a leeds revolution

Searching posts in February 2020

Tales of Holbeck

February 28, 2020

The idea behind CEG and Slung Low collaborating over a short story competition involving the people of Holbeck was to acknowledge the rich history of this unique district of Leeds, but to also capture the power that its people have. That means ‘power’ in the sense of, a power to create laughter and tears, a power to make you think, but also a power of recovery and of resilience. The people of Holbeck have faced all these things; hardship, struggle and in some cases poverty, but throughout, they have retained an ability to laugh, inspire and rebound. This was all captured in the many stories submitted.

A Beautiful Oddity: How and why there is an Egyptian Palace in Holbeck

February 13, 2020

The industrial revolution may have been one of the most ground-breaking evolutionary steps the developed world has ever seen, but it left little positive impression in terms of human welfare, environmental impact and the decorative dressing of the towns and cities it helped develop. It may have provided jobs and allowed for profound social reforms in terms of industry, community and a working economy but it also promoted gruesome and exploitative working conditions, particularly for women and children, spewed endless filth into rivers and atmospheres and proliferated the landscape with hastily-designed functional brick edifices to the financial disparity between mill owners and mill workers.