McCann Leeds and independent film agency Sodium have teamed up for a LEEDS 2023 film featuring World Champion parkour athlete, David Nelmes.
The two agencies have collaborated to deliver the film for LEEDS 2023’s year of culture, which celebrates the culture and creativity of the city.
McCann Leeds has supported on creative development and direction while Sodium has managed production.
In the specially commissioned short film, Nelmes, who is originally from west Leeds, showcases landmarks in Leeds as he vaults over walls and leaps through windows meeting creative individuals and communities along his route.
Emily Cuthbert, Creative at McCann, said: “It was incredibly exciting to work with an athlete like David to showcase and challenge the usual definition of culture in Leeds. The video takes the viewer with him through Leeds landmarks, leaping over walls and through windows meeting a selection of creatives and communities on his route.
“We’re incredibly proud to be a part of this city and to be able to generate genuine excitement for what is already shaping up to be a year of events that will celebrate the culture of an incredibly vibrant city.”
LEEDS 2023 will feature events across communities and the city centre to celebrate the culture of the city through its people, art, sport, and food with work featured from across the 33 wards of the city.
Kully Thiarai, Creative Director for LEEDS 2023, added: “This time next year we will be presenting to the world our Leeds, a city that is vibrant and bold and full of exceptional, creative people. This film is giving us the chance to start shouting about LEEDS 2023 from the rooftops, about what we’ve already been doing and what’s to come. This next year is when we put everything together to make sure that LEEDS 2023 is a celebration in every LS postcode, that every child in a Leeds school can be part of this year of culture and that we make the most of the 365 days in 2023.”
Eight projects linked to LEEDS 2023 appear alongside David Nelmes in the film including AGEOFTHE, a working class drag collective.
