Art & Culture

Leeds International Festival of Ideas announces full festival line-up for ‘biggest year yet’

Joining Steven Bartlett, Bimini and Ruby Wax OBE at this year's festival.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 5th April 2023

Journalists, chefs, comedians, writers, members of parliament and TV personality aplenty will be filling Leeds with debate over a huge four day festival.

Leeds International Festival of Ideas is set to host the UK’s ‘biggest celebration of new ideas’, with fireside chats and panel discussions with the likes of Davina McCall, Will Young, Dame Prue Leith and Matt Baker.

Just over the Pennines TV barrister and University of Manchester alumni Rob Rinder will be bringing ‘the rule of law’ to life whilst Northern journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy takes on the question: ‘Who does our political system benefit?’ – but that’s just the beginning…

Taking place this September inside new venue Leeds Playhouse, this is set to be LIFI’s biggest year to date, The Hoot reports.

Announcing the full line-up last night, festival organisers have revealed that the likes of Davina McCall, Dame Prue Leith and Will Young, will be taking to the stage alongside huge names from the world of entertainment, politics and business, including Yorkshire’s Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks, Matt Baker MBE, Jay Blades MBE, Gemma Whelan, Amber Rudd, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Rob Rinder, Sir Jon Cuncliffe, and many more.

ADVERTISEMENT

These exciting names will be joining TV personality Bimini, who will be talking about ‘a world beyond the binary’; author and comedian Ruby Wax OBE will be bringing ‘my journey to mindfulness’ to life with a key note speaker show whilst ‘a new generation of entrepreneurism’ will be covered by Diary of a CEO’s Steven Bartlett.

Working in partnership with LeedsBID, The Hoot Leeds and Weightmans, the idea of the festival is to bring conversations to the surface, using a combination of panels, fireside chats and speeches to inspire, provoke and encourage discussions.

ADVERTISEMENT

Questions vary from ‘what’s our obsession with true crime?’ to ‘who does our political system benefit?’ and ‘how do we talk about grief?’ – and this year’s line-up certainly won’t be shying away from the hard questions.

Will Young, appearing at LIFI23 says: “I’m excited to be part of a festival exploring many of the things that make us human. It’s so important not only to ask these questions of each other, but to spend time listening when we don’t have all the answers. What a fantastic line up!”

Leeds International Festival of Ideas Full Line-up

Wednesday 27 September 2023

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ol9ndSh8-1600x801.jpeg
Davina McCall will be on the panel for ‘when will women’s health be taken seriously’. / Image: Chapter 81

Panel: When will women’s health be taken seriously? with Davina McCall, Dr Christine Ekechi and Lauren Mahon, plus more names to be announced

ADVERTISEMENT

Fireside chat: A New Generation Of Entrepreneurism with Steven Bartlett

Tickets are available here.

Thursday 28 September 2023

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is VNpmlsh8-1600x958.jpeg
Bimini will be talking about ‘a world beyond the binary’. / Image: Chapter 81

Panel: Could living The Good Life save the planet? with Matt Baker, Tommy Banks, Jay Blades MBE, Flavia Cacace and Clare Lewis

Fireside chat: Invisible rule of law with Rob Rinder

Fireside chat: A world beyond the binary with Bimini

ADVERTISEMENT

Tickets are available here.

Friday 28 September 2023

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is uCybW3Sk-1600x801.jpeg
My Journey to Mindfulness with Ruby Wax OBE is Friday’s fireside chat. / Image: Chapter 81

Panel: What is our obsession with true crime? with Louise Shorter, Richard McCann, Coltan Scrivner, Gemma Whelan and Mark Williams-Thomas

Fireside chat: My Journey to Mindfulness with Ruby Wax OBE

Tickets are available here.

Saturday 29 September 2023

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ArdjmveI-1-1-1600x801.jpeg
Dame Prue Leith will be on the panel for ‘how do we talk about grief’. / Image: Chapter 81

Panel: Who does our political system benefit? with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Tom Brake, Magid Magid, Amber Rudd and Scarlett Westbrook

ADVERTISEMENT

Panel: How do we talk about grief? with Dame Prue Leith, Jamilla Hussain, Silvan Luley, Lucy Turner and Will Young

Fireside chat: Other Side Of The Coin with Sir Jon Cunliffe and Tom Duff Gordon 

Tickets are available here.

How to get tickets

Tickets for all events have now gone on sale on the Leeds International Festival of Ideas website, and given the huge names announced for this year, make sure you get yours sooner rather than later.

Tickets cost from £10 – £15 each for subsidised tickets, and this year there’s more seats than ever before (moving to the Playhouse has increased seating capacity by 40%).

ADVERTISEMENT

Tickets can be purchased here.

Read More:

Leeds Playhouse, Artistic Director and CEO James Brining said: “It is so exciting to see the range of artists and speakers attending Leeds International Festival 2023.  All are individuals at the top of their game and using their platforms to amplify the voices of others as well as exploring issues of importance and significance for contemporary society.

“At Leeds Playhouse, our aim is to open up our theatre, with its flexible conference spaces and three auditoria, welcoming local, national and international artists to the region, facilitating conversations and sharing stories that reflect the world we live in.  We also aim to celebrate Leeds as a culture rich, vibrant city and hosting LIFI in 2023 certainly helps us achieve that goal.”

Feature Image – Chapter 81

AD

Art & Culture

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 22 – 28 April 2024

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Can you believe we’re already into our last full week of April, and May is right around the corner?

So far, April has been full of foodie festivals, cultural celebrations, wholesome spring-themed events, and so much more – and thankfully, there’s more where that came from as there’s loads more in the Greater Manchester social calendar for everyone of all ages to be getting involved with throughout this week too.

If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do, we’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.

Here’s some of our recommendations.

___

Bloomtown Blossom Trail

Manchester City Centre

Monday 22 April – onwards

Stunning pink blossom at Parsonage Gardens
Bloomtown Blossom Trail / Credit: The Manc Group

Manchester never looks better than it does when all the blossom trees burst back to life, right? Well now there’s a walking trail through town that shows off the best bits.

From the iconic purple blooms outside the Central Library, to the surprising sprays that pop up in the middle of Ancoats, there are pretty colours appearing all over, so the National Trust is once again shining a spotlight on Manchester and bringing back its new-and-improved Bloomtown Map.

There are 39 spots all over the city centre (and slightly beyond) included along the route, each one showcasing one of the city’s most picturesque locations.

Find out more about 2024’s trail here.

___

Tales of Manchester 2.0

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

Monday 22 April – onwards

Tales of Manchester 2.0 / Credit: Supplied

A brand-new art exhibition curated by visual artist Emma Evans in partnership with six other creators is now open in Manchester, and it’s completely free to visit.

Tales of Manchester 2.0 down at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is a collection of multi-platform art celebrating our brilliant city, and it’s showcasing six spoken word pieces by established Manchester based poets – Griot Gabriel, Ilaria Passeri, Lisa O’Hare, Mark Jackson aka Keith’s Brother, Matt Concannon aka The Thirsty Poet, and Sarah Attwell.

The spoken word is paired with visual pieces painted by self-taught artist Emma Evans, where the words have served as inspiration for the art.

Find out more here.

___

The Manchester College ‘Greater Mancunians’ Exhibition

Manchester Central Library

Monday 22 April – onwards

The Manchester College ‘Greater Mancunians’ Exhibition / Credit: Supplied

Photography students from The Manchester College will be showcasing their ‘Greater Mancunians’ project as part of a landmark exhibition at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall from this week.

150 students have participated in the groundbreaking photography project, and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.

More than 100 contributors are featured in the project, including musicians Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr, athletes Diane Modahl and Ricky Hatton, local politicians Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, and Bev Craig, actors Maxine Peake and Bill Roache, artists Stan Chow and AKSE P-19, and other local figures like Jonathan Warburton, Simon Martin, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE.

Find out more here.

___

Did you see that one of the biggest charity shops has recently opened here in Greater Manchester?

The independently-run Regenerage superstore is the newest resident at the massively-popular Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton.

Inside the huge 10,958 sq ft store, shoppers can find everything from ladies and menswear, to homeware, furniture, and children’s clothing too, plus books, and new white goods – including washing machines, fridge freezers, and more.

There’s also a specially-created bridal and occasional wear department too.

And if all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, there’s even the chance to get your hands on designer brands like Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren, and Armani, all without the hefty price tag.

ADVERTISEMENT

Find out more here.

___

Power UP

Science and Industry Museum

Monday 22 April – onwards

Power UP / Credit: Science Museum Group

Did you know there’s a huge gaming event currently happening in Manchester?

ADVERTISEMENT

With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back for more in 2024 down at the Science and Industry Museum, and it’s taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming every weekend.

There’s everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more to get stuck into, and each ticket includes unlimited play all day.

Find out more about the exhibition here.

___

Pieminister’s Bottomless Brunch

Pieminister

ADVERTISEMENT

Monday 22 April – onwards

Pieminister’s Bottomless Brunch / Credit: The Manc Group

Pieminister’s legendary pie bottomless brunch with free-flowing drinks has finally made a comeback.

The popular pie restaurant chain – which has two sites here in Manchester city centre on Church Street in the Northern Quarter, and on Deansgate – is known and loved all across the UK for its thick and chunky pies, but its bottomless brunch offering is something else.

Whether you’re a meat lover, a veggie, vegan, flexitarian, or gluten free, there’s something to suit everyone on the menu.

Find out more and book your bottomless brunch slot here.

ADVERTISEMENT

___

The Wizard of Oz

Palace Theatre Manchester

Wednesday 24 April – Sunday 5 May

The Wizard of Oz / Credit: ATG Tickets

A sensational new take on of one of the world’s most beloved musicals, The Wizard of Oz, is arriving here in Manchester this week.

Taking to the iconic Palace Theatre stage, starring award-winning comedian and musical theatre star Jason Manford as The Cowardly Lion, JLS sensation Aston Merrygold as The Tin Man, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner and Dancing On Ice star The Vivienne as The Wicked Witch of the West, this new production is set to be truly magical for all the family.

ADVERTISEMENT

Find out more and grab last-minute tickets here.

___

The Botanist LIVE

Greater Manchester

Friday 26 & Saturday 27 April – onwards

The Botanist LIVE / Credit: Supplied

The Botanist has brought back The Botanist LIVE to “help everyone celebrate summer” with free live music every weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

Set to “supply the soundtrack to your weekend” every Friday and Saturday night, The Botanist’s talented artists are set to play live from 8pm until late, and guests can expect a vibrant party atmosphere with sounds of rock, pop, soul, R&B, funk, disco, and blues.  

The events are not ticketed and are free to attend, so all you need to do is turn up and wait for its house band get the party started. 

Find out more here.

___

Red Rose Diner

East Lancashire Railway

ADVERTISEMENT

Friday 26 April – onwards

Red Rose Diners / Credit: ELR

Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this week.

Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 March right through to November this year, East Lancashire Railway’s Red Rose Diners are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.

The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.

Find out more and book here.

ADVERTISEMENT

___

Fancy heading out a walk somewhere in Greater Manchester and beyond this week?

The weather is FINALLY warming up a little, and it’s beginning to feel like we might finally have made it through winter.

So that means it’s time for a walk, right?

Some of the green spaces that wrap around Greater Manchester are in their prime right now with blossoms, bluebells, and more – and that’s saying something, as they’re pretty spectacular all year round – so it couldn’t be a more perfect time to go for a walk to appreciate their beauty.

Read our round-up of stunning spots for a spring walk here.

___

Spring Fest

Alderley Park

Saturday 27 April

Farm Weekend / Credit: Jody Hartley

Spring Fest is taking over Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park this Saturday.

With families from all across Greater Manchester and the North West set to make their way to Macclesfield, Spring Fest is a chance to celebrate the magic of spring and everything that it means for wildlife, animals, and nature.

You can expect a jam-packed day full of different outdoor family-friendly activities, performances, markets, and lots of local food and drink.

Find out more here.

___

Ex-Paw Extravaganza

Angel Meadow Park

Saturday 27 April

Ex-Paw Extravaganza / Credit: Ex-Paw MCR

A festival especially for dogs is all set to take over a popular Manchester city centre park for some “paw-tastic fun” this weekend.

And the best bit about it? It’s absolutely FREE to head on down to.

Back by popular demand, the Ex-Paw Extravaganza festival is returning to Angel Meadow Park near Manchester‘s Green Quarter this Saturday for a jam-packed day of “pawsome activity”.

Kicking off from 11am and running right through until 4pm, this year’s dog-themed festivities include a selection of different stalls to shop from, dog agility courses, puppy play areas, hands-on pet first aid courses, and so much more.

Find out more here.

___

Looking for somewhere to go for a hearty roast dinner in and around Greater Manchester this weekend?

From the moment we start to feel the weekend rolling in, we can’t help but turn our thoughts to Sunday roasts, steaming jugs of gravy, and big glasses sploshing over with red wine.

It’s just the best feeling, and there’s plenty of it to be found here in our region.

We’re used to it being wet and miserable most of the year, and while we do love Sunday lunch on a sun-soaked afternoon in the beer garden when we get the chance, nothing warms the cockles more on those darker days than a giant plate piled high with roasted meats, vegetables, and gravy.

Read our round-up of some of the best Greater Manchester roast dinners here.

___

Featured Image – Ex-Paw MCR | The Manc Group | Bruntwood

Art & Culture

Manchester palaeontologist unearths bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A Manchester-based palaeontologist has unearthed the bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile.

This new identification is a crucial part of a fascinating eight-year long discovery journey.

It all started when a seasoned fossil collector named Paul de la Salle found a giant jawbone on Lilstock Beach, near Bridgewater in Somerset, back in May 2016, and then father and daughter, Justin and Ruby Reynolds from Devon, found the first pieces of a second jawbone and another giant bone while searching for fossils on the beach at Blue Anchor, also in Somerset, in May 2020.

And now, a palaeontologist at the University of Manchester (UoM) Dr Dean Lomax, has identified the fossilised remains of the second gigantic jawbone that measures more than two metres long.

Experts have identified these bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur – which is a type of prehistoric marine reptile – and astonishing estimations suggest the oceanic titan would have been more than 25-metres long.

Dr Lomax has been working together with Justin and Ruby Reynolds, along with Paul de la Salle and several family members, since the father-daughter duo first contacted them about their groundbreaking discovery in 2020.

A Manchester palaeontologist has unearthed bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile / Credit: UoM

“I was amazed by Justin and Ruby’s find,” Dr Lomax commented.

“In 2018, my team and Paul de la Salle studied and described Paul’s giant jawbone, and we had hoped that one day another would come to light.”

He explained that Justin and Ruby’s new specimen was “more complete and better preserved” than the first find, and that he “became very excited” at the chance to learn more following their discovery.

As mentioned, the Manchester-based research team, led by Dr Lomax, revealed that the jaw bones belong to a new species of giant ichthyosaur that would’ve been about the size of a blue whale, and they have called the new genus and species Ichthyotitan severnensis – which means ‘giant fish lizard of the Severn’.

The bones – which represent the very last of their kind – are around 202 million years old, and date back to the end of the Triassic Period in a time known as the Rhaetian.

During this time, the gigantic ichthyosaurs swam the seas while the dinosaurs walked on land.

The University of Manchester, where Dr Dean Lomax works as a palaeontologist / Credit: UoM

Ichthyotitan is not the world’s first giant ichthyosaur, but the discoveries by Paul, and Justin and Ruby, are said to be “unique among those known to science”, as they appear roughly 13 million years after their latest geologic relatives – including Shonisaurus sikanniensis from British Columbia in Canada, and Himalayasaurus tibetensis from Tibet in China.

Speaking on the confirmation of the bones’ identification this week, Dr Lomax said: “This research has been ongoing for almost eight years.

“It is quite remarkable to think that gigantic, blue whale-sized ichthyosaurs were swimming in the oceans around what was the UK during the Triassic Period.

Read more:

“These jawbones provide tantalising evidence that perhaps one day a complete skull or skeleton of one of these giants might be found.”

Featured Image – UoM

More Art & Culture

Art & Culture

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 15 – 21 April 2024

Affiliate

Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots starring Strictly’s Johannes Radebe is coming to Manchester next year

Manchester has been named a 'fashion capital' in a recent issue of Elle magazine. Credit: The Manc Group

Art & Culture

Elle magazine hails Manchester as being ‘fashion capital’ of the year

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches