Council to seek £1.4m spending approval for Capital of Culture bid

Bradford Council is intending to spend £1.4m over three years to support a bid for the district to be crowned UK Capital of Culture.

The council’s executive will meet next week and members will be asked to authorise up to £1,435,000 to invest in the project.

They will be told that when Hull was City of Culture in 2017, it attracted investment of £228m, according to the city’s university, while Coventry will hold the title in 2021 and has already attracted more than £36m in external revenue and capital funding.

Bradford Council said these examples show a major investment in jobs and regeneration will result from its own bid to become UK City of Culture in 2025.

The bid is being led by a team including the University of Bradford, Bradford College and live arts company the Brick Box, as well as other organisations.  The council is giving them their backing.

The status is awarded by the Government every four years and the council stresses the title is estimated to be worth £350m to the economy of Bradford.

Other areas expected to compete for 2025 are Luton, Southampton, Tees Valley, Medway and Lancashire.

A report to Bradford Council’s Executive says the newly-established Bradford Cultural Place Partnership will support the district’s cultural sector.

The Partnership’s role is to attract future investment through arts projects and support the City of Culture submission.

It has already attracted £1.5m Arts Council England funds to make Bradford one of its first UK Producing Hubs and £2m from the same body to become one of its national ‘Creative People and Places’.

Representatives of cultural organisations will be at Bradford City Hall on Tuesday 10 September to outline their ambitions for the City of Culture bid.

The Place Partnership is in the process of setting up a Bradford Culture Trust to raise financial backing to deliver Bradford’s City of Culture bid.

If Bradford is successful, the council would be a principal partner and play a major role in preparing the district, building on work in hosting major events and regenerating cultural assets such as City Park, Cartwright Hall, the former Odeon cinema building, St George’s Hall and Cliffe Castle Museum and park in Keighley.

The bid will form part of Bradford Council’s overall economic strategy for the district.

Council leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: “It would be absolutely marvellous for Bradford if the bid were successful – it would benefit every corner of the district.

“I think we’ve a really strong offer and the process of bidding and associated events will attract vital investment.

“This has been the experience of other past participants that we have spoken to.

“It shows off the district to its best advantage and promotes us nationally and globally to investors if we win.

“This means more jobs and more opportunities for economic regeneration in Bradford. It’s clear that any investment we make at this stage will attract significant funds in the future.”

Final bids will be submitted in 2021, with the winning entry announced in December that year.