“Arts and Culture: not the icing on the cake but the main ingredients of a successful city”

Culture debate for Leicester Mayoral candidates

8.00pm Thursday 21st April 2011

The Y, 7 East Street, Leicester LE1 6EY – 0116 255 7066

In a time when there are reduced funds going into Arts & Culture locally and nationally – through Arts Council England, Local Authorities and via Arts & Humanities funding to Universities – how can the Arts, Culture and Cultural Industries in Leicester be made to thrive?

Performing Arts Leicester (PAL) has invited all candidates for the new position of Mayor of Leicester to debate the notion that “excellent arts & culture can change life in Leicester for the better, for everyone, and need sustained investment”

The following candidates have agreed to participate:

Geoff Forse, Green Party

Gary Glen Hunt, Liberal Democrat

Peter Soulsby, Labour Party

Ross Ian Grant, Conservative Party

David John Bowley, Independent

Mohinder Farma, Unity for Peace and Socialism

Rick Moore, Independent

Mu-hamid Pathan, Independent

The debate will be chaired by Dominic Shellard, Vice-Chancellor of De Montfort University and Chair of Leicester’s Cultural Partnership Board.

The candidates will start with one minute each to set out their policy/views on Art & Culture in Leicester. This will be followed by questions submitted by the public before hand (deadline was Monday 18th) and then opened out to wider questions from the floor. The candidates will then each have one further minute to sum up.