Capital of Culture Bid Officially Gets Underway
The steering group in charge of the city's bid to be named European Capital of Culture 2023 has been revealed.
The 14 people came together for the very first time in Seacroft today.
The panel - appointed following a city-wide call to action which saw hundreds of people apply for places - will now be responsible for deciding how to showcase the very best of Leeds.
The group is made up of representatives from the the local arts, culture, business, education and political sectors, and will be chaired by Sharon Watson, artistic director of the Phoenix Dance Theatre.
- “I know Leeds has what it takes, and I think that's the confidence that we've demonstrated today in the meeting," *she says.
"We know that the city has the desire, the passion and the vision to make it happen.
"What we haven't done for a long time is really showcase what we have. People get on and do it. That's the Northern grit about how we are and how we operate. But actually in terms of showing and making it visible to the wider world, it really is ready for that, and we have a lot to share.
“It’s our intention to ensure this is a bid that belongs to the people of Leeds and which properly communicates how vibrant and diverse our different communities and cultural institutions are."
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, is also part of the steering group.
She said: “It’s inspiring to see the steering group come together for the first time and it brings home just how rich and varied our city’s cultural offering really is.
“Our key ambition is for the bid to be truly inclusive, focusing on the people living in our communities so they genuinely feel it represents everything they love about their city.
“Only by capturing that pride and community spirit that can we ensure that the picture of Leeds we paint for the judges reflects what makes the city such a fantastic place to live, work and visit.”
The group will now work to agree the vision, focus and themes of the bid before it is submitted to the judging panel in December 2017.
Subgroups will focus on separate areas including marketing, finance, European partnerships and community engagement.
The council’s executive board formally announced Leeds’s intention to bid for European Capital of Culture 2023 in March.
Following the appointment of the steering group, an expression of interest must now be drawn up and submitted near the end of 2016, with a final bid submitted by December 2017.