200 artists, freelancers, producers, funders, policymakers and cultural leaders from Bradford district, Yorkshire and the wider UK came together on 25 March for Connecting Culture: The Bradford Way; a conference created to explore the power of place-based collaboration.
Delivered by The Bradford Way consortium – an Arts Council England-funded ‘Place Partnership’ uniting Bradford Producing Hub, Cultural Voice Forum, The Leap and Bradford Council – the conference was a significant moment to build on Bradford’s year as 2025 UK City of Culture.
Keynote speeches during the day included:
– Bradford Culture Company’s Shanaz Gulzar and Dan Bates in conversation with Pete Massey, Arts Council England on how hyperlocal creativity shaped a significant national event – Bradford 2025 – and how culture is no longer “nice to have”, it’s central to policy and growth.
– Members from The Bradford Way consortium, including Lisa Mallaghan (former Exec. Director of Bradford Producing Hub), Cultural Voice Forum’s Alice Withers, Jo Hinchliffe (Assistant Director of Culture, Sport & Leisure at Bradford Council) – on the shift seen from siloed working to a connected cultural ecosystem through working in partnership.
– An inspiring conversation between members of the Bradford Cultural Voice Forum Youth Sub-Network, representatives from Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture 2025 with Alex Willans (Skills House); Beth Sidwell (Brit School); Gaby Lees (Bradford Council Economic Development) and Adam Brennan (Bradford Council)
‘Ten Minute Tales’ were presented throughout the day by artists and organisations who have delivered projects that highlight the role art plays in social change as well as the kindness, collaboration, dynamism, straight talking, and DIY spirit synonymous with The Bradford Way.
Peg Alexander, Chair of The Bradford Way, concluded: “We’ve heard from so many people about the spirit of Bradford, our DIY attitude and willingness to collaborate so we can move forward with confidence that our strengths lie together, the activism and bravery, the everyday and the extraordinary. Together, we’ll keep making culture a priority.”