Our world​, our city and our communities are undergoing rapid and accelerating change: demographic, technological, political, economic, social, environmental, and more. This presents both great opportunities, and also challenges.

In particular, Leeds is the most diverse UK city outside of London. Various writers talk of ‘diversity advantage’: a wide range of people, working together, are more able to respond creatively to change or crisis, by drawing on their varied skills and perspectives.

However, the growing diversity and even fragmentation of communities – local and global – also poses dangers of potential conflict and alienation.

We therefore work across the dividing lines, the boundaries and borders of our city, bringing together diverse partnerships of people and organisations.

To quote acclaimed Leeds academic Zygmunt Bauman, ‘can we learn the art of living with difference’?