Leeds Combined Arts

Storytelling Workshops with Saskia Solomons.
2019-10-15 15:00 - 17:00, 2019-10-08 15:00 - 17:00, 2019-10-01 15:00 - 17:00, 2019-09-24 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
Join us for a 5 week session of Storytelling workshops with Saskia Solomons at Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood.
Tuesday Afternoons 2 -4 p.m.
Everyone has a tale to tell, but how do we turn a memory into story? This workshop will provide a warm and welcoming space to explore our personal histories and develop the skills needed to craft our memories into captivating stories. We will work with our imaginations, our senses and our playfulness. Participants will be invited to work with memories of their choice, and will be supported in the intuitive process of deciding which to tell; if you choose to make it so, the crafting of a memory and the telling of it can be a very healing process. Together we will create a safe space to honour our stories and celebrate our experiences, and encourage each participant to work in a way that nourishes them.
Each session will offer a different aspect of the craft of the storyteller: from building characters in your body and voice, to creating images in space, exploring the relationship to the listener(s), and developing moods, landscapes and language. Entrance is £2.00 including refreshments.

Walk to Gallow Hill
2019-10-13 13:00
Walk from Otley Bus Station with Rob.
Join Rob for a 5 mile circular walk from the centre of Otley calling on Gallows Hill. Gallows Hill Nature Reserve occupies a strip of land on the south side of the River Wharfe east of Otley. It is signed to the left off Pool Road, just after the cemetery on the way out of Otley. It consists of areas of trees, scrub and nettle beds with a pond, providing a variety of habitats important to birds, amphibians, butterflies and dragonflies. History of the site, it gets its name from its use as a site of execution as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. During the reign of Henry I (1100-1135) the Archbishop of York had the power to execute thieves caught in the Manor of Otley. The last execution took place in 1614. Much of the area is situated on the old Sewage works sludge beds. Otley Town Council purchased the land from Yorkshire Water Authority in 1987/8. There was considerable investment to remove toxic materials followed by a programme of development including construction of a pond, and tree and hedging planting. On the route back we will cross the Pool Road and walk up a gently sloping farm drive to cross a couple of sheep fields to the route of the old Arthington to Otley Railway line. This will take us to the Cambridge Housing estate and Otley Bus station. We are spoilt for choice for cafes and pubs in Otley and will decide en route. Buses back to Leeds are half hourly.
Rob intends to catch an X84 bus timetabled to leave Leeds at 10.30 am. and will be joining the bus in Headingley around 10.49 and arriving in Otley at 11.14 in good time for a cup of coffee. Please note that due to chaotic works going on in central Leeds the X84/X85 does not start from the bus station. According to the information from Metro the X84 and X85 buses now start their route on Albion Street (opposite St John Centre). The online timetable says that they leave from Stand J3 but last time he was at that bus stop there was a paper notice stating that from 28th September they will start from Stand L1 (a bit further up the road, just beyond the junction with Great George Street). You may have to check both stops. They’re only 100 yards apart.There is one later X84 bus that should get you there just in time, leaving Leeds (Albion Street) at 11.05 and arriving in Otley at 11.52. There is usually ample car parking to be found near the bus station. There are public toilets behind the bus station (30p) or in the Wetherspoons pub, the Bowling Green, which should be open. Please bring suitable walking gear, water and a packed lunch. “Autumn” would seem to be a suitable theme for optional poems/songs/readings.

Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. For any further information please contact Rob on 0113 216 4492.

Gallows Hill Nature Reserve, Otley.

Tour of the Leeds Playhouse.
2019-10-12 14:00 - 16:30
Join us at the Leeds Playhouse for a guided tour of the re-furbished building. There will be 2 time slots 1.00 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. Places are Free but must be pre-booked by e-mailing sibylle@leedscombinedarts.org.uk
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before each tour.
Please Note: This event has now reached maximum capacity.

Theatre Visit: Giulio Cesare: Caesar and Cleopatra in Egypt (Handel), Opera North
2019-10-11 20:00 | The Grand Theatre, Leeds, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NZ
Cleopatra and her brother are vying for the throne when Julius Caesar arrives in Egypt, pursuing an enemy. Seeing the opportunity to tip the balance of power in her favour, Cleopatra seduces Caesar. A dramatic love story with all the colour, passion and epic sweep of a Hollywood blockbuster. Sung in Italian with English titles.

'Light Night'
2019-10-10 20:00 | The Corn Exchange, Call Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7BR, United Kingdom
Join us for a walk around Leeds Centre for Light Night. Light Night is once of UK’s largest annual arts and light festivals, and some of Leeds’s most recognisable indoor and outdoor spaces are transformed by spectacular artworks and captivating performances by local, national and international artists. Free.
Meet 7.00 p.m. Corn Exchange, Leeds.

Previous Light Night Leeds.

'LCA Book Reading Group'
2019-09-30 16:00 - 18:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
We have just commenced reading ‘The Tin God’ by local author Chris Nickson.
Leeds, England. October 1897. Superintendent Harper is proud of his wife Annabelle. She’s one of seven women selected to stand for election as a Poor Law Guardian. But even as the campaign begins, Annabelle and the other female candidates start to receive anonymous letters from someone who believes a woman’s place lies firmly in the home. The threats escalate into outright violence when an explosion rips through the church hall where Annabelle is due to hold a meeting – with fatal consequences. The only piece of evidence Harper has is a scrap of paper left at the scene containing a fragment from an old folk song. But what is its significance? As polling day approaches and the attacks increase in menace and intensity, Harper knows he’s in a race against time to uncover the culprit before more deaths follow. With the lives of his wife and daughter at risk, the political becomes cruelly personal.
All reading takes place in the two-hour slot, including a break. Entrance is £3.00 and includes refreshments. Further details on 0113 269 0356.

Theatre Visit 'The Greek Passion' Martinů Opera North
2019-09-27 20:30 - 23:00 | The Grand Theatre, Leeds, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NZ
When a group of desperate refugees arrives in a small village seeking help and shelter, deep rifts tear the community in two. This unique and powerful opera is not to be missed. Sung in English with English titles. Running time: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. Please note: seats could be high up.

Mind, Body, Spirit Evening, 'Artificial Intelligence: A Personal History' with Mark Tarver.
2019-09-25 20:30 - 22:15 | HEART – Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HN
Wednesday 25th September 7.30 p.m. ‘Artificial Intelligence: A Personal History’ with Mark Tarver, HEART, Headingley LS6 3HN.
AI is now very much in vogue, but did you know that this is the third revival of the subject since it began over sixty years ago? Dr Mark Tarver traces the development of the subject from the beginnings in 1956 to the present day and looks at what the future might bring. Dr Tarver taught AI for ten years at Leeds University and currently heads work in functional programming development. Don’t miss this fascinating talk! Entrance £4.00/£3.50 LCA members and concessions.

'Tolkien Trail' with Poetry and Music
2019-09-22 14:30
The Tolkien Trail 2019 Claire Rae Randall
This celebration of the time Professor JRR Tolkien spent in and around Headingley in the period after the Great War will give the local community the opportunity to explore and discover this aspect of its cultural heritage. The rich depth of historical landscape and features that we pass by daily may have contributed influences to his legendary world of Middle-earth and we can learn to see our environment in new mythic ways. During the walk there are likely to be some musical contributions from local musicians “Shadowfax”, an ad hoc collaboration performing Tolkien’s songs from “The Lord of the Rings” as set to music by Donald Swann in 1967 to complete the immersion in his imaginary world.
Meet at The Library Pub, 229 Woodhouse Lane, LS2 3AP.

Day Trip to Nostell Priory near Wakefield
2019-09-20 11:00
As part of the Heritage Weekends we have organised a trip to Nostell Priory on Doncaster Road, Near Wakefield.
Nostell Priory is a glorious 18th-century country house with interiors by Palladian master architect Robert Adam. The house was built in 1733 to a design by James Paine. Robert Adam was called in to expand and renovate Paine’s work in 1766, and over the next 19 years he created a marvellous neo-classical house. The house takes its name from medieval Nostell Priory, an Augustinian monastery founded in 1114. The monastery was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1540. The monastic site is near the current house, but there is very little to see beyond the 17th-century cow stalls which were converted from monastic outbuildings. Nostell Priory stands 2 stories high, with a centre block of 5 bays. The interiors are mainly by Robert Adam, with furniture designed by Chippendale specifically for the Priory. There is an extensive art collection with paintings by Angelica Kauffman and Breughel, among others. The library is considered one of the best at any National Trust property. Free Entrance. Please meet at 10.00 a.m. at Leeds Central Bus Station.

'Poetry & Arts Evening' with Michael Hildred 'Time and Tide'
2019-09-18 20:30 | HEART – Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HN
Our minds leap to complete the proverb, which instantly gives food for thought about the human condition. Yet how much more potent does the process become when we realise that the saying is attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer in 1395.
This evening gives us the opportunity to explore the theme in all its richness and variety, with a truly Yorkshire flavour.

LCA World Circle Dance Workshops with Emma Lucy Dance
2019-09-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
In these workshops we will learn dances from around the world; from Greece to Bollywood, from lively to meditative, from frivolous to sacred. We will learn about the roots of the dances and try our own feet at the steps. We will probably get it wrong quite a few times – that’s all part of it. We might never get it right – that’s ok. These classes aren’t dance instruction – they’re dance exploration.
I teach these dances as circle dances. There is joy and celebration and fun in learning and dancing together and that energy flows particularly well in a circle. This style of dance is transformative too; in opening our bodies to unfamiliar movements, our ears to unfamiliar music and our minds to unfamiliar philosophies we prove to ourselves and the rest of the circle that we are bolder, more capable and more flexible than we think.
Everyone is welcome to come and join as we explore various dances from across this diverse and beautiful world. Circle dancing is very versatile and adaptable to suit each dancer. The ethos of circle dancing is ‘there are no mistakes, only variations.’ This makes it inclusive and welcoming for people of all ages and abilities. No special footwear or clothing is required. No experience is necessary as the dances are all taught first.
We will meet each week at 2.00 p.m. at Meanwood Institute where some of the dancing will take place, however weather permitting we may also walk to the park for some of the sessions. Please wear comfortable clothing and footwear.
Entrance £3.00 – £2.00 (members & concessions) including refreshments.
See you in the circle!

Workshop schedule:

Week 1
Tuesday 30th July 2019

Week 2
Tuesday 6th August 2019

Week 3
Tuesday 13th August 2019

Week 4
Tuesday 20th August 2019

LCA Summer break

Week 5
Tuesday 10th September 2019

Week 6
Tuesday 17th September 2019

LCA Book Group - New book 'The Tin Good' Chris Nickson
2019-09-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
Leeds, England. October, 1897. Superintendent Harper is proud of his wife Annabelle. She’s one of seven women selected to stand for election as a Poor Law Guardian. But even as the campaign begins, Annabelle and the other female candidates start to receive anonymous letters from someone who believes a woman’s place lies firmly in the home.
The threats escalate into outright violence when an explosion rips through the church hall where Annabelle is due to hold a meeting – with fatal consequences. The only piece of evidence Harper has is a scrap of paper left at the scene containing a fragment from an old folk song. But what is its significance?
As polling day approaches and the attacks increase in menace and intensity, Harper knows he’s in a race against time to uncover the culprit before more deaths follow. With the lives of his wife and daughter at risk, the political becomes cruelly personal …
All reading takes place in two hours slot, including a break.

Visit to Castle Grove Masonic Hall, Headingley.
2019-09-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Castle Grove Masonic Hall, Headingley, Castle Grove, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS6 4PB, United Kingdom
Friday 13th September 12:00 visit to Castle Grove Masonic Hall, Headingley.
Join us for a guided tour of the Masonic Hall in Headingley. Hidden away in the leafy suburb of Headingley, Castle Grove Masonic Hall sits just a few miles north of Leeds City Centre. This Grade II Listed building has stunning architectural features both inside and out. Once you step inside you’ll be blown away. Free tour for LCA members (places must be pre-booked in advance). Contact us to book your place.

OWLS Film - 'The Glenn Miller Story'
2019-09-13 12:00 | HEART – Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HN
11.00 a.m. (Doors Open 10.00 a.m.) Film ‘The Glenn Miller Story’, Shire Oak Hall. HEART, Headingley.
Join us with OWL’s at HEART for a special screening of ‘The Glenn Miller Story’, he film follows big band leader Glenn Miller (1904–1944) (James Stewart) from his early days in the music business in 1929 through to his 1944 death when the airplane he was flying in was lost over the English Channel during World War II. Prominent placement in the film is given to Miller’s courtship and marriage to Helen Burger (June Allyson) and various cameos by actual musicians who were colleagues of Miller.
Several turning points in Miller’s career are depicted with varying degrees of verisimilitude, including: the success of an early jazz band arrangement; his departure from the Broadway pit and sideman work to front a band of his own; the failure of his first band on the road; and the subsequent re-forming of his successful big band and the establishment of the “Miller Sound” as typified by ’Moonlight Serenade’. Also depicted is Miller’s international success touring his band in support of the Allies in World War II. FREE!. Tea & Cakes are available at very low cost provided by OWL’s and there will be an interval half way through the film.
This screening has been designed to be inclusive to those living with dementia, as well as family members and carers.
Memory Matinees screening are rooted in the idea that a trip to the cinema is a powerful way for people to reconnect with memories. Everyone is welcome to attend these events and tickets are free. Hot drinks are just 70p.

Theatre Visit - 'Call Me Dusty'
2019-09-12 20:15 - 23:00 | Carriageworks Theatre, Millennium Square, Leeds, Carriageworks, Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Without doubt the finest white soul singer of her era, Dusty Springfield is the definitive ‘Pop Diva’. Her lifestyle was the stuff of legend, and great drama. With her quest for perfection and refusal to compromise, Dusty led a tormented life. Her stage persona was at odds with the shy convent girl she once was and her sexuality. The result: a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, abuse and self-harm, yet, she produced tremendous music which still ranks as some of the finest of its kind. Please note: This is a drama not a musical; however the play does include some music.
This production has now sold out.

LCA World Circle Dance Workshops with Emma Lucy Dance
2019-09-10 15:00 - 17:00, 2019-08-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
In these workshops we will learn dances from around the world; from Greece to Bollywood, from lively to meditative, from frivolous to sacred. We will learn about the roots of the dances and try our own feet at the steps. We will probably get it wrong quite a few times – that’s all part of it. We might never get it right – that’s ok. These classes aren’t dance instruction – they’re dance exploration.
I teach these dances as circle dances. There is joy and celebration and fun in learning and dancing together and that energy flows particularly well in a circle. This style of dance is transformative too; in opening our bodies to unfamiliar movements, our ears to unfamiliar music and our minds to unfamiliar philosophies we prove to ourselves and the rest of the circle that we are bolder, more capable and more flexible than we think.
Everyone is welcome to come and join as we explore various dances from across this diverse and beautiful world. Circle dancing is very versatile and adaptable to suit each dancer. The ethos of circle dancing is ‘there are no mistakes, only variations.’ This makes it inclusive and welcoming for people of all ages and abilities. No special footwear or clothing is required. No experience is necessary as the dances are all taught first.
We will meet each week at 2.00 p.m. at Meanwood Institute where some of the dancing will take place, however weather permitting we may also walk to the park for some of the sessions. Please wear comfortable clothing and footwear.
Entrance £3.00/£2.00 (members & concessions) including refreshments.
See you in the circle!

Workshop schedule:

Week 1
Tuesday 30th July 2019

Week 2
Tuesday 6th August 2019

Week 3
Tuesday 13th August 2019

Week 4
Tuesday 20th August 2019

LCA Summer break

Week 5
Tuesday 10th September 2019

Week 6
Tuesday 17th September 2019

LCA Theatre Visit 'The Provoked Wife'
2019-08-31 14:30 | The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Provoked Wife is a comedy, but Elizabeth Barry who played the abused wife was especially famous as a tragic actress, and for her power of “moving the passions”, i.e., moving an audience to pity and tears. Barry and the younger Bracegirdle had often worked together as a tragic/comic heroine pair to bring audiences the typically tragic/comic rollercoaster experience of Restoration plays. Vanbrugh takes advantage of this scheme and these actresses to deepen audience sympathy for the unhappily married Lady Brute, even as she fires off her witty ripostes. In the intimate conversational dialogue between Lady Brute and her niece Bellinda (Bracegirdle), and especially in the star part of Sir John Brute the brutish husband (Betterton). The premise of the plot, that a wife trapped in an abusive marriage might consider either leaving it or taking a lover, outraged some sections of Restoration society. Lady Brutt is tired of her tedious, loveless marriage, and her tedious drunk husband. When she decides to spice up her live life with a younger man scandal threatens to ruin her.

LCA Weekend Away - Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon
2019-08-30 12:00 - 2019-09-01 18:00
Cultural weekend in Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon with a visit to the Swan Theatre to see the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company on Saturday. You can see more about the Play under ‘Theatre Visits’. If you would like an information sheet on this weekend with more details and cost please e-mail sibylle@leedscombinedarts.org.uk

'Arts Together' launch event
2019-08-29 17:00 - 20:00 | The Holbeck (Slung Low’s venue), Jenkinson Lawn, Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 9QX
Arts Together is a new 3-year citywide project which enables arts and community organisations to work together to make sure that people with barriers can engage with a wide range of arts events in Leeds and beyond.
The launch will be an opportunity to eat, drink, be merry, watch films and performances, get creative, take part in workshops, have your say, meet people from local arts and community organisations and, of course, find out more about Arts Together and about what is planned in the coming months!
There will be contributions from many of the 57 Arts Together Partners including Leeds Irish Health and Homes, Little London Arts, Northern Ballet, Opera North, Slung Low and Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah amongst others.

LCA ANNUAL HOLIDAY
2019-08-23 - 2019-09-09

LCA Day Trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Centre
2019-08-19 10:00
Join us for this day out at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to the charity, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation. The Foundation was created in 2013 to be a dynamic catalyst for inspiring people to support conservation and welfare. In 2010 Yorkshire Wildlife Park rescued 13 lions from a rundown zoo in Romania by launching Lion Rescue. YWPF aims to make a big difference, a little bit at a time. Since their humble beginnings they have gone on to work with various charities and conservation projects throughout the world to save habitats and project species, improve welfare, encourage sustainable behaviours and educate tomorrow’s wildlife experts. Their vision is to create a better world for wild animals by creating dynamic communities who promote, conserve and sustain the world’s biodiversity and improve animal welfare.” Price £25.00 including all travel from Leeds and entrance into the Wildlife Park, (Usual price £28.00). For any further information and book, please email Sibylle sibylle@leedscombinedarts.org.uk

LCA World Circle Dance Workshops with Emma Lucy Dance (Greek dance-this week)
2019-08-13 - 2019-08-14 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom

Walk around Berwick in Elmet with Rob
2019-08-11 12:30
A 5 mile circular from Barwick in Elmet. Meet at the huge historic Maypole in the centre of the village – you can’t miss it. Parking can be found in nearby streets. There are remains of an ancient hill-fort yards from the Maypole if you arrive early. However there are no toilets in the centre of the village until the pubs open at 12 noon.
We’ll set off soon after 11.30 for a varied, interesting and mostly easy-going walk through open countryside, along the track of the former railway line from Leeds to Wetherby and through gorgeous woodland (Saw Wood). There are a couple of gentle slopes and in places the path may be muddy – especially if it has rained heavily in early August (as usual!) Bring suitable clothing and footwear, water and a packed lunch for a woodland picnic stop, with perhaps an opportunity to sing or read a favourite poem (choose your own theme).
Buses are hourly from Leeds on Sundays. Rob aims to catch the Number 64 bus at 10.55 from Infirmary Street, which passes by the Corn Exchange and through Cross Gates. The bus should arrive in Barwick at 11.29, so do not be alarmed if the walk leader is not there yet at 11.30. All being well I will be on my way. There are 3 pubs in Barwick. The largest is the Gascoigne, which has cold and hot drinks and serves lunches on Sundays. Buses return to Leeds at 51 minutes past the hour. For more details contact: Rob 0113 216 4492

LCA World Circle Dance Workshops with Emma Lucy Dance
2019-08-06 15:00 - 17:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
This weeks World Circle dance will include the Bosnian ‘Kolo’ dance. This traditional folk dance in different variations is extremely popular across the Balkans.
In these workshops we will learn dances from around the world; from Greece to Bollywood, from lively to meditative, from frivolous to sacred. We will learn about the roots of the dances and try our own feet at the steps. We will probably get it wrong quite a few times – that’s all part of it. We might never get it right – that’s ok. These classes aren’t dance instruction – they’re dance exploration.
I teach these dances as circle dances. There is joy and celebration and fun in learning and dancing together and that energy flows particularly well in a circle. This style of dance is transformative too; in opening our bodies to unfamiliar movements, our ears to unfamiliar music and our minds to unfamiliar philosophies we prove to ourselves and the rest of the circle that we are bolder, more capable and more flexible than we think.
Everyone is welcome to come and join as we explore various dances from across this diverse and beautiful world. Circle dancing is very versatile and adaptable to suit each dancer. The ethos of circle dancing is ‘there are no mistakes, only variations.’ This makes it inclusive and welcoming for people of all ages and abilities. No special footwear or clothing is required. No experience is necessary as the dances are all taught first.
We will meet each week at 2.00 p.m. at Meanwood Institute where some of the dancing will take place, however weather permitting we may also walk to the park for some of the sessions. Please wear comfortable clothing and footwear.
Entrance £3.00/2.00 (members & concessions) including refreshments.
See you in the circle!

Workshop schedule:

Week 1
Tuesday 30th July 2019

Week 2
Tuesday 6th August 2019

Week 3
Tuesday 13th August 2019

Week 4
Tuesday 20th August 2019

LCA Summer break

Week 5
Tuesday 10th September 2019

Week 6
Tuesday 17th September 2019

LCA Book Reading Group.
2019-08-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Meanwood Institute, Green Road, Meanwood, LS6 4LD, United Kingdom
We continue reading our current book ‘The Best of Sisters’ by Dilly Court this Monday 22nd July 3 – 5 p.m. at Meanwood Institute. Entrance is £3.00 which includes afternoon tea. All who wish are welcome to read or just sit and listen as preferred. For further details on the book please see the description on our calendar dated 11th March. This will be the final meeting for this season. We will re-commence on Monday 16th September with a new book. Please check our calendar for further details on this.
