Recording Myself Doing Yoga In Leeds Certainly Wasn’t A Normal Day At The Office

40 plus blogger Claire Kenny is attending a range of free and paid for events throughout September in partnership with @leeds2023, which tie into her work to help others plug into accessible community activities and celebrate real, everyday moments.

As a Leeds lass, I was thrilled when I was invited by Leeds2023 to take part in a series of events designed to deliver a transformational year of creative experiences and spread the word via my blog, My 40 plus life.

Led by the Leeds Culture Trust and in collaboration with Leeds City Council, LEEDS 2023 offers a unique and significant opportunity for the city and surrounding areas to embrace culture in all its forms, from grassroots neighbourhood festivals to slick theatre productions and installations.

A key headline is ‘opportunity’ – with a strong focus on communities, with the common thread being connecting and benefiting people now and into the future. This is something I’m particularly passionate about; there are many opportunities to avoid isolation and loneliness by plugging into the local community – we just need to make it easier for people to find them. I use my blog to do just that, as well as to help people feel confident enough to participate, particularly if they’re solo.

Take Wellness Wednesday. Recording myself doing a yoga class in the heart of Leeds certainly wasn’t a normal day at the office, but it was a hugely enjoyable one. This fantastic free drop in event aimed to keep Leeds well via yoga, mindfulness and social connection. And it was right at the heart of the city, next to the Black Prince statue. For zero cost, attendees had the company of several experts, including yoga instructor Emily Storr from We are Wellness, who expertly took a group through a free, full length and very enjoyable beginners’ yoga class followed by a powerful mindfulness session. Who’d have thought you could fully zone out amidst the noise and busyness of a city centre!



Nest

Arguably the flagship item on the Leeds2023 roster, Nest was a theatre production performed by over 100 young people at the RSPB Nature Park St Aidan’s. A stunningly beautiful place for walking, running and cycling beloved by locals, plenty of community groups use it for a powerful wellbeing boost. But it's never been used for a theatre show!

The play's theme was climate change and climate migration. Written by Emmerdale’s Emma Nuttall, it's set in the year 2050, so I expected it to be pretty hard-hitting based on our current ham-fisted trajectory of apathy at best and wilful ignorance at worst. But while the themes were depressing, it was also hugely uplifting, with over 100 incredibly passionate young people from the National Youth Theatre performing. I think young voices are drowned out a lot and we tend to lump all young people into the same category, so it was encouraging to see their passion for the cause and for the craft come through clearly in the performance.

After being sold out for the full run, the play has hopefully put this free and stunning resource on the map in a way that it hasn't been before.



There really is an excellent range of free or low-cost events on offer - check out the website for @leeds2023 to see exactly how you can get involved.