Bradford 2025 volunteer helps out with bank holiday celebration

The eight metre tall puppets - Les Girafes - are from French street theatre company Compagnie OFF and are in town for a free, family event, part of the Bradford 2025 team’s programme for 2024.

This weekend’s event will offer a taste of what to expect when the district becomes UK City of Culture next year.

The group of puppet giraffes will make their way through the city centre from 4pm-5pm on Saturday. Travelling from the site of the new Darley Street Market, the procession will snake through city centre streets, ending up in City Park.

The giraffes and their performers will dazzle crowds with a show complete with dancing, theatrics and opera, for all to enjoy.

Bradford 2025 volunteers will help to guide the giant giraffes through the city, interacting with people along the way.

Taking part in the event will give those taking part the opportunity to work with an internationally recognised circus company and experience what goes on behind the scenes of a large-scale performance.

Ahead of Les Girafes, Bradford 2025 has been working with local libraries, running free workshops for families, giving youngsters chance to make their own giraffes out of recycled materials.

The family craft sessions are taking place until today at libraries in Ilkley, Laisterdyke, Bingley, Wibsey, Manningham and Shipley as part of Bradford Council’s Summer Reading Challenge programme.

This month’s column from the Bradford City of Culture team focusses on Marjorie Hodgkinson who, after responding to an open call out by Bradford 2025, is spending this week with the giraffes. She will be at the heart of the show on Saturday.

Here Marjorie tells us more about her work with Bradford 2025 and Les Girafes:

I was born and brought up in Bradford - which I am so proud of. I have quite a lot of experience volunteering; I worked on the Tour de Yorkshire when it was in Bradford, I was a member of the Commonwealth Games volunteering team, and I have had a ball at all of these events.

I love to volunteer and to meet new people and think that if my experience can help brighten up the city and its people- why not give it a go!

I responded to a post by Bradford 2025 that I saw on their website, the chance to be involved with the Les Girafes show.

I am one of 18 participants who, after applying, have been chosen to take part in the event and will be making sure everyone has fun on Saturday.

Marjorie has been working with Les Girafes (Image: Andrew Benge)

Over the past week, I’ve been working closely with Bradford 2025 and Compagnie OFF, who are the masterminds behind the show on Saturday.

I have been dancing, singing, performing and letting my creative juices flow alongside the professionals.

So far this week we’ve been assisting the team set up surprise moments with the giraffes, practicing our routines and meeting everyone involved.

Setting up the surprise moments has been a highlight for me; on Wednesday we went to Manningham Library and surprised everyone there with our giraffes and a short performance - it was so great to see the smiles on everyone’s faces as we surprised them!

Personally, behind the scenes of the event is valuable experience for me and I love seeing how everyone comes together to work on events like this collaboratively.

I like getting involved with events like this as I am a proud Bradfordian and I want to showcase the best of our district and city.

Bradford 2025 is making sure that the district is involved with their plans and they’re only just getting started.

Les Girafes is one of the events that is happening this year in 2024, before the UK City of Culture year kicks off in January.

I feel really lucky to be involved in one of the taster events, representing my city and being able to show case my passion.