James Abbott - Donnelly

Come catch me at the @howardassemblyroom on Wednesday 4 March for the @hospoconf conference. I’ll be taking part in a panel on artisanal ladder building. We’ll be covering step ladders, extendable ladders, and doing a deep dive into the pros and cons of wood vs aluminium vs fibreglass construction. There will be strong opinions, and possibly diagrams. If you bring your own loft ladder, I’ll be around afterwards to sign a few. …. How to Build Your Own Ladder
Wed 4th March
4.30pm – 5.30pm A conversation with founders who created the venues and brands they now lead, building spaces from the ground up. We’ll be sharing the journey of turning vision into reality, the highs and lows along the way, and how we’ve navigated the unique challenges of the industry today. For anyone with ideas bigger than their current role and curious about carving out their own path in nightlife, venues, restaurants, or club culture.

I’ve recently stepped down from my voluntary role as Leeds Ambassador for the Night Time Industries Association I’d like to wish the NTIA all the best with the work they continue to do on the night-time economy nationally. My focus will be on continuing the work I’m doing at a local level in Leeds through LNEG (@leedsneg ), alongside concentrating on the ongoing development of TESTBED. (@testbedleeds ) Photo - irrelevant image of me on the roof.

Progress at the Leeds Night Time Economy Group has been steady but slower than we’d like. – and we need your help to push things forward. There is a dedicated committee working a lot behind the scenes, but we are all volunteers, LNEG currently has no budgets, and we all have our own business or full time jobs to juggle. How can you help. 👉 Membership Dead easy - Becoming a member is the most important way you can support us right now. Membership shows strength in numbers, gives our sector a louder voice, and proves to decision makers that Leeds’ nightlife matters. We know theres well over 150 of you who have expressed interest but so far only 45 who have filled out the form - thats all you need to do. We have our next social at HPBC on Oct 6th and we really want to hit 100 signups by then - please help. signup, come along, free drinks up for grabs too! 🔗 link in @leedsneg bio 👉 Volunteer Team We’re building a small volunteer crew to assist the committee with executing practical thing: Select tasks which if this is your field of expertise will be dead simple and were looking for a very small time commitment: •⁠ ⁠Social media •⁠ ⁠Newsletters •⁠ ⁠Graphic Design •⁠ ⁠Video Editing •⁠ ⁠Photography/video at events •⁠ ⁠Event Support Can you help? - find out more about the roles and express your interest here - 🔗 link in @leedsneg bio 👉 Advisors We’re also looking to expand our network of advisors who can occasionally lend expertise in areas like legal, licensing, planning, or policy. All roles are voluntary and occasional, but every bit of support directly strengthens the cause. 🙌 If you’d like to help out in any of these capacities – or in any other way – please fill out our form - 🔗 link in @leedsneg bio If you have something to offer that we haven’t mentioned - theres a space on the form for that too and we’d love to hear from you! Together we can make sure Leeds by night continues to thrive.

Announcing our next LNEG @leedsneg Social: The New Wave - at the amazing @hydeparkbookclub We’re excited to invite members and friends of LNEG to our next social networking event: The New Wave, an evening dedicated to supporting and celebrating new nightlife talent in Leeds. This event will feature: An informal panel discussion on how we can better support emerging DJs, artists, promoters, venue operators, suppliers, and technicians. Updates on opportunities in Leeds and across the national networks. The chance to connect with others shaping the city’s nightlife, from fresh faces to seasoned industry voices. Whether you’re new to Leeds, just starting out in nightlife, or simply want to meet and support the next generation of talent – this event is for you. Come along, make connections, share ideas, and be part of the future of Leeds’ nightlife scene. 🎟️🎟️Save the date free tickets coming soon 🎟️🎟️

Meet TESTBED’s dynamic duo, Mr. Scruff and Annie Mac! 🐶🎶 What started as a DJ-inspired joke turned into the perfect names for these two furry friends. #podcast #anniemac #mrscruff #electronicmusic #dogs #dj

Step inside a time capsule at TESTBED Leeds, straight to the heart of the acid house revolution… @inpursuitofrepetitivebeats is coming soon to TESTBED Leeds, an immersive VR experience that drops you right into the raw, iconic energy of the late ‘80s rave scene. Using ground-breaking VR technology, groups of 1-4 people embark on an immersive, story-led quest to find an illegal rave. This is taking place for a limited time only, so don’t miss your chance to experience this award winning exhibition. Head over to @testbedleeds and for more information and to book your place now. 📆 Friday 15th August - Wednesday 17th September “It’s hard to comprehend you haven’t travelled in time!” - Mixmag ‘’Utterly brilliant, utterly convincing.’’ - The List #InPursuitOfRepetitiveBeats #TestbedLeeds #VR #Leeds #Podcast

So, what is a vibe technician?! #podcast #music #leeds #education #academy94

Success isn’t always about numbers. For Laura, knowing that Sheaf Street was recognised in places like Berlin or Barcelona is what truly counts. Check out her story on redefining success beyond the usual KPIs. 🌟 #podcast #dj #music #leeds #testbed #venue

Ever wondered what led to the closure of Sheaf St? 🎤 Check out this exclusive snippet from our chat with James and Laura of TESTBED as they reveal the real story behind the venue’s final days and its impact. Follow the link in our bio to watch the full episode, now streaming on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcasts! 🚀 #Testbed #PodcastExclusive #music #leeds

🎧 Episode 3 of Beyond the Booth is coming this Monday at 6 PM! Grace Garcia sits down with James and Laura, the dynamic duo behind Testbed, as they share an exclusive insight into the closure of Sheaf Street and how their resilience and determination led to the creation of a new hub for Yorkshire’s nightlife and music scene, TESTBED. Don’t miss it! 🌟 #podcast #music #venue #testbed #dj #producer

Get involved, you lovely people - coming to @testbedleeds this Aug and Sept - Tickets on sale now see TESTBED bio IT'S 1989 AND FINDING THE PARTY IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS. Join in this culture revolution and travel back in time to the heart of the Acid House scene with the UK's biggest VR experience. Using technology to create a truly collective experience, groups of four people can share the same virtual space and interact together as rave culture pioneers. The rave scene has always been about organic, energised communities creating shared experiences in physical and spiritual spaces. With the world premiere of its newest version, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats honours that spirit and unifies us all in a new and transformative way. Following the VR experience, there is a small exhibition containing archive and other audio-visual materials exploring the British Acid House scene to enjoy at your leisure.

This morning in a makeshift studio, @laurawelli and I recorded the inaugural ‘Hosted at TESTBED', - a new conversation series where we invite a different host each time and delve into a specific topic. For the topic of ‘Origin Story’, we simply had to invite the one and only @benrandm - we go way back, way back bruv! Future chats will dive into a plethora of topics around the creative, events, and music industry. Or it might just be this one, and we'll never get round to doing another - who knows!