Taking place at Leeds Playhouse, the festival saw a stellar lineup deliver powerful talks and personal conversations on some of the most pressing topics of our generation in front of an estimated audience of 5,000 people.
Steven Bartlett shared his learnings on how to be an entrepreneur while Davina McCall MBE was joined by industry experts and activists to start a conversation on women’s health.
Ruby Wax OBE also shared her thoughts on mental wellbeing and Rob Rinder MBE encouraged the audience to be sceptical of the law.
Another 35 speakers also took to the stage across the 11 events, which included questions from the audience.
Festival director Martin Dickson said: “What a week – the atmosphere each day at the iconic Leeds Playhouse was amazing and the conversations that you could hear were inspiring to say the least. Huge thanks to all our speakers and the audiences who attended and got involved with the diverse discussions going on. Work on LIFI 24 begins next week.”
1. Best pictures from Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2023
Here are 8 of the best pictures from the Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2023. Photo: Tom Martin
2. Steven Bartlett
The opening evening of LIFI 23 saw entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett lead a conversation alongside Anisa Morridadi. The two spoke about the ‘New Generation of Entrepreneurship’, exploring Generation Z and their approach to working. The chat also reflected on Bartlett’s career journey, touching on his personal views of quitting, motivation and how to be successful. Bartlett was seen separating from his television persona at the end of the show, where he was seen giving career advice to a thirteen year old audience member, as well as signing a book for her. Photo: Tom Martin
3. When Will Women's Health Be Taken Seriously?
On the same evening, a panel of industry experts and activists discussed the inequalities women face when it comes to health and medical treatment. Renowned TV presenter Davina McCall MBE was part of the panel and was joined by Dr. Christine Ekechi, Lauren Mahon, Cherry Healey, Gabby Jahanshahi-Edlin and Kenny Ethan Jones. Together, the group tackled topics such as menopause, endometriosis, conditions related to infertility and gynaecological problems, bringing personal and emotive experiences to the forefront in this powerful 90 minute conversation. Photo: Tom Martin
4. Rob Rinder MBE
Barrister and TV personality Rob Rinder MBE led a discussion with journalist Lotty Leeming, exploring the laws that shape our everyday lives. The energetic chat, titled 'Invisible Rule of Law', looked into the thousands of laws that sculpt our society, giving an insight into our democracy, freedoms and the role of authority. Photo: Tom Martin
5. Could Living The Good Life Save The Planet?
A panel discussion focused on upcycling, sustainability and climate change took to the stage next. TV personality Matt Baker MBE led the discussion, and was joined by sustainability champions from across the industry, including Doug McMaster, Banjo Beale, Flavia Cacace-Mistry and Clare Lewis. Photo: Tom Martin
6. Bimini and Davina de Campo
The headline event for Thursday evening was Drag sensation Bimini, who led a discussion held by fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Divina de Campo. The two held a chat called 'A World Beyond The Binary', which was a hilariously powerful insight into gender fluidity and the LGBTQIA+ community. Stating “community is more important now than ever”, Bimini drew on personal experiences of being non-binary and how it shaped their career in the industry, whilst also recounting how the current political climate is reverting the rights of trans people throughout the country. Photo: Tom Martin