Mathieu Kassovitz’s explosive 1995 classic La haine was something bracingly new for French cinema, showing a different side of Paris, the ‘banlieue’ in the concrete suburbs in a fraught 24 hours after the police shooting of a young Arab man. Three friends, Arab, Jew and Black, wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. Featuring dizzyingly effective black and white cinematography and a vibrant hip hop soundtrack that will come alive on the big screen in Millennium Square.

The first large-scale, open-air comedy festival to happen in Leeds, The Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival is a 4,500 capacity event bringing an array of the county’s very best and brightest comics to a truly unique Yorkshire venue.

The Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival boasts a line up that includes award-winning Canadian comedian and presenter Katherine Ryan (8 Out of 10 Cats, Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo) and surrealist stand up legend Ross Noble (Have I Got News For You, BBC Radio 4’s Just A Minute).

Join us at Cinema on the Square for this special outdoor Singalong version of the enchanting Disney animation, with an irresistible chart-topping soundtrack from Lin Manual Miranda. In the mystical mountains of Colombia lies the extraordinary Madrigal family, each blessed with a unique gift by the magic of the Encanto—every child except Mirabel. Despite being the sole family member without magical powers, Mirabel's life takes a pivotal turn when she discovers that the very magic safeguarding the Encanto is under threat.

Best known for their chart-topping hits like "Our House," "Baggy Trousers," and "One Step Beyond," Madness continues to reign as one of the most beloved and influential bands in British music history. With an incredible career spanning several decades, their music resonates across generations, and having recently released their number 1 selling, self-produced thirteenth album ‘Theatre of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie’ which has been greeted with an abundance of positive reviews, Madness prove to still be on top of their game in creating timeless, catchy hits.

Don’t miss the chance to see a 10th anniversary screening of Céline Sciamma’s powerful coming-of-age drama Girlhood, on the huge open-air screen on Millennium Square. The film follows Marieme (played brilliantly by Karidja Touré), a young girl navigating the challenges of adolescence in a tough Paris suburb. As she joins a gang of free-spirited girls, Marieme slowly comes out of her shell and experiences moments of shared joy and freedom.

Join professional writer and teacher Chris and explore the world of memoir writing.

A memoir is a narraive written from your perspective, which can be about an important aspect of your life. As well as being an empowering personal journey, writing a memoir can help you share priceless life experiences so that they can inspire others.

In the session you will be looking at where to start and how to structure your memoir.

Chris will be on hand to offer expert writing tips and will guide you through the process of memoir writing.

Step into the streets of sixties Paris with a screening of Agnès Varda’s radical second feature on the big outdoor concert screen on Millennium Square. An exemplary film of the French New Wave, Cléo from 5 to 7 chronicles two hours in the life of pop singer Cléo (an iconic performance by Corrine Marchand), as she anxiously awaits the test results of a biopsy. Aimlessly roaming the Parisian streets, she encounters several friends and strangers, including a soldier on leave from the Algerian war.

an event to celebrate stories about nature!

“Our story is in the land ... it is written in those sacred places.” Bill Neidjie of the Bunitj clan, Australia.

Hey! welcome and thanks for arriving here!

With current challenges both in England and globally, it feels like stories of anger and confusion dominate our communities. The Story Gathering aims to offer a supportive remix to this narrative by meeting in community with the natural world and co-creating the stories we choose to live with.