Bringing together some of the most curious minds in the country, Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2022 is perhaps one of the most exciting and thought provoking festivals the city has to offer.
Following in the footsteps of the likes of Catherine Ryan, Alistair Campbell and Deborah Frances White, keynote speakers and huge panel names like Kevin McCloud, Aisling Bea, David Olusoga, Mary Beard, Yotam Ottolenghi (and so many more) are set to take over Howard Assembly Room and the Mantle Music Studio at the Howard Opera Centre next weekend, and each bringing a unique perspective of the world around us.
Hear from some of the UK's biggest voices at LIFI22. / Image: Supplied
Finding that sweet spot between a collective narrative that weaves society together and individual opinion that point of difference, LIFI is all about discussing ideas, and there's plenty of subjects up for debate this year.
Sports, mental health, climate change, activism, the arts and the power of food, history and screenwriting will all be key topics at this year's festival- and although all the panel and keynote discussions centre around one theme, there's going to be everything from emotional speeches to fits of laughter erupting from the audience to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about dates, times and key lineups, as well as how you can listen to the LIFIcast podcast ahead of the festival and spark some conversation before the live events.
LIFI returns to Howard Assembly Room next week. / Image: Chapter 81
The full programme for Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2022 is as followed:
Wednesday 21 September 2022
Jon Hopkins Polarity 2022 UK Exclusive Live Show (8-9pm) SOLD OUT
Thursday 22 September 2022
Kevin McCloud: The (Built) Environment (12-1pm) Tickets available here.
Panel: Is the Metaverse our future reality? (7-8.30pm) Tickets available here.
Yotam Ottolenghi: Universal Language of Food (7.30-8.30pm) SOLD OUT
Friday 23 September 2022
Panel: How do we talk about mental health? (7-8.30pm) SOLD OUT
Aisling Bea: Contemporary Voice of Screenwriting (7.30-8.30pm) SOLD OUT
Saturday 24 September 2022
Panel: What’s wrong with climate activism? (3-4pm) Tickets available here.
Panel: What can you laugh about? (7-8.30pm) Tickets available here.
David Olusoga: Britain and the History Wars (7.30-8.30pm) SOLD OUT
Sunday 25 September 2022
Panel: Is social media ruling the world? (3-4.30pm) Tickets available here.
Panel: Does sport have a social responsibility? (7-8.30pm) Tickets available here.
Mary Beard: Art and Culture- a price worth paying? (7.30-8.30pm) SOLD OUT
Weigh in on the debate with LIFIcast
For curious minds wanting to find out more about the crucial topics of discussion ahead of the festival, LIFI has a dedicated website with articles, podcasts and plenty of food for thought.
On the LIFIcast, you can catch Professor Paul Wragg, Professor of Media Law at Leeds University chatting with Octavia Maparura, KPMG's Diversity Lead and Writer/Comedian Thomas Clemants discussing what it's like to navigate the modern world of comedy with host Johnny I’Anson.
Meanwhile, there's ample opportunity to hear what former Extinction Rebellion Leeds' Social Justice Coordinator Steve Connor and Jubilee for Climate's Ci Davis have to say about the ongoing climate crisis, and how the social and media perspective is shaping households around the globe. Taking on 'what's wrong with climate change' ahead of the panel discussion at LIFI, this debate centres around the key question: without equality, can we achieve climate justice?
Taking the conversation home with you
It's not just the Howard Opera Centre that will be hosting all LIFI-inspired conversation, the idea is that the entire of Leeds will be inspired to take home a new idea, concept or just act as a listening ear throughout the event itself.
For those wanting to carry on the conversation and find out more about the world of comedy, sports, food and everything in-between, Waterstones will be setting up a pop-up shop for the duration of the festival and selling books from all the speakers at LIFI22.
No doubt, the exciting discussions will also find themselves online (and this is likely to be brushed on in plenty of the panel discussions like Is Social Media Ruling The World?). To find any Leeds International Festival of Ideas content, use the hashtag #LIFI22.
For all the information you need about Leeds International Festival of Ideas, including how to get your hands on the last remaining tickets and get an insight on what to expect from each of the events, visit the LIFI website.
Feature Image-Leeds International Festival of Ideas
News
Number 10 North is officially ‘open for business’ and here’s why it’s so important for Yorkshire
Number 10 North has officially 'opened for business' this week, and Andy Burnham has now explained his key reasons for launching it.
You may remember that earlier last month, Andy Burnham revealed he had intentions to create a Number 10 North if he was to become Prime Minister, with the new base expected to be a 'dominant driver of the UK's economy' once it was officially up and running... and now, fast forward to today, Number 10 North is officially 'open for business'.
Operating from Heron House in Manchester city centre, as previously reported on by The Manc, Number 10 North will be the Government’s new 'situation room for growth'.
It also brings the 'levers' of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time ever.
With the Prime Minister expected to work from Number 10 North each week, so that decisions about the country’s economic future will no longer exclusively be made in Westminster, and with other ministers also working from there on a regular basis, the Government says the move underlines its determination to 'do things differently'.
Number 10 North has officially 'opened for business' / Credit: gov.uk (via Wikimedia Commons)
Now that Number 10 North has officially opened, Andy Burnham has explained why this move is so important for Yorkshire and the north as a whole.
"For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve," explained Andy Burnham.
"Number 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country. It will be the situation room for making Britain better, the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around.
"The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good."
Featured Image - The Manc Group
News
Pints of Knowledge, Callum Campbell’s fastest-growing event, is coming to Leeds city centre this summer
Clementine Hall
The pub night that's packing out venues across the UK is coming to Leeds.
Let us introduce you to Pints of Knowledge, a phenomenon founded by Callum Campbell that has built a social media following of more than 160,000 people.
This is different to your average night out, it's a chance to meet new people and spark interesting conversation all in the relaxing surroundings of a pub.
The event has attracted thousands to its unique mix of expert talks, conversation and community in pubs across the UK.
Image: Supplied
And if you're looking to get in on the action then you're in luck, because Pints of Knowledge is arriving at The Wardrobe on Sunday 9 August.
So, what can you expect? From landmark legal history and the hidden pressures behind big systems to the evolving language of gaslighting and radical cinema, Sunday's Leeds programme will demonstrate exactly why Pints of Knowledge has struck such a chord with audiences across the UK.
Founder Callum Campbell, who has spent more than a decade producing live events across Britain, said bringing the concept to Leeds was the natural next step - and we're so happy he thought so.
Image: Supplied
He said: "I've always wanted to bring Pints of Knowledge to more cities across England, and Leeds has such a strong appetite for ideas and conversation. Watching this grow has been amazing, and I can't wait to bring it here.
"As more people look for experiences beyond a traditional night out, Pints of Knowledge offers something different: expert speakers, thought-provoking conversations and the chance to meet new people, all in the relaxed surroundings of a pub.
"People still love going to the pub, but they're looking for more from the experience. Pints of Knowledge is about hearing incredible stories, asking questions, meeting interesting people and leaving having learned something new."
Image: Supplied
The Pints of Knowledge programme at The Wardrobe will look like this:
12pm - Human rights lawyer Mahnoor Omer presents '10 Legal Cases that Changed History'.
2pm - Georgina Shute asks 'Why billion-pound systems are built by people who can't finish their to-do lists'.
4pm - Isobel Logan explores 'Gaslighting: The Evolution of a Concept Across Art, Relationships and Politics'.
6pm - Angelos Koutsourakis will examine 'Third Cinema, The Global South & Climate Change'.
Campbell added: "One hour you can be unpacking landmark legal cases, the next you're hearing about the psychology behind gaslighting, before finishing the day exploring cinema and climate change. That's what makes Pints of Knowledge different.
"This is just the beginning. We've seen an incredible response across the UK, and we're excited to build on that by bringing Pints of Knowledge to more cities across the country.”
Pints of Knowledge takes place at The Wardrobe in Leeds on Sunday 9 August, and you can get your tickets here.
Sophie Smith -
16th September 2022 
