Key Takeaways
- Bradford’s city of culture year has come to a close, with over 5,000 events and £51m spent during the year
- The city’s creative director, Shanaz Gulzar, reflects on the year’s highlights and the impact it has had on the community
- Questions linger about the sustainability of the energy generated during the year and the economic boost it will bring to the city
- The city of culture year has brought a sense of optimism and hope to the community, but its legacy remains to be seen
- The city’s artistic director and other stakeholders are working to ensure that the momentum generated by the city of culture year continues beyond 2025
Introduction to Bradford’s City of Culture Year
Bradford’s city of culture year has officially come to a close, and the city’s creative director, Shanaz Gulzar, is taking stock of the year’s achievements. With over 5,000 events and £51m spent during the year, it has been the biggest city of culture since the project started in 2013. Gulzar’s personal highlights include the opening ceremony, Rise, and the exhibition of Victor Wedderburn’s photographs that captured Black Bradford in the mid-1980s. The city’s artistic director is understandably basking in the afterglow of a successful year, but questions linger about the sustainability of the energy generated during the year and the economic boost it will bring to the city.
The Impact of City of Culture on the Community
The city of culture year has had a significant impact on the community, with many residents and visitors alike experiencing the city in a new and exciting way. Evie Manning, the co-artistic director of theatre company Common Wealth, recalls being told by a theatre critic that city of culture was just "a branding exercise for failing cities." However, witnessing 2025 up close, she recognizes that there is more than a kernel of truth in the statement. The city of culture year has made people look and think about living in Bradford differently, and there is a whole generation of young people coming up who won’t believe the negative stereotypes about the city. Gulzar’s task was not just about curation or changing attitudes, but also about a hyper-localized "levelling up" agenda, and she wants to show the impact of city of culture investment in various parts of the city.
Investment in the City’s Infrastructure
The city of culture investment has touched many parts of the city, including the 1 in 12 Club, which is run by anarchists and has been open since 1981. The club received an initial injection of £90,000, which was doubled after work started, and the scale of the task became apparent. The investment has enabled the club to renovate its facilities, including installing fire doors and renovating the kitchen. Similar investments have been made in other parts of the city, including the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the Peace Museum, and Ilkley Playhouse. These investments may not be sexy, but they are essential for the city’s cultural infrastructure, and they would not have happened without the city of culture funding.
Sustainability and Legacy
Not everyone has been won over by the city of culture year, and some have raised questions about the sustainability of the energy generated during the year and the economic boost it will bring to the city. Ishtiaq Ahmed, an independent councillor from the Heaton ward of the city, feels that not enough was done to bring in non-traditional arts audiences, and he is concerned about the legacy of the city of culture year. He asks whether the investment will lead to long-term funding, stronger grassroots support, and opportunities across Bradford’s neighborhoods, or whether the momentum will just fade away once the banners come down. The long-term health of other city of culture projects paints a difficult picture, with Hull losing momentum once the chief executive of its legacy company left, and Derry having no money for legacy projects.
The Future of Bradford’s Cultural Scene
Despite the challenges, there is a sense of optimism and hope in the city, and many are working to ensure that the momentum generated by the city of culture year continues beyond 2025. The 200-capacity Loading Bay venue, which was a temporary space that hosted events throughout the year, will hopefully become a permanent mid-sized venue. The delayed opening of Bradford Live has meant that the city now has a 3,500-capacity venue in its center, but whether the city can sustain it and the smaller Alhambra and St George’s Hall remains to be seen. The most important part of the legacy might be intangible, though – the kind of thing that can’t be measured but felt. The Bantam of the Opera choir, which was formed during 2025 and composed of Bradford City fans who sang on Sports Personality of the Year, will continue beyond 2025, and many in Bradford will hope that their cultural awakening does too.