative director Kully Thiarai, both due to take up their posts early in 2020.
As well as providing individual specialisms and expertise to support the Leeds 2023 programme, the trustees also bring business and commercial experience covering key governance duties including law, accountancy and education.
Ahead of the arrival of the creative director Kully Thiarai and exec director Mark Hollander in the New Year, the festival team is developing partnerships with a wide range of artistic, creative, business and community groups. They will ensure local involvement and creative talent can be realised alongside the ambition to reach a global audience and shine a cultural spotlight on Leeds.
New board members include: ex professional rugby player Jamie Jones Buchanan; Leeds City Council leader Cllr Judith Blake; Cllr Dan Cohen; Professor Frank Finlay incoming Dean of Cultural Engagement at the University of Leeds; Sharon Gladish; Sue Hoyle OBE; Sanchez Payne; Barbara Woroncow OBE MA FMA; Ian Thompson; Sharon Watson; and Keith Arrowsmith who will be the company.
Chair of the Trust Ruth Pitt said she was delighted with the breadth and depth of talent that Leeds 2023 had attracted to its board, saying: “I believe we have the perfect mix of experience and personalities needed to guide the trust through the next three years of planning and then delivering an amazing cultural programme. This is on a scale Leeds has never seen before.
“We have youth, sports, the media, performance arts and education all represented on our board, which is truly inspiring and just one example of the collaborative approach we’ll be taking tap into the many amazing talents that exist across our city region.”
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council and former deputy chair of Leeds 2023’s Independent Steering Group said: “It’s exciting to see the extraordinary breadth of talent, knowledge and experience that’s joining the Leeds 2023 team and for the council to be playing such an important role in taking this ambitious project forward.
“Leeds 2023 has been on a remarkable journey already and throughout that journey, our shared commitment to culture and unshakable belief in the difference it can make to our city and its communities has never wavered.
“I look forward to continuing to work alongside Leeds Culture Trust and to seeing the incredible passion and endeavour of everyone involved in helping to bring the vision of a game-changing new cultural festival for Leeds to life.”
