More money on it's way to Bradford as it prepares for City of Culture 2025
One year ago today Bradford was crowned UK City of Culture for 2025, now £3m is going towards helping local artists and organisations, as well as sprucing up the district
Now more money's on the way to Bradford as it prepares for its year in the spotlight.
£3m is going towards sprucing up the district and supporting local artists and organisations.
Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director for Bradford 2025, said: “We may be 18 months away from the official start of our City of Culture year but we started work the day after we were announced, and the work to lay the foundations and deliver a show-stopping year is well underway. We’ve already supported 35 local artists and organisations to develop new work and with Bradford Council we’re encouraging more large scale commissions for this November’s ‘Bradford is LIT’.
"The biannual light festival is growing into a standout date in the cultural calendar and will be an important moment in our lead up to 2025.”
The leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said: “The last 12 months have been crucial in ensuring there are strong, solid foundations in place to ensure Bradford 2025 is a year of cultural success.
"The City of Culture team are committed to making the arts, culture, and heritage sectors sustainable, creating a long-lasting legacy across the Bradford District. The energy and partnership working we’ve seen so far is phenomenal. We are looking forward to continuing the collaborations with creators, communities, and stakeholders over the next 18 months.”
Cultural venues in Bradford district will benefit from a new £3m cultural capital fund to improve access and facilities for local people and the millions of visitors anticipated for Bradford 2025.
With funding from City of Bradford Metropolitan Council, Bradford 2025 will deliver two grant schemes for cultural venues: small scale of up to £5,000 each and larger scale for a minimum of £50,000. This investment will help improve venues to make them more welcoming and accessible for visitors in preparation for the district-wide celebrations in 2025.