The Assistant Director Sport & Culture will submit a report (Document “G”) which sets out an update on the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture Bid and other cultural partnership opportunities in Bradford South.

Recommended –

The Cultural Policy & Events team would welcome any feedback and suggestion of future working

Overview & Scrutiny Area: Regeneration and Environment

(Nicola Greenan)

The Assistant Director Sport and Culture submitted a report (Document “G”) which set out an update on the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture Bid and other cultural partnership opportunities in Bradford South.

Bradford’s bid secured cross-party support at the meeting of Full Council in July, with a supporting letter signed by the Leaders of the Council’s three main political groups submitted as part of the Expression of Interest. The bid has secured the backing, including financial support, of a number of major organisations and employers around the Bradford District including University of Bradford, Morrisons, Bradford Bulls and Expect Distribution.

The Bradford 2025 bid team is anticipating that the DMCS will announce a longlist of places to move through to the next round of the competition in late September 2021. Upon longlisting, the Bradford bid team will embark on an extensive public engagement programme across the whole Bradford District, with events planned for every ward in Bradford South. Ward Councillors will be contacted directly about these public engagement events in due course.

As part of Bradford 2025's comprehensive public engagement work to share information about the bid and hear suggestions from Bradford residents and other local groups, the team will be visiting all 6 wards in Bradford South between late October and February 2022. The team was currently finalising plans to be at Sandale Community Centre, Royds, for the first of these community events in late October. 

Summer Unlocked was a district wide programme that saw arts and culture take over the streets of Bradford and bring new life into the wonderful communities and surroundings that had become our sanctuary during the Covid-19 Pandemic. In line with guidelines, we wanted to ensure that our programme was safe and encourage localised activities to celebrate our revitalised sense of community spirit and bring joy to a range of space and places across the district.

Throughout Bradford South they had been a range of bespoke and uniquely Bradford Arts and Culture activities which included Poetry workshops and performances from Tong Residence, Mini’s transformed into a cinema celebrating local stories in Queensbury, Calligraphy workshops and performances in Wibsey, Chalk Street dancing in Scholemoor and pop-up art galleries and workshops across Holmewood.

Many of the cultural assets within Bradford South will form part of the bid, such as the Black Dyke Band and Scholemoor Beacons.  To this end there will be an opportunity for residents to also have their input.

The Chair stated that the 2025 Bid was very positive, and that Full Council was supporting the Bid.

A Member in welcoming the Bid, expressed some concerns about not being informed of what was actually happening or planned for the respective wards,  he also urged the Bid team to explore hosting consultation events within a suitable venue in the ward, rather than at generic locations which will not yield a community angle.  He also added that the Bid did not contain any references to libraries and literature in Bradford, which should be an integral part of the Bid.

In response it was acknowledged that suitable venues would be looked at in consultation with Ward Councillors.  It was also stressed that literature was absolutely central to the Bradford Bid, given the rich heritage and writers from the district, and that he expected that Libraries, museums and galleries to play an important role.

A Member stated that to his knowledge, the Library Service had not been contacted, since the Bid launch and he suggested that frontline staff should be consulted.

A Member also stressed the need for the consultation to be inclusive, so that all communities were included.  In response it was stated that it was important that the cultural sector was reflective of the local community, and this would be taken on board as the Bid progressed.

Resolved –

That officers be thanked and that the report and update on the Bradford South consultation be welcomed, and that the 2025 Bid Group liaise with Bradford South Ward Councillors on activities planned in their respective wards.

ACTION: Assistant Director Sport & Culture