Leeds 2023 announcement: The varied CV of new chairwoman Ruth Pitt

Ruth Pitt, right, with outgoing steering committee chairwoman Sharon Watson.

She is currently director of the Creative Cities Convention, a collaboration between the main broadcasters, and has previously run documentary departments for the BBC, Granada Television and Tiger Aspect Productions as well as her own independent TV production company Real Life.

A project she worked on which many will know is the Up documentary series, which has charted the lives of people from the age of seven.

Ms Pitt worked with the participants when they had reached their forties.

A former reporter and presenter at Yorkshire Television, she has been advisory chair woman of the Edinburgh International Television Festival, chairwoman of the Nations and Regions Media Conference and is a former executive director of Screen England. Ms Pitt recently became a trustee of the Leeds Playhouse and has a lot of experience as a media and creative consultant, most recently helping shape Leeds City Region’s campaign to host Channel 4’s new national headquarters.

She said: “We have some of the finest arts institutions in Britain, we’re passionate about our sport and the cultural life of both the city and the wider region is awesome.”

The new Leeds 2023 Trust takes over the Leeds 2023 Independent Steering Group.

Outgoing chairwoman Sharon Watson said it had been an “absolute honour” to be in her role over the last three years.

The Trust will advertise for additional board members in the new year and aims to recruit a Creative Director by spring 2019.

One of the first events announced as part of the Leeds 2023 project was the Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019.

The free festival, which will last 100 days from June 22, is to showcase sculpture from new work by international artists to pieces drawn from the region’s collections.

It will feature exhibitions and events inside at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and major new outdoor sculpture commissions in unexpected places across Leeds and Wakefield.