Bruntwood Announced as Headline Sponsor for LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture

Bruntwood, a leading commercial property developer, has been named a headline sponsor of LEEDS 2023 as the city prepares to let culture loose with its unprecedented Year of Culture.

As one of the city’s leading champions of arts and culture, and investors in flexible workspace, life sciences and technology, Bruntwood will play an important role in putting Leeds on the global stage throughout the year-long celebration of cultural activity. 

Led by Leeds Culture Trust (LCT) and in collaboration with Leeds City Council, LEEDS 2023 will showcase the spirit of the city, upskill young people and create new jobs. 

It will also provide opportunities for Leeds’ residents and visitors to play, celebrate and express their creativity.

Bruntwood will join other partner organisations, including Leeds City Council, Channel 4 and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, bringing the total investment for the programme to almost £17million. 

Work from the city's artists and cultural organisations, alongside contributions from all 33 Leeds wards, will form part of the LEEDS 2023 programme. Hundreds of events and activities will take place across all 33 wards of the city, many of them developed in partnership with local, national and international partners, punctuated through the year by twelve major signature projects.

The partnership will support Bruntwood’s ambitions to strengthen Leeds’ position as a cultural and business destination, by unlocking opportunities for engagement and learning, showcasing cultural transformation and creating a meaningful legacy for the city.

As part of the partnership, Bruntwood will sponsor the opening event, 'The Awakening', which will celebrate Leeds’ cultural past, present and future. Audiences are invited to create an artwork to enter a ballot for a chance to win free tickets to the event, which will take place at Headingley Stadium on 7th January 2023.

The partnership forms part of Bruntwood’s ongoing investment in Leeds. The firm recently launched its vision for West Village Leeds, a unique and wellbeing-focused destination, after planning permission for the aspirational development was secured in May. 

Nicola McGee, Marketing Director at Bruntwoodsaid: “2023 will be a pivotal year for Leeds. We’re proud to be spearheading this important celebration of the unique entertainment, art and music the city has to offer, and putting Yorkshire on the global map as an exciting and culturally rich destination. 

“Arts and creativity play a critical role in enriching our cities and helping them to thrive, which is why we’re dedicated to creating culturally vibrant spaces, and helping to empower people by giving them outlets for expression and tangible ways to shape their city. Our partnership is the latest milestone as we strengthen our commitment to investing in Leeds, and follows the launch of our plans for our first Pioneer development at West Village Leeds. We look forward to an extraordinary year ahead.”  

Kully Thiarai, Creative Director and CEO of LEEDS 2023 said: “We are excited to welcome Bruntwood as a major partner for LEEDS 2023 and we’re thankful for their support of our unmissable opening event. ‘The Awakening’ will kickstart the year with a bang, in a joyful celebration of Leeds’ past, present and future, showcasing the artistic talent, creativity and brilliance in all the people and homes of Leeds. It is thanks to enlightened businesses such as Bruntwood that we can achieve our ambition for an inclusive, collaborative, truly transformational year of culture for all Leeds people.”

Find out more about LEEDS 2023 here.