Leeds International Festival of Ideas

13/07/2024

⚠️ TICKET WARNING ⚠️

is on for a sell-out so we thought we would give you a little warning with some events only having 8 tickets left. Seriously, head to the website and grab whilst you can.

🔗 https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/programme/

11/07/2024

In the run-up to this year's festival, we have been chatting to experts, thought leaders, and others about .

First up on our Journal page is a brilliant piece from DAIR (Distributed AI Research Institute). Adio-Adet Dinika, the Research Fellow at DAIR, is a political scientist specialising in platform labour and platform governance and writes about the AI narrative.

🔗 https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/puny-gods-and-silicon-saviors-challenging-the-ai-salvation-narrative/

27/06/2024

Just one week to go until the General Election, we have been revisiting the brilliant conversation around Politics from .

Hosted by Lewis Goodall, watch the conversation back in full. Has anything changed since September?

Recorded on 30th September 2023 at Leeds Playhouse“It doesn’t matter who you vote for, nothing will ever really change in Britain.” According to the Labour P...

25/05/2024

🆕 We are going to explore some of the panel chats in more depth, starting with the last panel chat of the festival (why not?).

So "Who really cares?" Food, water, clothing, sleep and shelter are the basic human needs for survival – but who steps in when illness, age, disability or poverty leave those needs unmet? From foster care, homelessness, and co-housing to long-term and end-of-life care, our panel is set to tackle one of society’s most intricate, emotive, and indispensable topics. Swipe for the panel or read below.

Kate Garraway leads the chat; she has been a journalist for many years and is the author of "The Strength of Love". The panel is a mix of experts from various backgrounds. Goldie , a pioneer in the UK breakbeat scene, will bring his childhood story from adoption to the childcare system to the forefront. Emily Kenway is a leading expert on social justice issues, with a decade of campaigning work behind her. Her Orwell Prize-shortlisted book, ‘Who Cares’, shone a light on unpaid carers around the world. Paul McNamee was appointed UK Editor of all national, regional and online editions of The Big Issue in 2011, and finally, Lizzy Oma, who is a vital part of Chapeltown’s cooperative cohousing community, Chapeltown Cohousing. Is that the future of living? With a diverse community built to help with sustainability, caring and supportive?

Join us to unpack the current state of the UK care system – what’s happening, who’s impacted, and what needs to change?

📍 Leeds Playhouse
📆 Saturday 5 October
⏰ 7pm

10/05/2024

Tickets for Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2024 are on sale NOW!
🎟️ 👉 https://bit.ly/LIFI24Programme


📍
🗓️ 2 - 5 October

08/05/2024

🎟️ Don't miss out on some of the hottest tickets in town! is gearing up big demand to some of these events.

How to secure your tickets on May 10th 👇
a) Be ahead of the game with early access by signing up for our newsletter! (Link below)
b) Join the frenzy at 10 am for general sale.

With a lineup featuring legends from entertainment to science, there's something for everyone! From Kate Adie to Nile Rodgers, it's a star-studded affair you won't want to miss. Mark your calendars for Friday May 10th.

🔗 https://bit.ly/LIFI24Newsletter

01/05/2024

We are proud to reveal the huge lineup as we return to this October for four days of conversation, connection and curiosity...


📅 October 2 - 5th 2024
📍Leeds Playhouse

🔗 We recommend you sign up for the newsletter for priority news, tickets and more https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/

12/04/2024

📆 DATES FOR DIARIES 📆

Some news! We are pleased to reveal that the line-up will be revealed on 1st May 2024 👏 Tickets will go on sale on 10th May 2024, exclusively to newsletter subscribers first and then on general sale at 10am.

• 1st May - Line-up revealed
• 10th May - Tickets on sale to newsletter subscribers - 9am
• 10th May - Tickets on general sale - 10am

The festival will take place on 2 - 5 October 2024.

Sign up for the newsletter 👉 http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

01/04/2024

Tackling complex subjects is what we do best at LIFI.

Ask yourself, "Who really cares?" We do care at .

🔗 Find this year's questions throughout the city. And sign up for the newsletter to get all the updates first -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

30/03/2024

🌟 ‘Follow what you want to do and don’t listen to anybody else. When you get other people’s voices in your head, you won’t do your best.’ - Bimini

Bimini transformed the talk 'A World Beyond The Binary' at into a real show that was exciting to watch and extremely insightful.

Stay tuned for the upcoming announcement, which promises to have a stellar lineup of speakers, too...

21/03/2024

📺 Is the line between our daily life and TV shows blurring? Why are people obsessed with it? What can we learn from it? And can we find the next TV stars without it?

Let's discuss this and many more groundbreaking topics at . Sign up for our newsletter to get all the news firsthand -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEY 🔗

20/03/2024

💬 'Endometriosis is as common as diabetes', and our fantastic panellists discussed the issue of underrepresentation and undertreatment of women's health in the UK during .

We are looking forward to more insightful talks on important topics at . Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements

*LIFI acknowledges that not all people who experience these issues are women, and not all women experience these issues.

19/03/2024

One of the hot topics these days is whether AI will improve our lives or lead to regression. Let's dive deeper into it 🤖

Announcements are coming soon in our newsletter. 🔗 Sign up here -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

18/03/2024

'Failure is feedback. Feedback is knowledge and knowledge is your power. Your failure rate is going to determine whether you succeed.'

hosted the entrepreneur Steve Bartlett. Who shared how young people can help break new ground in the workplace by forging new traditions and unlocking growth 📈

Tune in for for more exciting speakers!

You can find all the takeaways from previous talks in the 'Journal' section on our website 🔗
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/journal/

17/03/2024

By discussing addiction openly and honestly, we can take the first step towards managing it.
Sign up for our newsletter to find out more about 📣

🔗 Sign up here -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

16/03/2024

🎬 '42% of BAFTA winners were privately educated and only 8% of people from working-class backgrounds are working in the arts today.'

As we heard from Christopher Eccleston during . Christopher Eccleston shared his story as a working-class actor and the need to keep voices such as his, alive across the arts and cultural scene, and why this is fundamental to society at large.

More important conversations and renowned speakers are coming this year at 📆

14/03/2024

Neurodiversity: from acknowledgement to actions, what can we do about it?

Subscribe to our newsletter to get news first, with announcements coming soon 💬

🔗 Sign up here -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

12/03/2024

Tackling complex subjects is what we do best at LIFI. As we speak, we are revealing this year's questions throughout the city.

Ask yourself, "Who really cares?" We do care at . Exciting announcements soon.

🔗 Sign up for the newsletter here -> http://eepurl.com/ilZEYI

15/02/2024

We are thrilled to reveal the dates and venue for this year's Festival. We'll return to the iconic Leeds Playhouse from 2 to 5 October 2024 🙌


📅 October 2 - 5th 2024
📍Leeds Playhouse

🔗 We recommend you sign up for the newsletter for priority news, tickets and more 👇 https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/

27/12/2023

💭 was an extraordinary celebration of diverse thoughts, unique perspectives, and a melting pot of ideas. With an impressive lineup of 11 events, 6 fireside chats, 5 panels, and a stellar cast of 39 speakers, the festival left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Leeds 🚀

Take a closer look and read our new article from festival director Martin Dickson, below:

🔗 https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/lifi23-a-resounding-success-in-shaping-minds-and-igniting-conversations/

19/12/2023

👀 Nice to see in Steve Bartlett's latest video…. (Plus a great little sneak behind the scenes... 22minutes in)

🔗 watch this incredible episode on hacks for viral content

This week, I'm bringing you closer to the minds shaping our digital world, I'm taking you behind the scenes with Daniel Ek and Scott Galloway. AND, I am show...

25/10/2023

🎥 Banjo Beale sat down with us after the "Could Living The Good Life Save The Planet" panel to talk to us about potato sacks and his thoughts about living without a bin!

🔗 Watch the full talk below by following the link to our Youtube page 👉 https://www.youtube.com//videos

24/10/2023

🎙️ What did you learn from our panels? We spoke with people after the panels and this is what they had to say.

🔗 To see the full talks, make sure to head on over to our Leeds International Festival of Ideas Youtube page!
https://www.youtube.com/

20/10/2023

🎙️ We sat down with Cherry Healey after the eye-opening women's health talk at LIFI23 to talk about how the panel went and her thoughts on how conversations like these can help fuel change.

🔗 Watch the full talk by following the link below to our Youtube page
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X5055voHzM

19/10/2023

❓At we weren't afraid of asking big questions, one of the great chats this year was 'Who Does our Political System Benefit?'

If you missed out on the talk or want to give it a rewatch, we've got the full panel along with some bonus content from Larry Budd, who hosted the LIFITV after-show with our panelists.

Featuring, Lewis Goodall, Tom Brake, Magid Magid, Amber Rudd & Scarlett Westbrook

🔗 You can see all of that on our Leeds International Festival of Ideas Youtube page
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5gYzePraim8qumqtuKIHLg

17/10/2023

🎤We caught up with people after panels to see what they took from the talks and how it would influence them going forward!

🔗To see full talks, follow the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5gYzePraim8qumqtuKIHLg

16/10/2023

👂You asked, we listened.

Didn't manage to make our LiFi23 talk on Obsession with True Crime? Or maybe you want to relive the night again, We've got you covered.

🔗Follow the link below to watch the full talk on our Youtube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8XtfXwthjI

01/10/2023

🎥 What an incredible four days painting the city pink for at Leeds Playhouse. With 5,000 attendees and 39 speakers tackling some of the most pressing issues of our generation, this event was truly empowering.

The insights shared by the speakers gave us all the tools to make a difference for the greater good and question what we and others can do. A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible!

Further reading can be found 👉 https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/journal/

CC Leeds BID, Weightmans, bruntwood North Brewing Co The Hoot Leeds Chapter 81 and so many more

30/09/2023

Event 11 and the last talk of ✅

Did you know the proportion of working-class actors, musicians and writers has shrunk by half since the 1970s? Such an insightful talk from Christopher Eccleston & wonderfully hosted by Lisa Holdsworth. What was your biggest takeaway from the talk?

For further reading on this, check out our new journal post 🔗
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/lifi23-arts-and-culture-for-the-many-or-the-few/

30/09/2023

Event 10 ✅

Grief is something we will all go through in our lives, Dame Prue Leith led the panel discussion on how we can talk about grief, how we process it and how we can support each other during it.

Panel Included: Dame Prue Leith, Jamilla Hussain, Silvan Luley, Lucy Turner & Will Young 💬

For further reading on this topic, check the link below for our journal post 🔗
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/lifi23-how-do-we-talk-about-grief/