#LIFI24 Celebrates its Strongest Success Yet

After four days of incredibly powerful panel talks and fireside chats, Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2024 (LIFI24) came to a close on Saturday. Bringing together world-class speakers, academics, and creatives, the festival cemented its place as one of the UK’s leading platforms for innovative ideas and collaborative discussion. Held at Leeds Playhouse from the 2nd-5th October, LIFI24 proved to be the strongest yet, with 5,500 people coming to the city to learn from the inspiring speakers and talks.

The festival brought together a diverse group of extraordinary speakers to delve into stimulating conversation and thought-provoking topics, hosting stars like Nile Rodgers, Carol Vorderman, Tim Spector OBE, Kate Garraway, Kate Adie, Goldie, Rylan, Grace Beverley, Christine McGuinness, and many more. With 36 speakers across 10 events, the atmosphere on the 2 stages of Leeds Playhouse was electric.

Speaking about the festival, many of the speakers shared their thoughts;

Wednesday

The festival began with a sensational talk from music legend Nile Rodgers and host BEKA, setting the tone of the week with their captivating conversation around the evolution of creativity, and sharing the inspiration behind many of Nile’s most iconic songs. In vulnerable and open dialogue, he shared the role his upbringing played in his journey to success, and that despite the enormous transformations the music industry has undergone in recent years, he still does music the way he has always done it which he regards as “a gift”. Together, Nile and BEKA charmed the audience with their vibrant chemistry, and attendees were also able to witness the Grammy-winning guitarist at work, showcasing his skill with his guitar on stage.

On the same night, Matt Willis and others joined esteemed author and journalist Lauren Windle in a powerfully vulnerable discussion surrounding the stigma, stereotypes, and challenges of addiction. The panel spoke honestly about the challenges and stigmas around the topic of addiction, and Matt – best known as a member of the musical group Busted – opened up about his own personal experiences, saying “I don’t think you can let go of recovery, addiction is always going to be there.” Under Lauren’s guidance, the panel engaged in a thoughtful and layered discussion about the journey toward acceptance, emphasising the vital roles that support and education play in overcoming challenges, and ultimately exploring the path to recovery.

Thursday

Thursday saw three events take place, starting with Grace Beverley’s one-to-one talk with Daniella Draper about the landscape of entrepreneurship and the creator economy. Sharing her journey, Grace shared with the audience the story of her own business TALA, which is driven by empowerment and inclusivity. Focusing on problem-solving for women, Grace openly spoke about her opposition to fast fashion, and her aim to build a business that focuses on representation. Captivated attendees were shocked to learn that UK female founders receive only 2% of total capital venture funding, highlighting both the success and importance of Grace’s business values. 

Later on, Leeds Playhouse saw Tim Spector OBE and Dr Amir Khan headline the night with their compelling discussion about food and health. Tim shared his expert knowledge on the importance of proper nutrition, busting myths about foods we regard as “healthy” like brown bread and orange juice, saying “the most important choice we make everyday for our future health is what we eat.” Alongside this, Georgie Barrat hosted a fascinating panel discussion about the future of AI and its accelerating innovation. Adrienne Williams, a researcher at the Distributed AI Research Institute, highlighted the importance of morality in the conversation, sharing that “if we don’t start with an ethical mindset, it follows into the AI”.

Friday

The festival continued with a thought-provoking Friday, with Carol Vorderman headlining the night alongside Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor), discussing the archaic and outdated portrayals of women in the media and the harmful labels that continue to follow women in and outside of the public eye. Their humorous yet impactful conversation charmed the audience, with Carol saying “Everything about me was filtered through a newspaper editor, and it seemed like their aim was to make women hate other women,” when sharing her personal experiences with sexism. Together they confronted the stereotypes, and the question-and-answer portion of the talk also saw members of the audience openly sharing their own experiences in the trusting atmosphere.

In the same evening, host Pandora Sykes led a panel discussion with Rylan and others talking about the impacts of reality TV. The profound yet witty discussion explored the controversies often surrounding reality TV shows, and opened up about criticism several of the panellists have faced since appearing on our screens. “I thought I was mentally robust, but it was so crazy watching criticisms of me on a mass scale and it was hard to process,” said Jazz Boatswain, a former contestant on the second series of BBC hit show The Traitors. Sharing his own journey, Rylan said he played up to the stereotype he was given, saying “I grew up in the early noughties with reality TV and I always knew that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

Saturday

LIFI24 concluded with three stirring events on Saturday, beginning with an eye-opening discussion about neurodiversity. The panel opened up new perspectives and busted common myths surrounding the realities of neurodiversity, with Christine McGuinness, model and media personality, saying “neurodiversity is becoming more understood; there is still a lot of work to do so we need to keep advocating for this to make the biggest change for future generations.” The panel also shared practical advice on what society can do to become more inclusive, with Tumi Sotire arguing that “schools can become more inclusive through universal design – treating students differently because of their neurodivergence can be harmful.” 

Later in the evening, two events took place to round-off the fantastic four day event. Award-winning journalist Kate Adie and Ramita Navai talked about conflict and war-zone reporting in an incredibly impactful and thought-provoking fireside chat. Reminiscing on her time as a journalist, Kate Adie shared her experiences of fear and violence as a female danger-zone reporter. Discussing the changing landscapes of war reporting, Kate said “Reporters are now under immense pressure. The internet is straining reporters’ abilities. There are straight lies and propaganda that reporters have to sift through. The only way to see through this is to be there first-hand.” Alongside this talk, Kate Garraway led a poignant panel discussion with Goldie and others, talking about the realities of the UK’s care system and what needs to change. Learning that unpaid care-workers outnumber paid care-workers 3 to 1, the audience were captivated by the speakers’ revelations. Goldie shared his own experience of the care system, saying “Seeing this country from a distance, I’m distraught by it.” In the spirit of LIFI’s thought-provoking and meaningful perspectives, the panel left the audience with the question of “Where do we put love in our politics?”

With a star-studded lineup and a powerful array of topics, LIFI24 proved to be the strongest yet, stunning audiences with four days of thought-provoking discussions, connection, lively debates, and curiosity. The festival has brought together influential speakers to offer audiences their innovative perspectives, and it has once again left its impressive mark on the city of Leeds. 

Visit Leeds International Festival website for more information.