We wanted to find development partners that would understand our vision for a neighbourhood in the heart of Leeds’ cultural quarter. So, after meeting a few people we found some of the best in the industry who are going to work with us to make SoYo something really exciting. Here they are:
DWG Architects
Award winning creatives designing experiences through resilient architectural landscapes. studiodwg.com/
Reform
Landscape Architects – delivering the public space through understanding the community’s values, needs and aspirations.
Leeds shone this year as Light Night took over town. Dazzling lights in many shapes, forms and sizes across each zone, the city saw thousands take to the streets over two evenings to enjoy the spectacle. Even the drizzle couldn’t keep people away!
Light Night is organised by Leeds City Council, who with the support of various sponsors, operate different light installations across multiple city centre zones and with art installation contributors from all over the world. SOYO Leeds were excited to be a part of it this year – the first time the SOYO Zone took its place on the map.
Kicking off with an illuminated parade down the Headrow, the city was filled with people admiring the awe inspiring multi-arts and light displays. Families were out in force to see the best of the best with crowds congregating in the Station Zone outside Queens Hotel to see ‘Forgotten’, a piece by Create Studio from Belgium, who brought to life a fire breathing dragon, awakened and seeking vengeance from it’s entrapment (so legend has it) – a clever blend of projection and pyrotechnics.
Another highlight was the Millennium Square Zone based ‘CHAOS’, projected onto Civic Hall, created by Hotara Visual Guerrilla from Spain and inspired by University of Leeds research to explore chaos through light, sound and movement.
Moving toward SOYO Zone, the Tom Dale Company from the UK brought their mesmerising work ‘I Infinite’ to the Northern Ballet. This fully immersive piece of part dance and part video installation explored the organic and digital worlds. St Peter’s Place was transformed into a disco dance floor and guests were equipped with LED headphones (and the occasional spandex) for a vibrant silent disco by Buffet, from the UK, followed by an equally illuminating after party hosted by The Wardrobe. The Leeds College of Music outside performance space was home to the ‘Mirror Stage’, a large scale installation by Gillian Hobson from the UK and local restaurant Aagrah cooked up street food wraps and offered a selection of gin cocktails. Over at Leeds Minster, on display was the ‘There but not there’ installation, representing the men of Leeds who went to war but never returned, the #SOYOZone was full of light, good food, music, art and culture.
Light Night Leeds upped the ante this year with close to 60 installations spread across the city centre zones. Plans are in place next year to host the event across three evenings to include even more, so keep your diaries free for 2019.
The Leeds Playhouse is changing. A £15.8m refurb is underway to create a new, modern and easily accessible space for all of us culture lovers to enjoy. To make sure their great work can continue through this hectic (and sometimes very messy!) period , the behind the scenes team, with a little help from SOYO Leeds, have built a fully functioning Pop-Up Theatre from an existing old workshop space, previously unseen by the public.
A talented and dedicated new ensemble company will remain throughout the year for a total of 12 performances through this ‘pop-up season’. This ensemble have already been hitting the headlines following their first production of Jim Cartwright’s gritty and bold ROAD.
Future performances from the ensemble include well loved favourites like festive classic A Christmas Carol, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In spite of all the hoardings and building works that are going on, the pop-up theatre has enabled Leeds Playhouse to remain well and truly open, and continue to dish out great production after great production all season long for the people of Leeds and visiting towns and cities across the UK.
We’ve already been lucky enough to get in there, see the space and their first production. ROAD is a work of art that really has put the ensemble to the test, with each cast member having to take on multiple contrasting roles within the same performance. Gritty, emotional and raw, ROAD explores the lives of the people living on the same unmade road in an unnamed Northern town. Following Scullery who introduces you to diverse mix of personalities, the series of monologues gives a voice – one you have no choice but to listen to from a forgotten and hidden community struggling through austerity Britain. Not one for the reserved but one for the theatre die hards. Find out about all the upcoming productions from Leeds Playhouse below.
SALT 2nd-3rd October Tickets: https://bit.ly/2xkaT7i In order to go forwards we must sometimes travel back first. SALT is part of the Leeds Playhouse Furnace Festival and covers the grief, questions and memories that were retraced from the Transatlantic Slave Triangle trip from the UK to Ghana to Jamaica.
BLACKTHORN 4th-6th October Tickets: https://bit.ly/2K7KpKM As the only two children of their generation born in a North Yorkshire village, the young duo must now face challenging changes as the threat to them being separated grows stronger. Pulling them away from the people and places they love most, this debut from Charley Miles sits as part of the Leeds Playhouse Furnace Festival 2018.
EUROPE 12th October-3rd November Tickets: https://bit.ly/2QLNSm0 A modern classic set at an empty railway station in an unnamed border town at the heart of Europe. Exploring a sense of belonging, and the power of human connection and friendship. This Balkan war set piece approaches the struggles, conflict and despair in this fading town.
PARTITION 6th-10th November Tickets: https://bit.ly/2QtCdaf Hate hangs over their union, on what was meant to be the happiest day of their lives, their wedding day. Ranjit and Saima are suffering, still, 70 years on from the effects of the Partition that led to the creation of Pakistan, that still continues to tear families apart.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL 20th November-13th January Tickets: https://bit.ly/2DboDqi The timeless Dickens classic with a Yorkshire twist. Follow Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve as he is visited by four ghostly sprits in an attempt to make him see the error of his ways and change his approach to Christmas, people and life.
KES 25th January-16th February Tickets: https://bit.ly/2NZqmTG An adaptation of Barry Hines’ much loved story from 1960 which addresses the quality and importance of friendship. Just another kid living with his mother on the estate with his bully of a brother, feeling lonely and list, Billy soon finds hope with unlikely friendship a imperfect but obedient Kestrel.
RANDOM 4th-16th February Tickets:https://bit.ly/2PPUkac Just one random act can change it all. The normal breakfast routine followed by the rush to get out of the house on time then it hits. This ordinary day is not longer. By award-wining playwright screenwriter and director Debbie Tucker Green, see the catastrophe spiral and pile up for this bewildered family.
DINNER 18:55 22nd-23rd February Tickets: https://bit.ly/2poBJqH An exciting new project from the Leeds Playhouse Creative Engagement department. Dinner 18.55 is an intergenerational performance that focusses on spending time together with those who we sometimes let our busy lives keep us from.
HAMLET 1st-30th March Tickets: https://bit.ly/2OLnl6A One of the greatest plays in English Language, this Shakespeare classic is filled with grief, and an avenging promise to pursue. Exploring love, loyalty, madness and betrayal Tessa Parr takes on the role of Hamlet following her highly successful role in Romeo and Juliet.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS 9th-28th April Tickets: https://bit.ly/2O2tvlI The ultimate globetrotters tale. Around the World in 80 days follows Phileas Fogg as he bargains his life fortune that he can get around the world in just 80 days. Accompanied by his valet this funny adaptation follows the mayhem and mystery as he embarks on this ambitious journey.
BE MY BABY 11th May-1st June Tickets: https://bit.ly/2plYZ8A Creating bonds over romance and records, Be my Baby follows pregnant 19 year old Mary as she is taken to a church run maternity home for young and unmarried expecting mothers. Mary befriends Delores, Queen and Norma as together they begin to understand that Mary must fight the Welfare Service if she wants to take her baby home.
EUROPE TICKET GIVEAWAY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
When entering this competition, entrants confirm that they have read and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions and guidelines stated below.
The Promoter of this prize draw is SOYO Leeds.
The Promoter is offering entrants of this promotion a chance to win 2 x tickets to a performance of EUROPE at the Leeds Playhouse Pop Up Theatre on a date agreed between the 29th October and the 3rd November.
To qualify entry for this prize draw, entrants must tag 1+ person in the comments section on the competition post and like it on Facebook, RT (retweet and tag in 1+ person) on Twitter or comment and like on the Instagram competition post.
Entrants must be UK residents. This promotion is not open to any employees of the Promoter or any of their affiliate companies, their families, agents or anyone else connected with this prize draw.
One entry is permitted per person. Late, misdirected, incomplete or illegible, entries will not be accepted.
This promotion is open to entries from 07.00 on 26th October 2018 until 10.00 on 29th October 2018.
There is one prize to be won. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and non-exchangeable and there is no cash alternative offered.
The Promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of greater or equal value. In the event of circumstances outside the promoters reasonable control, the Promoter reserves the right to temporarily or permanently, discontinue or modify this promotion without prior notice.
The winner will be selected from all valid entries received during the promotional period, winner will be selected using a computer process that produces a random result and announced on the 29th October 2018.
The winner will be notified on the day of the draw via Facebook direct message or Twitter direct message to the account from which the entry was made and will be asked to provide their full name, address and relevant contact details. If a winner fails to respond within 24 hours of this notification, a redraw will take place from the remaining valid entries to select a new winner. If any winner declines a prize or fails to respond within the required period, they forfeit any right to the prize.
The prize is to be collected at the Leeds Playhouse Pop-up Theatre Box Office before the show onthe chosen performance date. Winners may be required to submit valid identification before receiving their prize, once selected, the date of performance cannot be changed.
The Promoter does not accept responsibility lost, misdirected or delayed entries. It also does not accept responsibility for software failures, network or computer issues.
The Promoter reserves the right to remove any inappropriate or offensive entries and disqualify any entries if the Promoter, at its sole discretion, believes that there has been an attempt to manipulate or tamper with the operation of the promotion (including, without limitation, by setting up multiple Twitter, Facebook or other social media accounts in order to submit multiple entries).
You agree to be bound by the decisions of the Promoter, which are final in all matters relating to the promotion.
Wind Rush: Movement of the People marks the 70th anniversary of the arrival of SS Empire Windrush. A vibrant, energetic and emotional production, it follows the journey that started in one part of the world and is now here in the UK with us. Fusing music and dance to create an inspiring production that uses a multicultural cast to tell an international story.
The production offers a glimpse of what the first generation of Caribbean immigrants experienced when they came to England 70 years ago, marking the start of the post war immigration boom which was to radically change British society.
“I want to capture both the excitement and the upset of this significant event. Windrush will highlight both the struggles and the good times the Jamaican community experienced during those early years. It is an uplifting dance production but it shines a light on an important era of the history of black people in the UK”. Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance and choreographer of Windrush
The production begins in Jamaica, showing the response to the newspaper adverts for the SS Empire Windrush; busy and excited scenes are contrasted with personal stories – family farewells and people left behind.
Creating unforgettable characters, the dancers take the audience from Jamaica to the UK, celebrating how the Windrush generation began to create their own opportunities, setting up churches, introducing their own music and dance and establishing a ‘black British culture’.
The Windrush: Movement of the People tour dates are: