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To lead leaders and ask them to trust you is not an easy task, but one I’m glad we took on. |
Leeds 5, a group of five very different women who lead creative organisations in Leeds and the surrounding areas. They came together to challenge the pace of change and do things differently when it comes to race, gender, class, and marginalisation within the creative industries as it currently stands. They chose to start the conversation creatively and commissioned Vanitas Arts, a story production company, to capture a moment in time. This was realised through the production of a short film that highlighted, through a female lens, a commitment to placing Black and Brown, Female and Working Class experiences at the centre of the story.
To lead leaders and ask them to trust you is not an easy task but one I’m glad we took on.
Vanitas Arts put our hats in the ring, as it were and proposed our approach to capturing an important moment creatively through film, with and for Leeds 5 . Our Digital Storytelling Company that works in both live work and screen productions won the opportunity to make the film and from our perspective using a female lens and point of view to do it.
As a member of Leeds 5 I had to both serve myself and remove myself objectively to make the work.
We asked questions of Leeds 5 to ensure the film served a purpose and not just ourselves, this was very important to Leeds 5 throughout the process. As a female led team for both Vanitas Arts and Leeds 5, we were harder on ourselves than those we work with!
We’ve all heard so many times before, ‘we have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition.'
We wanted it right.
Each leader within Leeds 5 works tirelessly within their organisations, they had little time to consider and focus on themselves and thought collectively how we were going to say what we needed to say.
Five very different women who share an insight into what it is to lead creative organisations in the UK and from the North of England. Sometimes against the tide of expectations, whilst harnessing the power to continue to rise. We wanted to send a message to join us in thinking differently.
We invited Leeds 5 to each bring an object along to the filming day. If you look closely, you can see how revered each object is…I had the privilege of seeing up close and personal Kathy Williams' first medal won and for a woman who has won countless awards this remains a rightly precious award, that propelled Kathy to encourage others to aim high in all that they do. Kully Thiarai’s life changing encounter with the work of Charles Dickens led her to seek out more and to go on to lead national organisations that tell stories and champion all who tell them. Sharon Watson holds a beautiful hand carved bowl that looks to have been held by her for an eternity. Keranjeet Kaur Virdee shares a record player with a collection of well-loved records which must have been hard to choose from! Whilst I share a globe placed next to a magnifying glass, because despite our present difficulties and maybe because of it I remain fascinated by the world and all the stories it still holds.
It's been a privilege to take a moment with Leeds 5 to pause, reflect, and invite others to push forward differently. A great opportunity taken to be bold, to be brave and to be heard.
I’m giving thanks for that in these times.
Vanitas Arts put our hats in the ring, as it were and proposed our approach to capturing an important moment creatively through film, with and for Leeds 5 . Our Digital Storytelling Company that works in both live work and screen productions won the opportunity to make the film and from our perspective using a female lens and point of view to do it.
As a member of Leeds 5 I had to both serve myself and remove myself objectively to make the work.
We asked questions of Leeds 5 to ensure the film served a purpose and not just ourselves, this was very important to Leeds 5 throughout the process. As a female led team for both Vanitas Arts and Leeds 5, we were harder on ourselves than those we work with!
We’ve all heard so many times before, ‘we have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition.'
We wanted it right.
Each leader within Leeds 5 works tirelessly within their organisations, they had little time to consider and focus on themselves and thought collectively how we were going to say what we needed to say.
Five very different women who share an insight into what it is to lead creative organisations in the UK and from the North of England. Sometimes against the tide of expectations, whilst harnessing the power to continue to rise. We wanted to send a message to join us in thinking differently.
We invited Leeds 5 to each bring an object along to the filming day. If you look closely, you can see how revered each object is…I had the privilege of seeing up close and personal Kathy Williams' first medal won and for a woman who has won countless awards this remains a rightly precious award, that propelled Kathy to encourage others to aim high in all that they do. Kully Thiarai’s life changing encounter with the work of Charles Dickens led her to seek out more and to go on to lead national organisations that tell stories and champion all who tell them. Sharon Watson holds a beautiful hand carved bowl that looks to have been held by her for an eternity. Keranjeet Kaur Virdee shares a record player with a collection of well-loved records which must have been hard to choose from! Whilst I share a globe placed next to a magnifying glass, because despite our present difficulties and maybe because of it I remain fascinated by the world and all the stories it still holds.
It's been a privilege to take a moment with Leeds 5 to pause, reflect, and invite others to push forward differently. A great opportunity taken to be bold, to be brave and to be heard.
I’m giving thanks for that in these times.
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Be Bold Be Brave - Leeds 5
Five Black & Brown Female cultural leaders operating in Leeds in the North of England talk about how art is a tool for social change and must disrupt the usual narratives and systems in place. They encourage all to be bold and to be brave. Kully Thiarai - CEO and Artistic Director : Leeds 2023 Year of Culture - https://leeds2023.co.uk Kathy Williams OLY - CEO and Director : RJC Dance ( Reggae, Jazz, Contemporary Dance) https://www.rjcdance.org.uk Keranjeet Kaur Virdee - CEO and Artistic Director : South Asian Arts ( SAA-UK) https://www.saa-uk.org Sharon Watson MBE - CEO and Principal : Northern School of Contemporary Dance https://www.nscd.ac.uk Amanda Huxtable - Co-Director : Vanitas Arts www.Vanitasarts.co.uk Twitter: @vanitasarts1 Instagram : Vanitas arts |