Extra tickets on sale for Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2022
TV designer Kevin McCloud has been added to the line-up, there have been other exciting panel changes and an overwhelming demand for Mary Beard's sell-out talk, on arts and culture, has resulted in a venue upgrade, with additional tickets now available.
Mary Beard: Arts and Culture – A Price Worth Paying?, with the classicist and broadcaster discussing how we can best defend and pay for arts and culture, is at Howard Assembly Room, Sunday, September 25, 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
Extra tickets for this event, subject to availability and expected to sell fast, are £15 – visit www.operanorth.co.uk.
The festival is back from September 22-25 with an incredible lineup of panels and keynotes, addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time.
This progressive, diverse festival features five keynote talks and six panels as well as a warm-up show on September 21 at Leeds' new premier venue, the Howard Assembly Room and Howard Opera Centre.
Yotam Ottolenghi, David Olusoga, Rosie Jones, Gail Porter, Simon Jordan, Christopher Wylie, David Harewood, Lara Lewington, Judy Ling Wong CBE and Jamali Maddix are alswo among the 36-speaker lineup.
The festival's themes explore What can you laugh about?, Is the Metaverse our future reality? How do we talk about mental health? What's wrong with climate activism? Is social media ruling the world? and finally, Does sport have a social duty?
It kicks off with a UK-only performance of Jon Hopkins' Polarity. A must-see performance which brings together two disparate elements of harsh and fragile in his music and creates some profound moments of stillness by moving between the two.
Long-time friends acclaimed producer and guitarist Leo Abrahams, violinist and arranger Emma Smith, and cellist Daisy Vatalaro will join Hopkins on stage.
TV’s Grand Designs star Kevin McCloud MBE, the broadcaster, writer, and designer, joins the programme for a special lunchtime talk about the built environment.
He is Best known for the internationally acclaimed Channel 4 show Grand Designs, which has been running for over 20 years.
Kevin also broadcasts extensively about design and architecture and has written several books and numerous articles on the subject. In 2014, he was awarded an MBE for his services to architecture, and he advocates for sustainable development, context, the historic environment, and ecological construction.
Tayshan Hayden-Smith, BBC2's resident gardener on Your Garden Made Perfect!, will replace Strictly Come Dancing bound Hamza Yassin on the climate panel.
Stephanie Whitley, Chief of Staff at Dubit, a Metaverse gaming company, will replace Matt Warneford on the Metaverse panel.
LIFI 2022 is brought to the city by LeedsBID, working in partnership with Howard Assembly Room, Opera North, Weightmans and Bruntwood, with Yorkshire Evening Post as media partners.
Waterstones have formed a partnership with the festival to create a one-of-a-kind bookstore at all festival dates, stocking books by all speakers, from Yotam's latest cookbook to Christopher Wylie's Mindf**k.
Martin Dickson, Festival Manager at Leeds International Festival of Ideas, said: “The festival is shaping up to be bigger than last year, with only a month until we present this fantastic lineup, and we are looking forward to an incredible five days in the city's newest premier venue, the Howard Assembly Room and Howard Opera Centre.”
Dominic Gray, Projects Director at Opera North added: “Leeds International Festival of Ideas is a unique celebration of creative thought and innovation. We can’t wait for it to get started, right in the centre of our brilliant city!”
Leeds International Festival of Ideas is brought to the city by LeedsBID, working in partnership with Howard Assembly Room, Opera North, Weightmans and Bruntwood, with Yorkshire Evening Post as media partners.
Full listings for 2022 – for tickets and more visit leedsinternationalfestival.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Jon Hopkins presents UK 2022 exclusive performance of Polarity, Wednesday, September 21, 8pm at Howard Assembly Room. £30 - SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Keynote:The (Built environment) with Kevin McCloud. Thursday, September 22, 12pm to 1pm at Howard Assembly Room. £10
As cities evolve, they aspire to become sustainable places to live, work and play. With commitments to net zero around the corner, designer Kevin McCloud reveals how we can harness the heritage of our cities and innovate to reimagine the built environment around us, for a better tomorrow.
Panel: Is the metaverse our future reality? Thursday, September 22, 7pm to 8.30pm at Mantle Music Studio. £10
Amongst the rhetoric of avatars, Meta and Web 3.0, what could and should this next phase of the internet really look like and mean for us all?
Panelists are Lara Lewington (host), Technology presenter; Leanne Elliott-Young, CEO and Co-Founder, Institute of Digital Fashion; Dr Neil McDonnell, LKAS Fellow for VR and AR, University of Glasgow; Ahmed Razek, Principal Technology Advisor – AI, Information Commissioner’s Office; Stephanie Whitley, Chief of Staff, Dubit.
Yotam Ottolenghi: Universal Language of Food. In Conversation, Thursday, September 22, 7.30pm to 8.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £15 - SOLD OUT
In an increasingly divided world, acclaimed chef, restaurateur and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi explores how food brings people together.
Friday, September 23, 2022
Panel: How do we talk about mental health? Friday, September 23, 7pm to 8.30pm at Mantle Music Studio £10
Have we now normalised the conversation surrounding mental health or is there still a way to go? Why is it important to talk about mental health and what more needs to be done to empower people to open up?
With panelists Bryony Gordon (host), Journalist, Author and Mental Health Campaigner; Luke Ambler, Mental Health Campaigner and Motivational Speaker; David Harewood MBE, Actor and Director; Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive Centre for Mental Health; Gail Porter, Television Personality and Presenter
Aisling Bea: Contemporary Voice of Screenwriting, in conversation, discussing what it means to be a 21st century BAFTA-winning screenwriter, on Friday, September 23, 7.30pm to 8.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £15
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Panel: What’s wrong with climate activism? Saturday, September 24, 3pm to 4.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £10
How do we platform marginalised communities to alter the mainstream narrative of climate talks? Without equality, can we ever achieve climate justice? With panelists Judy Ling Wong CBE (host), Honorary President, Black Environment Network, Pauline Castres, Sara-Elvira Kuhmunen, Dominique Palmer, Lee Pivnik and Tayshan Hayden-Smith.
Panel: What can you laugh about? Saturday, September 24, 7pm to 8.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £10
In a society where cancel culture is widespread and language censored, where exactly should we draw the line between comedic expression and just downright offensive? With panelists Jamali Maddix (host), comedian, Ayishat Akanbi, stylist and writer, Geoff Norcott and Rosie Jones.
David Olusoga: Britain and the History Ways, Saturday, September 24, 7.30pm to 8.30pm at Mantle Music Studio. £15
History is now front-page news, contested as never before. Statues have fallen and the reputations of great men called into question. In this talk, Professor David Olusoga examines the causes of the ‘history wars’ and asks where they might lead us.
Sunday 25 September 2022
Panel: Is social media ruling the world? Sunday, September 25, 3pm to 4.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £10
The expansion of social media sees us spiralling towards tailored algorithms, fake news and geopolitical influence. Can the power of an instant communications system really be beneficial for humankind? With panelists Sonia Sodha (host), Dr Al Baker, Editorial Director, Logically, Africa Brooke, Consultant, Speaker and Writer and Christopher Wylie.
Panel: Does sport have a social duty? Sunday, September 25, 7pm to 8.30pm and Mantle Music Studio
The Marcus Rashford effect has raised questions about the role of sport within society. Is giving back integral to the DNA of sport? Are sports personalities best placed in highlighting important social issues? Panelists Charlie Webster (host), Broadcaster, Journalist and Campaigner, Gary Bennett MBE, Former Professional Footballer, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, Simon Jordan, Entrepreneur, Author and Presenter, Gareth Thomas, Former Professional Rugby Player.
Mary Beard: Arts and Culture – A Price Worth Paying? Classicist and broadcaster looks at how we can best defend, and pay for, arts and culture from the ancient world to now, Sunday, September 25, 7.30pm to 8.30pm at Howard Assembly Room. £15.