Transform 23, an international performance festival, is making its return to the city this October 11 to 22. It will see artists from across the world collaborate with local talent to bring bold and thought-provoking performances to the city.
Creative director of Transform Amy Letman said: “Transform 23 is our most ambitious festival yet bringing extraordinary performance, dance, theatre, club culture and public encounters to Leeds.
“Years in the making, we’ve been scouring the world for the most daring productions to bring to the north of England, whilst cooking up major new collaborations with creatives from across Leeds and the globe. From intimate encounters to epic spectacles on big stages – audiences are invited to see the city differently and engage with powerful performances by trailblazing international artists.
“In this continued age of uncertainty, Transform 23 gives pause to ponder everything from community and loss to nature and personal odysseys – intrepid artists offer brave and heartfelt perspectives on how we might live differently together in the future.”
Transform 23 is a LEEDS 2023 production this year. Kully Thiarai, creative director and chief executive of LEEDS 2023, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting Transform with its most impressive festival to date.
“The festival sits within the third and final part of our programme ‘Dreaming’ and we are thrilled to see and support so many brilliant international artists and companies bringing powerful and thought-provoking work to Leeds during our Year of Culture.
"We hope that the support LEEDS 2023 has been able to provide to Transform will ensure its long-term growth and development for this and many more years to come. It is a great example of how we have worked in partnership to welcome international artists and companies to connect and collaborate with our communities.”
7. Photos of Sichovykh Striltsiv Street
Artist Dmytro Levytskyi photographed sites and surroundings on his daily walks. The war seemed to leave a shadow on the street – on shop windows, old cars and the people going about their daily lives. This exhibition will take place on October 21 to 22, 10am to 6pm at LEEDS 2023 Hub, Trinity Leeds. Photo: Dmytro Levytskyi
8. Out of the Blue
After their acclaimed performances Mining Stories and Pleasant Island, Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere present Out of the Blue, the final part of their trilogy – an evocative documentary theatre show about the world of deep-sea mining. It will take place on October 20 and 21, 7:15pm at Studio, Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Beckett University. Photo: Loes Geuens
9. Blood Bone Breath
Enter a womb-like installation – a soft, red room alive with the ebb and flow of three performers’ movement, where audiences are invited to rest and relax as the dancers follow their senses and navigate their relationships whilst exploring the space. Accompanied by a meditative soundscape, imagery emerges and disappears in cycles of metamorphosis, Blood Bone Breath is co-created by dance artists Hollie Miller and Hannah Buckley with live sound from Craig Scott. The event will take place on October 20, 6.30pm at Studio 3, Yorkshire Dance. Photo: Jules Lister
10. SECRETS
Amusing, confusing and occasionally dark, this riotous new gig-theatre show is based on hundreds of real-life secrets submitted by young people in Leeds and Reykjavík, commissioned by Transform’s Young Curators. SECRETS was created by Icelandic artist Ásrún Magnúsdóttir in collaboration with a collective of young Leeds based performers and artists. The show will take place on October 11, 7.30pm and October 12, 2pm at The Warehouse in Holbeck. Photo: Transform
11. Get Off
Katy Baird fearlessly unveils her journey in search of the ultimate euphoric experience offering a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the human desire for connection, exploring the depths of desires and questioning the autonomy people have. It will take place on October 20, 8.30pm and October 21, 6pm at Main Theatre, Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Beckett University. Photo: JMA Photography
12. Transform 23 Events
Here are 14 Transform 23 events coming to Leeds this October. Photo: Submitted