Irena Bauman will be presenting the talk “A tale of two towns: postcolonial Dewsbury”, Wednesday 8 December, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane.  Multiculturalism is often discussed in the context of  metropolitan cities but, arguably, its impact is felt more keenly in smaller towns. The talk will focus on the impact that immigration has made on the geography, economy and community relationships in a small market town in Yorkshire and explore some of the  strategies for re-stitching the disconnection in social and physical fabric.

After two decades of growth and change, there's a feeling Leeds is at something of a crossroads and in search of direction and identity. While other northern cities have had massive investment and public attention as ‘cities of culture’, hosting international athletic events, major retail developments and the renovation of older and iconic buildings as major new cultural venues, Leeds seems to have been left behind. Development and regeneration seemed to have stuttered even before the recession hit.