A PROJECT exploring Bradford’s textile heritage and a theatre performance on the streets of West Bowling are among the cultural schemes awarded funding by Bradford Council.

Ten organisations and individuals from across Bradford have received large culture grants from the Council to fund creative projects.

As part of the Culture is Our Plan, the ten-year cultural strategy, the large grants programme offers support to grow one-off events and activities, that are awarded in two rounds; the first closed in August and the second round closes in January 2023. Individuals can apply for funding of between £1,500 and £5,000, while organisations can apply for grants of £1,500 - £15,000. A total of £100,000 has been allocated to the grants - £50,000 for each round.

The latest round of recipients are:

• 509 Arts for a heritage project exploring mills and their history in Bradford’s textile production

• Brick Box Arts for Museums Lates, which will include visual arts, heritage, dance and installations

• HIVE for installations exploring the work of Bradford-born embroiderer, educator and textile collector Louisa Pesel

• Pyramid Arts – working with a group of artists with learning disabilities, in partnership with Kala Sangam

• Theatre in Flow /Liz Myton – a touring promenade theatre performance on the streets of West Bowling

• Amal – dance and theatre piece, reimagining a folk dance in celebration of the Islamic New Year by Umda, a dancer in 1846, using hologram technology and dancers from Bradford

• Bread & Roses – a programme of seminars and networking events

• Sharena Lee Satti – the Bradford poet will host creative writing and poetry workshops, preserving stories and memories relating to Bradford’s culturally diverse culinary heritage

• Vital Culture – Bassline Symphony, a large scale musical event supported by NME and Squarespace

• Mussarat Rahman – Intercultural Festival 2022, introducing new events and artists with events including Bold Scratch Night, Teen Festival, Commoners Ball and Hope the Boat, as well as creating a new website.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “The latest recipients span a broad range of projects, for a diverse audience and it will be great to see how the projects progress. This is a very exciting time to be part of the district’s cultural landscape, now that we have City of Culture status for 2025”

The application process for the next round of large grants – the chance to apply for a share of £50,000 – opens on 10 November 2022, closing at midday on January 27. More details can be found on the Arts, Culture and Heritage Grants web page.