STRATEGIC PLAN - Leeds 2023
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STRATEGIC PLAN
History has a habit of shape-shifting the reputations We’re the only regional city with permanent theatre,
of great cities. Local economies grow and shrink, ballet, contemporary dance and opera companies.
communities thrive and struggle, civic pride ebbs Our parks and trees are among the best in Europe.
and flows. Leeds has often seen itself as a city of We’re the largest city in Yorkshire, the beating
moderation, confident in its own qualities whilst heart of the biggest county in the country, boasting
keen not to boast, content to sit alongside its more the most concentrated collection of sculpture
ostentatious Northern neighbours and to focus on in the world and the greatest number of dance
the long game as the marathon of national and global organisations outside London.
politics plays out around it.
Our communities care about equality and the
But good things come to those who wait. Keeping environment and burst with the sort of exciting
an eye on the horizon has led our fantastic city and creative diversity that has earned its louder voice.
its environs to a place where - despite the stalking Our global sporting prowess embraces, football,
horrors of Covid-19 – we are poised to rise like a cricket, cycling, athletics, boxing. We’re preparing to
giant as our amazing year of culture takes shape. welcome the British Library North and working to
deliver a National Centre for Poetry that will make us
The humbling resilience of our brilliantly diverse a great international hub for the written word. Our
communities and the great engine-room of our scintillating theatre, opera and music scenes feed the
collective talent, along with our proud civic character, soul and our visual arts hold a mirror up to us all, with
deep cultural heritage and cheerful determination, a formidable independent food and drink sector that
Light Night Leeds 2020. Credits: Leeds City Council;
Photography by: Lizzie Coombes
has helped us stand out in the crowd already. The will feed the world when it comes to call.
job of LEEDS 2023 now is to further amplify the
outstanding achievements of our people and places, All this we are ready to share. The pandemic has
doing justice to all the children, families, teachers, challenged everything we believe in and care about.
artists, performers, makers, designers, thinkers and But we’re Leeds. We will bounce back, and culture
visionaries, who together are making Leeds a cultural will play a bigger part than ever in our social, health
titan on the world stage. and economic recovery. Many aspects of our lives will
Our
change in the coming years, but culture and creativity
This is our time, for a whole host of reasons. will help us express what we want and work out how
We’re the nation’s crossroads, the place where, we get it. It will give us permission to test new ways
to quote poet laureate and LEEDS 2023 patron of living, thinking, being. It’s time for us to take our
Simon Armitage: ‘the M1 does its emergency stop’. global place in history.
We’re the midway point between Hull and Liverpool,
the half-way house between London and Glasgow. Ruth Pitt,
The whole nation can reach us, everyone is welcome Chair of LEEDS 2023
Opportunity
and we won’t disappoint.
2
The
City
Speaks Kully Thiarai,
Creative Director and CEO,
LEEDS 2023
To be truly radical is to LEEDS 2023 has already been a transformational Culture is what makes us who we are. It shifts
force for the city. The ambition to bid to be European and changes with time, but it always offers meaning
make hope possible rather Capital of Culture, despite being thwarted by the and insight. Our need to leave a mark on the world,
than despair inevitable. UK’s departure from the European Union, led the city to be seen, valued and acknowledged in some way,
with a collective voice, to say: “Let’s do it anyway!” is vital for our health and wellbeing.
This stepping forward is no small thing. A stepping We tell stories and imagine different lives, celebrate
Now more than ever those words of writer
forward that was both bold and brave, that captured who we are and long to share our lived experience.
Raymond Williams feel like a challenge that needs
some of the spirit of the city. A spirit that isn’t always
We create rituals and myths to help us mark
to be fully embraced. For those of us working in the
fully recognised or exploited. An act of faith in the important moments in our lives and make sense of
arts and cultural sector, the need to inspire and be
collective force of a community to make a difference our place in the world. From the mass roar of
inspired; and build hope, empathy and connection
in the present, for the future. approval in a stadium, to the gentle lullaby of a song,
across and amongst our communities, feels more
vital and necessary than ever before. we create ephemeral moments of shared expression
Leeds is a city that has embraced and welcomed a and creativity. Our imagination enables us all to be
multitude of voices and possibilities over the years. It storytellers, leaving our mark in different ways to say:
LEEDS 2023 creates a unique moment for the
has flexed and adapted with the winds of change but, “We were here!”
city and region to collectively dream, radically
more often than not, has done so with quiet restraint.
imagine new and different futures and celebrate
In a city where 170 different languages are spoken Creativity is in all of us, sometimes we just need to be
all that we value.
and where the world’s cultures can be found, it is time guided to rewild our imagination and re-connect with
for those voices to be seen and to be heard in all their that bit of ourselves that wants to joyfully and
uniqueness. Voices that can be quiet and intimate, curiously play, dream and imagine.
or, bold and raucous.
3 Strategic Plan
‘Posters for the People’:
Credit: In Good Company; Photography by: James Abbott
LEEDS 2023 creates an opportunity for us all LEEDS 2023 will be a catalyst for transformation; LEEDS 2023 will deliver a rich and diverse
to come together and collectively do this. A chance one that brings people together to participate, programme with mass impact and global reach,
to embrace the diverse aspects of culture from celebrate and see the world afresh. Through twelve alongside work that is intimate and local, harnessing
sport and everyday crafts, through to the rich signature events and a multitude of experiences in the creativity of our citizens through community
heritage of the arts: music, dance, theatre, sculpture, partnership with artists and organisations, we will embedded programmes.
opera, painting and the modern collisions of creative shine a light on the hidden stories and the unsung
expression utilising technology and digital platforms. heroes of our city and region. We will all come together in our different ways to
encourage our city and our people to dream and
Taking part in culture can take many forms. We will mark Smeaton’s legacy of engineering and conceive a better future where we can all thrive.
From a mass moment like clapping together on innovation; celebrate the power of language through a
our doorsteps for our NHS workers, to playing year-long programme of poetry and spoken word as
a game online with participants from across the part of the launch of the National Poetry Centre in the
globe, or being together in stadiums. As spectators city; encourage creative participation through
we convene, connect and converse together in all projects like The Leeds People’s Theatre and The
sorts of ways. Performance Ensemble; and bring together the world
of sports and arts through surprising and unique
collaborations. We will celebrate the world in our city,
and our city in the world.
4 Strategic Plan
About
Credit: South Asian
Arts-uk; Photography by:
Nick Singleton
There’s extraordinary stuff
in this city, some things we don’t
even realise are here, so for one
whole year we’re throwing open
the doors and we’re making
ourselves known.
We’re letting culture loose.
We’re a city that’s as much
about food as it is about dance,
as much about art as it is about
sport. We’re a place where
people turn old into new,
disused into reused, broken
into ground-breaking.
We’ve spent long enough being
quiet about it, so now’s the time
to shout about culture, perform
it, make it and imagine it every
day on every street, in every
part of the city.
When this place speaks,
it has a proper story to tell.
This City
5 Strategic Plan
— OUR —
VISION
MISSION
VALUES
——
6 Strategic Plan
Our Vision — is a thriving Diversity and Inclusivity
Leeds where creativity fuels We know culture is everywhere in our city and it
has the power to change lives. We also know that
opportunities for everyone. culture and creativity mean different things to
different people and that not everyone feels they
can access the creative opportunities they might
want to. We want to help change that. LEEDS 2023
Our Mission — is to deliver a will be happening across the whole of Leeds,
in every ward, and we invite everyone to be a part of it!
transformational year of creative
We’re committed to working alongside communities
experiences connecting and and removing barriers so we can all celebrate our
benefiting people now and into city’s extraordinary creativity, in all its forms.
the future.
A Green Year of Culture
Climate change means we all have to do what
we can to make our working practices more
Our Values — sustainable. LEEDS 2023 will be no exception
and we’re striving to be a carbon neutral year
We’re compassionate: we’ve a big of culture. We also have a unique opportunity
to raise awareness and innovate solutions to
heart and we look out for each other; climate change.
we believe we’re stronger together ‘How I Hacked My Way Into Space’,
Credit: Live Little Stories for Leeds.
We’re bold: we’re not afraid of using Photography by: Simon K. Allen
our spirit, imagination and creativity
to make a difference
We’re confident: we’re Leeds! We’ve
got this!
We’re inventive: there’s no rule book;
we’ll seek out fresh ideas and new
ways of doing things
7 Strategic PlanStrategy:
What we’re doing
AIM 1: AIM 2: AIM 3:
To unlock opportunities for To boost engagement in To lead and showcase cultural
everyone to live their best life by culture from people who face transformation. We will:
participating in creative activity. barriers because of their
We will: experience or circumstances. • Amplify
and bring international
We will: visibility to the work of existing
• Enhance
the cultural education artists and our exceptional
of every child in the city • Boost
the visibility, representation artistic and cultural communities
• Increase opportunities for and participation of our diverse • Produce
and curate
young people to access new communities internationally renowned original
Credit: The Performance Ensemble;
Photography by: Sara Teresa Photography
skills and work • Celebrate and showcase everyday work in Leeds and the region
• Improve the health and well-being creativity • Bring creative work (both
of our citizens • Improve
the physical and temporary and permanent) and
• Boost digital skills and increase social connections between partnerships of a national and
the tools for communities to learn communities international significance to
and develop their creative talent • Increase
opportunities for citizens Leeds and the region
• Increase public engagement with to experience the creativity of • Nurture
and grow the emerging
green spaces, parks and nature our neighbouring cities and towns creative talent in Leeds
• Increase opportunities for • Increase
public engagement • Change
people’s perceptions of
everyone to play and be with the city’s cultural heritage Leeds as a cultural destination
entertained and the heritage of the region
• Increase audiences to cultural
activity, including from those
facing barriers
8 Strategic PlanAIM 4: AIM 5:
To play an active role in the city To create a diverse, inclusive and
and region’s recovery, building values driven organisation that
confidence and lasting economic, can effectively deliver
social, health and educational LEEDS 2023 and its legacy.
benefits. We will: We will:
• Improve
the understanding • Raise
and manage effectively
and influence of culture’s role the funds required to deliver
in transforming places and a 12-month programme of creative
improving people’s lives activity that includes a creative
• Improve
the city’s cultural education programme and skills/
profile so Leeds attracts more capacity building programme
businesses and more people to • Design
an operating
live, study, work and play model that is effective and
• Increase
employment in the efficient and embeds digital
cultural industries and support across the operations, artistic
the retention of our creative programme and communications
talent within the city and region • Develop
effective marketing
• Increase
tourism and visitor and communications that support
spend to the region our fundraising and stakeholder
engagement, as well as build
• Increase
knowledge and profile and audiences
understanding of the climate
crisis and work sustainably to • Develop
a robust research
support Leeds’s ambition to be and evaluation framework
carbon neutral by 2030 that measures impact and reach.
• Recruit
and develop staff with
the right skills, expertise and
Proposed location of Smeaton Park on Fearns Island
values to deliver LEEDS 2023
9 Strategic PlanOur research and evaluation Our ambitions are that: • There
is a positive change in perceptions
of Leeds as a city
framework will be developed over • There is a sustainable growth in cultural
the course of 2021 and will set out participation amongst the citizens of Leeds, • There
is increased national and international
regardless of their background or circumstances profile of Leeds and its cultural profile
our long-term impacts.
•
There is an even stronger and more visible • There
is growth in the visitor economy in Leeds
cultural sector that is representative of and and West Yorkshire
connected with its diverse communities
• Leeds
ranks higher on the list of cultural
•
There is a growth in citizen satisfaction and destinations to visit amongst domestic and
quality of life linked to creative opportunities international travellers
• There are more opportunities for children
and young people to learn and develop their
creative skills
Sculpture activities at Yorkshire Sculpture International
• There is job growth in the cultural and creative street party in Wakefield during the opening weekend.
Photography: Nick Singleton
sectors and more artists and cultural professionals
choose to live and work in the city
•
There will be physical legacies with the
National Poetry Centre, SMEATON 300
and East Leeds Pavilion
•
There continues to be long-term investment
Legacy:
in culture in Leeds and the region
How will we
know if we’ve
been successful?
10 Strategic PlanWant to get involved and support us? Then please contact our fundraising team at info@leeds2023.co.uk For more information go to www.leeds2023.co.uk or email info@leeds2023.co.uk © Leeds Culture Trust Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales (10674601) Registered Office: Marshall’s Mill, Marshall Street, Leeds, LS11 9YJ Registered charity number: 1184883 VAT number: 362847473
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