Christopher BarrettThe government has announced a further £5 million in funding for Bradford, taking its support for the UK City of Culture 2025 to £15m.
It said Bradford will deliver a spectacular year of events that will support a legacy of cultural regeneration and economic growth, with the initiative expected to create 6,500 jobs.
Around 1,000 events will take place in Bradford this year, developed in collaboration with local artists and creatives. They are expected to attract an additional 3.3m visitors and bring in a visitor spend of nearly £140m into the local economy over the course of the year.
The government said its extra £5m in funding will support the development of key local venues including Bradford’s The Beacon. It will also provide equipment for Bradford Theatres, which runs one of the UK’s oldest concert halls, St George’s Hall, where artists including Richard Hawley and KOKOROKO will perform at part of the City of Culture programme.
DCMS said the increased cultural and economic activity as a result of Bradford being UK City of Culture 2025 could leverage an extra £700m of growth for the city district by 2030, while helping to get more people involved in cultural events across the city. More than 3,000 volunteers are to be recruited to work on the events, while around 6,000 training opportunities are expected to be created.
Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 will open with an outdoor event involving 200 performers, curated by magician Steven Frayne, in City Park on 10 January. The programme of events also includes an array of cultural activations including a year-long celebration of drawing supported by David Hockney, the annual Turner Prize being hosted at Cartwright Hall, and the immersive Marshmallow Laser Feast at the newly reopened National Science and Media Museum. There will also be a re-imagining of the Jungle Book by the Akram Khan company, a celebration of the sounds, stories and voices of the South Asian creative underground – Dialled In, visual artworks on display in the moorland that inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and a residency with Opera North.
Culture minister Sir Chris Bryant said, “I cannot wait to experience the spectacular programme of cultural delights next year that will tell Bradford’s story to the world, showing off the district’s rich cultural heritage and diverse artistic talent, from the Brontë sisters and David Hockney to artist Deepa Mann-Kler’s interactive cookbook celebrating Bradford’s best recipes.
“I am delighted to be able to announce this funding to help make Bradford’s dream a reality and ensure that everyone across the district has the opportunity to get involved in next year’s events, whatever their interests.”