In the spring and summer of 2024 UNION is hosting a group of Leeds-based artists and community activists in a Participatory Research programme in partnership with the University of Leeds.

My Leeds was a key strand of Leeds 2023 City of Culture Festival. It was delivered by 33 ‘Neighbourhood Hosts’, cultural practitioners each embedded in and representing a ward within Leeds. UNION provided reflective training for the Neighbourhood Hosts alongside the delivery of the programme, and is now involved facilitating a Participatory Research programme with eight of the Hosts, looking at defining the values and the potential legacy of the My Leeds programme.

The My Leeds legacy research is funded by the Centre for Cultural Value at the University of Leeds as part of its  2023-24 Policy and Participatory Research Funding programme and aims to consider the ambition and realities of the My Leeds programme in the context of the development of community cultural development, to consider good practice in the structuring and delivery of the work, and look at lessons to take forward for other city-wide festivals such as Bradford 2025 as well as Leeds City Council’s developing Cultural Compact.

The research programme commenced with a public event hosted by co-researcher Alex de Little on Friday May 10th at stage@leeds: Legacy of My Leeds 2023: What’s Next for Community Cultural Practice?

The research was also featured in the Shared Knowledge is Shared Power Symposium in May, considering Community Engaged Research in Leeds, and we are currently considering the next phase of the research and dissemination.