Bradford bids to be City of Culture
City hopes it can be successful as Hull, but it’s up against Lancashire, Southampton, Medway, Tees Valley
IT LAYS claim to being Europe’s youngest city and is famed for its food, football, film, and much more.
They will all have a part to play when Bradford bids to be UK City of Culture 2025.
And the newly-appointed director behind the bid, Richard Shaw, says he is keen to expand the definition of culture.
He said: “Bradford’s culture is just as much about faith and football, food and film.
“Bradford is incredibly wellknown as curry capital of the UK six times in a row and rugby and football inspire massive passion. It’s already UNESCO city of film.
“I think these things are all part of the cultural fabric and what makes a very distinctive Bradford.”
Nearly 30 per cent of the population of Bradford is under 20. It also has a non-white
Bradford’s culture is just as much about faith, football, food and film.
Richard Shaw, director of Bradford’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025.
population of around 40 per cent. Mr Shaw said: “My feeling is that unless Bradford speaks with an authentically distinctive voice – and that means because of demographics it’s young and non-white voices – there’s no point starting the journey. It has to be a completely 100 per cent distinctive Bradford bid.”
The Hull University graduate, who describes Hull’s UK City of Culture year as a “magnificent, bravado achievement”, will head up the team which will submit its bid proposals in April 2021.
Rivals include Lancashire, Medway, Southampton and Tees Valley.
Could it be a new War of the Roses? Mr Shaw answers diplomatically that they intend to work “in partnership and collaboration” with all fellow bidders – although he recognises the Lancashire Yorkshire head-to-head
“will be the subject of much conversation”.
He said: “Bradford has a very large centre in the city and Lancashire is planning something slightly different – it doesn’t mean that the Bradford bid will not extend across the city. We plan to include the wider Bradford Metropolitan District Council region, including Saltaire, Howarth, Keighley and Ilkley, an area covering 565,000 people.” A sum of £400,000 has been awarded to the bid, with another £1m being shared among other cultural organisations. In the coming months Mr Shaw plans to do “a lot of listening”.
He said: “I need to take the temperature of Bradford, and we need to set up some kind of structures, an organisation to deliver the bid, and then we need to put the architecture in place to build a vision.
“I can see that process taking a number of months – it’s going to come from all parts of the community, from the health service, the cultural community in Bradford, the education sector.” Budgets for City of Culture are also increasing – Hull had £32.8m to spend on shows and events during its year.
Mr Shaw said: “It’s hard to put a price on a bid, because it is day one. But I would expect it to be the same as Hull’s, if not more.”