Come along to our friendly talks for adults, every first Friday of the month. Drop in, no need to book. Please note, these talks are sometimes busy - entry is on a first come first served basis. Refreshments provided.
Leeds City Museum is a Give What You Can venue. We don't want price to be a barrier to a great experience. Simply pick the price you can give when you arrive at the museum, and enjoy your visit.
See below a list of speakers and topics for our upcoming sessions.
Friday 5 June
Fallen Snowflakes: The 1891 fire at St John's School Room, Wortley
On the 1st of January 1891, what should have been a joyful and festive performance by local children in Wortley turned to tragedy.
14 girls burned. 11 died.
Who were these girls? What happened?
Join us as we explore the events of this tragedy, the local community and consider if such local stories are being lost to time.
Friday 3 July
Storage to Story: The Evolution of the Leeds Discovery Centre
Explore the Leeds Discovery Centre, a unique, behind-the-scenes museum facility that houses over a million objects spanning natural history, archaeology, geology, and social history. Established in 2007, it brought together collections that had previously been stored across multiple sites, creating a purpose-built, state-of-the-art repository designed both for preservation and public engagement. Join Gemma Brown, Site Development Officer uncover how Its history reflects a broader shift in museum practice toward transparency, conservation excellence, and making hidden collections more accessible to communities and researchers alike.
Friday 4 September
Leeds Hidden Queer History by Historian Kit Heyam
Join historian Kit Heyam for a virtual tour of Leeds's hidden LGBTQ+ history, inspired by their walking tours for The Bookish Type (Leeds's queer indie bookshop). From Pride to squats, from pubs to circuses, you'll see the city and its past in a whole new light.
Free light refreshments provided.
Friday 2 October
Ralph and John Went To Church: Ralph Thoresby and John Lewis, the first recorded Black person in Leeds
On the 1st February 1708 a remarkable thing happened, Ralph and John went to church. Ralph was Ralph Thoresby, the Leeds antiquarian and diarist. John was John Lewis, a servant and the first recorded Black person in Leeds. How were the two linked? What brought John to Leeds? And what connections did Ralph have to the Caribbean? In this talk Danny Friar answers those questions and more when he tells the story of when Ralph and John went to church.
