Leeds International Festival set to get underway with star names heading to city

Leeds International Festival gets underway on Monday with a string of star names set to appear over two weeks.
By Mark Lavery
Published 10th Sep 2021, 04:45 BST
Best selling author Emila Van Hauen will be a keynote speaker at the first event of the Leeds Interntional Festival. .The festival gets underway at 7.30pm on Monday (Sep 13) at the The City Varieties with panel discussion 'Are we more lonely?'Best selling author Emila Van Hauen will be a keynote speaker at the first event of the Leeds Interntional Festival. .The festival gets underway at 7.30pm on Monday (Sep 13) at the The City Varieties with panel discussion 'Are we more lonely?'
Best selling author Emila Van Hauen will be a keynote speaker at the first event of the Leeds Interntional Festival. .The festival gets underway at 7.30pm on Monday (Sep 13) at the The City Varieties with panel discussion 'Are we more lonely?'

It is billed as a festival of new ideas and innovation where world-leading thinkers will take part in thought-provoking panel discussions to share new ideas and discuss the world of tomorrow.

The festival, which starts on Monday (Sept 13) and runs until September 27, will feature star names including Sir Lenny Henry, Katherine Ryan, Alastair Campbell, Michaela Strachan, George Clarke and Evan Davis.

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Also taking part are Grace Dent, Amol Rajan, Kanya King, Matthew Parris, Yorkshire’s inspirational broadcaster Stephanie Hirst, Leeds’ own presenter, ex-politician Peg Alexander, and renewable energy expert Emma Young.

Panels will discuss and debate questions such as Can we ever be who we want to be? Does the future have enough food? Is the UK media broken and, finally, Green or growth?

It will run across three venues - Leeds Corn Exchange, City Varieties Music Hall and Leeds Town Hall.

The festival gets underway at 7.30pm on Monday (Sep 13) at the The City Varieties with panel discussion 'Are we more lonely?' hosted by comedian and writer Deborah Frances-White.

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Cultural Sociologist and bestselling author Emila Van Haue will be a keynote speaker on the panel.

She said: "I am looking so much forward to attend this totally inspiring and magical Leeds International Festival!

"It truly is a fountain of strong ideas, intelligent questions and positive energy and people.

"And I love that we are going to debate the very important question about loneliness as too many people - especially young people - suffer from this in times of overcommunication and performance."

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TV presenter Michaela Strachan will chair the 'Green or Growth' panel discussion from 7.30pm On September 27 at Leeds City Varieties.

She said: "So looking forward to the Leeds International Festival of Ideas and how exciting to have a 'live' audience!

"I'll be chairing the Green or growth discussion which will no doubt be a lively and challenging debate and give us all plenty to think about."

There will also be a Discovery Zone to be held over the two weekends, September 18-19 and 25-26. One will be dedicated to the future of food.

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LeedsBID is working alongside key partners including Leeds Corn Exchange, Leeds Heritage Theatre, Leeds City Council, Weightmans and Bruntwood to bring Leeds International Festival of Ideas to the city.

For full programme details and to buy tickets visit www.leedsintfest.com