Leeds Culture Trust has received a total of £2,120,130.
LEEDS2023, the year-long celebration of the city of culture, has been awarded over £2 million to develop creative projects across the the city to explore lesser-known historical stories of interest, amongst other exciting stories.
The award will help bring to life new project ideas and others already in development for LEEDS 2023 which has committed significantly to uncovering the city’s hidden stories.
The money forms part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund's post-pandemic recovery fund for community and cultural events and organisations. LEEDS2023 was one of seven projects across the nation to receive a share in the sum.
We can expect a whole host of activity throughout the year from some of our city's most talented. From self-taught civil engineer John Smeatonto with poet Matt Abbott to explore the hidden stories of the Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley and its local communities.
In Otley, a series of craft workshops themed around “The Day The Elephants Came to Town” has emerged from an historical event that took place in the popular market town. The idea came from storyteller and artist Vickie Orton, who researched and uncovered new facts and has been working with community groups - including the local Brownie pack, knitting circle and The Men’s Shed – to give the story a new lease of life.
Image: LEEDS2023
LEEDS 2023 Creative Director and CEO, Kully Thiarai, said: “The LEEDS 2023 team is delighted to have been awarded this latest funding which will play a crucial role in developing these original and exciting projects. As an organization we are absolutely committed to revealing and celebrating the diverse stories and the great heritage of our fantastic city. One of our greatest strengths is our diversity and this project helps to amplify all those voices and celebrate our differences.
"Leeds’s sporting achievements are renowned but its time in the cultural limelight is long overdue. All these brands have huge international reputations, and they will help us put Leeds on the world stage for culture.”
Amongst some of the names set to take part in the year-long event include The British Library, Leeds Rhinos, Leeds United, the National Youth Theatre and WOW – Women of the World and more.
The full event programme is due to be unveiled to the public on Friday 23 September 2022.
Our city is bursting at the seems with brilliant late night venues for students, but now it’s officially been confirmed.
And it's all down to accommodation provider Canvas who analysed key nightlife factors such as drink prices, the number and ratings of venues, and local safety scores to reveal the best cities in the UK for a night out.
If you've got Leeds as your student city of choice then you're in for a brilliant three years, as we ranked number four in the top ten list. Get in.
Leeds has a whopping 325 venues and a strong 4.40 average rating, drink prices are relatively affordable drinks with a pint costing an average of a fiver and soft drinks at £1.71.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds also came out with a solid safety score of 47.28, so it's fair to say Leeds it’s a well-rounded option for students.Bath took the top spot with 10 venues per 10,000 people and an impressive average rating of 4.45 stars.
Coming in second, Manchester boasts the highest number of bars and clubs overall, with 606 venues, 15 for every 10,000 people and a strong average rating of 4.37 stars and a pint costing slightly less than Bath at £5.50.
In third place was Newcastle and in fifth place was York. It's safe to say that the North dominated the top spots, and rightly so.
The top ten best cities for student nightlife in the UK are:
New and improved LEGO store with Yorkshire-inspired models announces opening date
Clementine Hall
The 456sq m store will give shoppers the chance to fully immerse themselves in the world of LEGO building.
No matter what age, you just can't beat a bit ot LEGO.
And it's safe to say that excitement is well and truly building (get it?) as the LEGO Group has announced its new store will open at Trinity Leeds on Thursday April.
To celebrate the opening there will be specially-designed, Yorkshire-inspired LEGO models available to see and pose with on launch day.
The new and improved store will include a LEGO Pick a Brick Wall, where shoppers can search for the perfect piece to complete their masterpiece, start a brand-new build, or customise an existing LEGO set.
Images: Supplied
There will also be free build challenges and events in-store, as well as a create your own LEGO Minifigures area giving customers the chance to mix and match from a wide selection of pieces, with ‘Brick Specialists' on hand to offer expert advice.
Steven Foster, Centre Director at Trinity Leeds, said: “The new LEGO store is bigger and better than ever before with some incredible interactive elements that will allow creativity and imaginations to flourish. As the only LEGO store in West Yorkshire, it has already proved incredibly popular here at Trinity Leeds, and this new store will bring even more of what LEGO fans love.”
The new LEGO store comes alongside a whole host of new openings inside Trinity, including schuh, Jerk Junction, Lane7 and Footasylum.
Sophie Smith -
29th June 2022 
