Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE is the Deputy Leader for Manchester City Council and previously served as Executive Member for Schools, Skills, Culture & Leisure. He is a strong advocate for the role of culture in the development of the city and believes that all members of the community should be able to participate in the broadest range of cultural activities. He initiated the city’s first Culture Awards in 2019 and the Festival of Manchester – a large scale community event in Platt Fields park, which showcased the vibrancy and diversity of culture and creativity in the city.