The Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI) 2023 has ended – and we have rounded up 11 of the best pictures from the four-day event.
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.
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.”
Louise Shorter, Richard McCann, Dr. Coltan Scrivner, Gemma Whelan and Mark-Williams Thomas delved into the nation’s morbid curiosity with true crime. The lineup featured those personally involved with true crime cases, including Richard McCann, whose mother was Peter Sutcliffe’s first victim, and investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas, who helped expose notorious paedophile Jimmy Saville. Photo: Paul Whiteley
Comedian and best selling author Ruby Wax OBE delved into the topic of mindfulness, comically recounting her personal experiences and how they got her into meditation. The 'My Journey To Mindfulness' discussion, which was hosted by Sarah Powell, was a hilarious yet personal insight into Wax’s career and journey, including her experiences in a 30 day silence retreat. Stating “the way you talk to other people is the way you think in your head”, Wax led a personal and powerful conversation on keeping the brain calm, and even delivered a grounding exercise for the audience to take part in. Photo: Paul Whiteley
LIFI 23 was concluded on Saturday 30th September, in which four events were held across the day and evening. The first event, titled 'Who Does Our Political System Benefit?' saw Jon Sopel, Tom Brake, Magid Magid, Amber Rudd and Scarlett Westbrook discuss political polarisation in the UK, amidst ongoing political tensions and a lack of trust between the country and its government. Photo: Tom Martin
An insightful discussion on cryptocurrency, in which Danni Hewson, Sir Jon Cunliffe and Tom Duff Gordon chatted about the possibilities of a cashless society followed. The three chatted about the Bank of England’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) and its parallels with cryptocurrency, which is defined as one of the biggest challenges of our generation. Photo: Tom Martin
A stellar lineup took to the stage to discuss the topic of grief. Dame Prue Leith OBE was joined on stage by Dr. Jamilla Hussain, Silvan Luley, Lucy Turner and Will Young, who together led an emotional discussion on the difficulty of approaching loss. Bringing their unique perspectives, the panellists considered the multiple ways people react to loss, and the complex methods in which people handle it. In support of this powerful discussion, LIFI 23 partnered with Projecting Grief, a pop up photography exhibition that explores personal stories of loss, healing and creativity. Photo: Tom Martin
To round off the fantastic four day event, renowned actor Christopher Eccleston was interviewed by Lisa Holdsworth in a discussion titled 'Arts and Culture – For The Many; Or The Few?'. Eccleston gave a personal insight into how the working class have a disadvantage when it comes to approaching the arts, and the struggles faced by disadvantaged youth starting out their careers in performing. Stating during the chat that it was his job to “help working-class children leave behind imposter syndrome”, Eccleston touched on his own journey to fame and the difficulties he encountered along the way. Photo: Paul Whiteley