Feature

Leeds International Festival of Ideas returns with huge lineup announcement and brand new venue

"LIFI23 will once again address some of the most important social issues affecting us all, taking them on over 4 inspirational days across 11 events and shining an outspoken light on Leeds, projecting the city once again as a bold, innovative thought-leading city.”

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 7th March 2023

Headlining the event this year will be the likes of Bimini, Ruby Wax and Steven Bartlett.

Taking over Leeds Playhouse, a brand new venue for 2023, Leeds International Festival of Ideas is bringing together some of the most thought-provoking speakers of our time later this year with a diverse programme and educational discussions.

Giving a glimpse of what we're in store for this year, LIFI has announced the first of its highly-anticipated speakers.

Best-selling author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax will be bringing  her unique brand of humour to the festival as she takes the audience on her journey to address the importance of mental wellness.

Ruby Wax portrait.
Ruby Wax is "thrilled to be a part of the line-up". / Image: Supplied

The author, performer and activist is excited about joining the festival: “Leeds International Festival of ideas 2023 looks really exciting and I’m thrilled to be part of the line-up this year. I can’t wait to visit Leeds again and take audiences on my journey to mindfulness.”

Steven Bartlett, perhaps most notably known as the podcaster Diary of a CEO, co-Founder of Social Chain, and also as an investor on Dragon's Den, amongst other business endeavours, will be taking to the stag to share an insight into 'how he spots the next big thing'.

Steven Bartlett portrait.
Steven Bartlett will be telling Leeds how he 'spots the next big thing'. / Image: Supplied

Bringing an insight into representation and inclusivity in the media, reality TV star and LGBTQ+ activist Bimini, will also be a key speaker at the International Festival of Ideas.

And this is just the beginning.

The four day festival promises to host a programme of panels and keynotes which focus on topics such as grief, political systems, womxn’s health inequalities and self-sufficiency, among others from Wednesday 27 September - Saturday 30 September 2023.

Bimini portrait.
Bimini is bringing a wealth of knowledge to LIFI23. / Image: Supplied

And what better venue than the Leeds Playhouse?

The award-winning cultural hub was recently recognised at the UK Theatre Awards as the Most Welcoming Theatre in 2022. With a mission to seek out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire, Leeds Internationals Festival of Ideas, will be joining the long list of exciting productions, festivals and events that Leeds Playhouse have hosted over the past 50 years.

Martin Dickson, Leeds International Festival of Ideas has commented: “We are thrilled with the programme we are bringing to the city for LIFI23, built on the outstanding success of last year, we think it is our strongest speaker line-up yet.

panel audience.
Last year the festival brought conversations about the metaverse, mental health and communities, amongst other exciting discussions. / Image: The Hoot Leeds

We’re also hugely excited to be presenting the festival at the incredible Leeds Playhouse, on of the most famous theatre venue in the city, a privilege and an honour.

LIFI23 will once again address some of the most important social issues affecting us all, taking them on over 4 inspirational days across 11 events and shining an outspoken light on Leeds, projecting the city once again as a bold, innovative thought-leading city.”

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The full lineups and tickets will be available from Tuesday 4 April but in the meantime those wanting to grab tickets are encouraged to visit the Leeds International Festival of Ideas website to sign up for announcements and ticket updates.

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Feature

A slice of New York has arrived in Leeds – and the pizzas are 18 inches wide

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Popular pizza pop-up Edges Pizza has opened a permanent home in Leeds city centre.

Last summer you may have had the privilege to enjoy a slice of Edges Pizza at one of their many pop-up residencies across the city.

Their longest stint was at the sun-drenched roof terrace of Green Room, and it's safe to say their pizza went down an absolute treat.

Since then they've been a little quiet, but all for good reason. Edges Pizza has just opened a permanent new takeaway under the arches in Holbeck, and it's absolutely class.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Owners Grace and Edge who are from Harrogate opened Edges two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.

They've completely transformed the space into a proper love letter to the big apple. It will operate mainly as a takeaway, but there is a small seating area where you can perch and tuck into your pie.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The menu is perfectly curated, consisting of eight pizzas and three dips. And trust us, they are absolutely massive.

We opted for the American Hot with spicy pepperoni, banana peppers and parmesan as well as the mushroom pie topped with garlic creme fraiche and chestnut mushrooms.

Drizzled and dunked into moreish hot honey, it's rivalling some of the best pizza in the city.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

For now, grabbing a pizza from Edges operates through a pre-order system. Pre-orders open at 12pm the day before via their website, you can pick your collection time and then you simply have to rock up and get your pizza.

There's loads of parking available nearby and if there are any remaining slots available you can pre-order up to an hour before collection.

We've got a feeling they're going to very busy indeed.

Read more: A cafe dedicated entirely to matcha gelato has just opened in Leeds

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Feature

A cafe dedicated entirely to matcha gelato has just opened in Leeds

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Matcha is well and truly taking Leeds (and the country) by storm.

You're probably bored of hearing us talk about matcha, and to be honest we're getting a little bit bored writing about it.

But, this time it's different.

This is M Plus Matcha, a brand-new matcha store that's just opened near Leeds University who not only serve your classic matcha lattes but also bucket loads of freshly-churned gelato.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

And to make things even better, they've got four on offer all at different percentages to suit your taste.

Soft and grassy, smooth and creamy, full and velvety…or deep and bold (they said it, not us) - this spot is truly a matcha lover’s summer paradise. 

Images: The Hoot Leeds

If you're not sure what flavour you fancy, the lovely staff are on hand to help and can offer tasters of each percentage before you commit to a cone or a tub so you're not left disappointed.

The space is gorgeously light and airy, complete with matcha-coloured walls and plenty of matcha-coloured seating for you to perch and enjoy your treats.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Right opposite the Parkinson Building, we can see M Plus Matcha becoming a fantastic hub for students to whack their laptops out for a couple of hours whilst getting their caffeine fix.

The drinks menu includes iced matcha lattes, hot matcha, matcha lemonades and loads more. Basically, if you're of the opinion that matcha tastes like grass then we do not recommend you going.

But if you love it like us, then you're in for a treat.

Read more The Hoot Leeds:

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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