Leeds 2023 unveils bid for European Capital of Culture
The team behind Leeds’ bid to be European Capital of Culture 2023 has unveiled its plans for a year-long programme to create a cultural celebration across all 33 wards in Leeds in 2023.
The bid will be called ‘Weaving Us Together’ and the whole bid book is now publicly available online ahead of the final submission on 27 October.
The artistic programme will be structured around four themes that have a resonance with Leeds and across Europe. The Leeds 2023 themes are Fabric, Fear & Belonging, Voice and Room. The Bid Book outlines 50% of the proposed programme and will include more than 40 projects covering dance, music, visual art, theatre, large-scale installations, festivals and architectural projects.
Light Night Leeds, the city’s flagship cultural event which took place last week, will be extended and move to January marking the start of the city’s year as European Capital of Culture should it be successful in its bid.
Two of the bid’s ambitious targets are to increase arts attendance in the five most disadvantaged areas of the city by 20%, and ensuring that at least 70% of the city experiences one or more event should Leeds win.
The city will formally submit its first stage bid to the Department for Culture Media and Sport on 27 October. The bid submission will be followed by a panel interview with a shortlist expected to be announced early December.
Leeds will celebrate its first stage bid submission by hosting a celebration at Quarry Hill with a street party, open house, festival full of food, music, dance, theatre and art; featuring organisations including West Yorkshire Playhouse, Northern Ballet, Yorkshire Dance, Phoenix Dance, North Brewing Co, Leeds Indie Food and Leeds College of Music.
A win for the city would bring economic benefits, with Liverpool reporting a £750m economic impact for their year as host in 2008 and a 34% increase in tourism. Amongst the developments already in the pipeline for Leeds 2023 are plans to create an additional 2,500 hotel beds, the redevelopment of City Square and the proposed new City Park at South Bank.
Leeds City Council Leader, Judith Blake, said: “We promised that this would be a bid for the whole city and we intend to deliver on that promise. Culture can weave us together, celebrating our differences and tackling difficult issues that we face together as a city. This is the transformation at the heart of our bid to become European Capital of Culture 2023.
“The city’s bid for the title will create a lasting legacy for Leeds, embracing equality and tackling the disconnection of a two-tier city. Under the theme ‘Weaving Us Together’, Leeds 2023 will see activity across all 33 wards; we want to see people from across the city actively engaged, particularly those who might not think the arts is for them.”
Sharon Watson, Chair of the Leeds 2023 Independent Steering Group, added: “It has been a phenomenal journey to get to this point and it’s only the start. The bid alone has given the city enormous benefits from increased investment in arts and culture to raising our profile nationally and internationally. We have put forward a bold, creative and ambitious artistic programme that will celebrate local artists, creators and producers alongside their international contemporaries, telling our story to the world.£
Cllr Blake added: “Culture is completely integral to Leeds’ ambition to become Best City 2030, our bid is one milestone in a long-term plan to place culture at the heart of the city’s future and we are not alone in this commitment. Our bid has received extensive private sector investment and has won the backing of 25 councils from across the north including Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Hull.”
Leeds City Council will formally consider the city’s bid at its Executive Board meeting on 18 October.
