Press Release
15/9/08
Cultural and business sector working together to showcase Leeds in Milan
The cultural sector in Leeds is looking for a boost from the city's business community
tomorrow (Tuesday 16 September), as it hosts a private viewing of George Stubbs' renowned
works ‘Whistlejacket & Scrub: Large as Life’, at the Leeds City Art Gallery.
Tomorrow's event – at the new home of the two classical paintings, courtesy of Kevin
Linfoot – is in support of momentum, the fundraising campaign by Northern Ballet
Theatre for a new centre of excellence for dance in central Leeds.
The evening's viewing will also include the local launch of Leeds in Milan – a five-day
festival of commerce and culture, organised by Marketing Leeds, in conjunction with UK Trade and
Investment (UKTI) – which takes place in the Italian city next month.
Leeds in Milan, the first destination in the series of Leeds in… events, gets underway on
Monday 13 October and is designed to showcase Leeds' cultural and business strengths,
featuring seminars, conferences and networking opportunities from business communities across the
city, plus performances from the city's cultural sector.
The week's centrepiece will be ‘Live from Leeds’, a series of performances, by
Leeds-based Northern Ballet Theatre, Opera North and the anateresa project, taking place at
Milan's Triennale Theatre on Thursday 16 October.
Mark Skipper, chief executive of Northern Ballet Theatre, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Marketing Leeds which has shown an impressive
commitment to culture. It recognises the benefits the arts bring to a city, how they
contribute to creating a desirable destination for business and tourism and the role
they play in attracting the very best talent to the region.
“I believe Leeds has a magnificent cultural offer which includes Northern Ballet
Theatre, Opera North, Phoenix Dance Theatre, the art gallery, the museums and the theatres.
I can't think of any city in England other than London that can boast this. Northern
Ballet Theatre will add to this with our new building for dance in central Leeds created in
partnership with Phoenix Dance Theatre, for which we are fundraising at this joint event
with Marketing Leeds.”
Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds, commented:
“We are particularly proud to be working alongside our fantastic cultural sector here
in Leeds. The city's showcasing event in Milan next month will be the first opportunity
that we've had to really demonstrate the significance and strengths of both the cultural
and business sectors, to an international audience.”
Leeds in Milan will be the first in a series of Leeds in… events, designed to showcase
Leeds on an international stage. Next month's event will include a series of events and
delegations led by Leeds Chamber, Leeds City Council, Leeds Financial Services Initiative, Leeds
Legal, Leeds Hoteliers Association, Visit Leeds, Conference Leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds
Metropolitan University, Northern Ballet Theatre, Opera North, the anateresa project and the
city's property sector.
momentum is Northern Ballet Theatre's fundraising campaign for a new building in
central Leeds in partnership with Phoenix Dance Theatre. The purpose-built dance centre will
bring together the UK's leading classical and contemporary dance theatre companies. It will
allow them to develop their work, expand their reach and deliver a range of benefits to existing
and new audiences. Through the momentum campaign Northern Ballet Theatre will raise the
remaining £1.5million of the £12million building.
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
15 September 2008
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Leeds In Milan is a five day festival of commerce and culture, showcasing
Leeds' business, cultural and educational strengths.
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Organised by Marketing Leeds and supported by the British Consulate in Milan, the British
Chamber for Commerce in Italy and UK Trade and Investment, the event is a series of seminars,
conferences, networking activities and cultural performances which will take place in Milan,
13 – 17 October 2008.
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This is the first Leeds In… event, which will include contributions from Leeds City
Council, Leeds Chamber, Leeds Legal, Leeds Financial Services Initiative, Leeds Hoteliers
Association, Visit Leeds, Conference Leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University,
Northern Ballet Theatre, Opera North, the anateresa project and the city's property sector.
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For more information about Leeds in Milan, please contact Rachel Hadfield
[Rachel.hadfield@marketingleeds.com]
or Michay Matthews [michay.matthews@marketingleeds.com]
at Marketing Leeds on 0113 214 5203.
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For more information about momentum, please contact Laraine Penson
[Laraine.penson@northernballettheatre.co.uk]
on 0113 274 5355.