Events Programme
Esther’s Revenge
An immersive true story theatre performance where you are the jury…
Wednesday 18th June, 6.30pm, Leeds Minster, Kirkgate LS2 7DJ
Written and directed by Kenneth Uphopho
Get ready for a gripping theatrical experience as Esther’s Revenge takes the stage at Leeds Minster as part of the third edition of the Leeds International African Arts Festival LIAAF 2025!
This intense drama performed by Bola Atitebi tells the story of Esther, a woman driven by a quest for justice and truth against the systems that have wronged her. Esther had loaned money to her lover Mark who in turn marries his British lover. In the ensuing confrontation Esther killed him. As the plot unfolds, secrets are revealed, and the lines between truth and deception are blurred.
With its unique blend of African storytelling and theatrical physicality, Esther’s Revenge is a must-see for fans of gripping drama and social commentary.
6.00pm Doors open and bar available
6.30pm Performance begins
7.30pm Light Food available
8.00pm Q & A
Learning from Esther’s Revenge
A day of creativity and dialogye with Leeds Church Institute
Thursday 19th June, 11am-2pm, Leeds Minster, Kirkgate LS2 7DJ
Learn what it takes to bring a story like Esther’s to life, and reflect on how the story mirrors the Book of Esther in the Hebrew scriptures, exploring the performance through the lens of this stunning venue.
Everyone is welcome to join us for all or part of the day. If you haven’t seen the performance you’re still welcome to attend.
11am Meet the Writer
Meet Kenneth Uphopho and hear more about hte process of creating Esther’s revenge
12pm Lunch provided free of charge
1pm The Book of Esther
Explore links between the performance and the biblical story from an interfaith perspective
Our City, Our Lives, Our Stories
The first anthology of writing about life in Leeds written entirely by writers of African descent.
Thursday 19th June, 6pm-8pm, Compton Road Library, Harehills Lane, LS9 7BG
Join Leeds International African Arts Festival and Leeds Lit Fest for a celebration of a city and its people.
With a Pan-African outlook, this anthology includes narratives from people born in Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, and Zimbabwe, as well as those born, raised or living in Yorkshire of African diasporic descent. From St. Kitts to Chapeltown, Guinea-Bissau to Alwoodley, the stories within reflect a diverse range of perspectives about what makes Leeds unique.
Join the Leeds African Diaspora Writers in peeling back the layers of multicutural Leeds, and take a bite!
Featuring Nana-Essi Casely-Hayford, Suely Correia, Dr Babatunde A. Gbolade, Adam Lowe, Lalinca Lunga, Jeniffer Makau, Sai Murray, Ndidi V. Nkwopara, Taiwo Ogunyinka and Joe Williams. Compiled by Ndidi V. Nkwopara. Edited and designed by Adam Lowe. Foreword by Kadija Sesay.
Responding to Questions Against Racism
Ask the questions you’ve always wanted to about faith and racial justice, and have the hard, ongoing conversations we need for real change
Monday 29th September, 6pm-9pm, Community Wellbeing Hub, Reginald Terrace, LS7 3EZ
How can we work towards racial justice in our churches?
Join Leeds Church Institute and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland for an evening of community and conversation.
Our panel of church leaders will discuss the questions you asked at our Churches Against Racism event in 2024 about how denominations are taking action for racial justice, and the barriers to ecumenical cooperation.
We will engage with the questions Christians are asking in Leeds, to proactively seek racial justice in the Church.
Hear real responses from people at the forefront of responding to the urgent challenges facing the churches today.
Interculturalism, Faith, and Racial Justice
Learning to help our City thrive
Monday 6th October, 6pm-9pm, Community Wellbeing Hub, Reginald Terrace, LS7 3EZ
How can we work towards racial justice in our churches?
Leeds is a wonderfully diverse city, with a range of cultures and ethnicities making up our faith communities.
How can we celebrate this diversity well, and actively engage with people of cultures that are different to our own?
In this evening with Leeds Church Institute and Leeds Trinity University, you will learn how interculturalism, with its emphasis on understanding and interaction between people of different ethnicities, cultures and traditions, can help challenge racism and discrimination in our city.
The event will look at how interculturalism, faith and racial justice can help churches and local communities thrive.
Refreshments will be provided.
The Hook Lecture 2025
Prophet or Provider?
Tuesday 21st October, 7pm, Leeds Minster, Kirkgate, LS2 7DJ
Churches are increasingly being called upon to meet the urgent needs in our communities. But how do we balance this important work with the Christian call to be a prophetic voice for change?
Are handouts really the answer? How do we find time while pulling people out of the river, to go upstream and find out who is pushing them in?
For this year’s Hook Lecture, we welcome Jon Kuhrt to Leeds to explore our theme: is the church called to be ‘Prophet’ or ‘Provider’?
Jon Kuhrt is the Chief Executive of Hope into Action, a national Christian charity partnering with churches to provide homes for people who have been homeless.