Gillian discusses regional, national and international working practices with playwrite, poet, and screenwriter Zodwa Nyoni, and the Director of Programmes for Leeds 2023 Emma Beverley.

Wise Women Conversations is a commission for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture and supported by Leeds Beckett University, School of Arts.

Concept and Production, Gillian Dyson

Production Assistant, Rheanna Atkinson

Editor, Kit Watson 

Additional audio content, Paddy Mackenzie 

Photography, Lizzie Coombes 

Graphic Design, Megan Shirt

© G Dyson 2023

Cultural Producer Sue Ball, and Structural Engineer Hannah Keighley talk with Gillian about their experiences of working in public art and public realm.

Wise Women Conversations is a commission for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture and supported by Leeds Beckett University, School of Arts.

Concept and Production, Gillian Dyson

Production Assistant, Rheanna Atkinson

Editor, Kit Watson 

Additional audio content, Paddy Mackenzie 

Photography, Lizzie Coombes 

Graphic Design, Megan Shirt

© G Dyson 2023

Gillian chats with Abeer Muhktar about her experience as a Leeds ’23 Neighbourhood Host for Headingley & Hyde Park.

Wise Women Conversations is a commission for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture and supported by Leeds Beckett University, School of Arts.

Concept and Production, Gillian Dyson

Production Assistant, Rheanna Atkinson

Editor, Kit Watson 

Additional audio content, Paddy Mackenzie 

Photography, Lizzie Coombes 

Graphic Design, Megan Shirt

© G Dyson 2023

Gillian meets Kerry Harker - Founder of East Leeds Project, and Jess Sweet -Artistic Director for CLAY Centre for Live art Yorkshire to discuss artist-led and socially engaged practices.

Wise Women Conversations is a commission for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture and supported by Leeds Beckett University, School of Arts.

Concept and Production, Gillian Dyson

Production Assistant, Rheanna Atkinson

Editor, Kit Watson 

Additional audio content, Paddy Mackenzie 

Photography, Lizzie Coombes 

Graphic Design, Megan Shirt

© G Dyson 2023

The Wise Women Conversations are a series of discussions between artist and academic Dr Gillian Dyson, and women involved in some way with the Leeds 2023 Year of Culture programme: artists, curators, programme managers or community leaders.

The recordings were made with some live listeners, in the Leeds ‘23 Hub in Trinity shopping mall, September 2023.

The conversations followed a thread of discussion wherever it might take us. The result is a series of candid exchanges from women with strong ideas, experience, and knowledge to share.

Wise Women Conversations is a commission for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture and supported by Leeds Beckett University, School of Arts.

Concept and Production, Gillian Dyson

Production Assistant, Rheanna Atkinson

Editor, Kit Watson 

Additional audio content, Paddy Mackenzie 

Photography, Lizzie Coombes 

Graphic Design, Megan Shirt

© G Dyson 2023

Experience the new public artwork Making A Stand in City Square that reawakens history and captures the magic of the Forest of Leodis, with a audio description recorded on site by Vicky Ackroyd of Totally Inclusive People.

Inspired by Leeds' roots as an ancient woodland, world-famous visual artist Michael Pinsky and award-winning environmental architects Studio Bark put sustainability at the heart of this epic piece for LEEDS 2023. 

Take in the architecture and beauty of the sculpture, learn about the stories and materials that brought it to life, or sit back and enjoy inspiring events and performances, including work led by Leeds Beckett students. 

We invite you to come play in the forest in the centre of Leeds.

Earlier this year, LEEDS 2023 helped form a global collaboration between Knaive Theatre and KL Shakespeare Players. The two companies would only ever meet online, but their chemistry resulted in the successful delivery of a major research project. 

This collaboration was explored in a roundtable chat between members of Knaive Theatre & KLSP, chaired brilliantly by Florence Lambert at British Council Malaysia. Listen back to the conversation with this special episode of the LEEDS 2023 Podcast.

We interviewed all 33 Neighbourhood Hosts to find out more about the wards they represent. 

Explore The Gift to read more stories from across the city. 

We interviewed all 33 Neighbourhood Hosts to find out more about the wards they represent. 

Explore The Gift to read more stories from across the city. 

We interviewed all 33 Neighbourhood Hosts to find out more about the wards they represent. 

Explore The Gift to read more stories from across the city.