“It’s legacy building” – an interview with the youth of Bradford 2025

Bradford 2025 Youth Panel. Credit: Nathan McGill

Bradford 2025 is just around the corner. The State of The Arts’ Julia Brookes sat down to interview youth representatives Rory, Malachi and Saaliha about the impact the City of Culture could have on them and their hometown.

Every UK City of Culture faces some scepticism about its potential impact, even before it’s begun. Bradford, the selected location for the 2025 instalment, is no different. The West Yorkshire city will host a year long festival of cultural events and projects, funded by UK and local governments, with the aim of highlighting Bradford “as a forward-looking city of change.” Much of their programme and plans for the year are already announced, featuring the likes of a dance adaptation of the Jungle Book and a new nationwide drawing project from David Hockney. But Bradford 2025 have made their multi-pronged youth programme a core element of the City of Culture delivery, giving young people from diverse backgrounds a chance to create, learn and grow. They are making 2025 about the future of the city and those who are going to lead it. 

Bradford is the youngest city in the UK, with over a quarter of its population under the age of 18. And so it figures that young people would, and should, play such a crucial role in the City of Culture. The delivery organisation features an apprenticeship programme, a youth panel, a young creatives scheme and is running a young people’s ticket memberships for 16 to 25-year-olds. 

“Young people constantly feel their voices are underrepresented and therefore they are disinterested,” says Saaliha, a creative apprentice on the Audiences Team, who spoke to me about their involvement in the year. She cited how, given the demographic of Bradford, “it only makes sense” to incorporate as many young people as possible in the project. By involving them in the development of the project, young people are far more likely to take notice of the City of Culture’s role in their hometown. 

Youth In The District. Credit: Karol Wyszynski

Training young people in Bradford will allow the city and cultural sector to prosper. Administrative apprentice Rory believes “Bradford 2025 can help inspire Bradford’s youth to continue on its legacy far beyond 2025.” 

“I have seen Bradford in a whole new light and learnt to appreciate everything it has to offer.”

Malachi is a member of Bradford 2025’s youth panel, which meets to make decisions on the project, and speaks extremely highly of how organisers Dan and Shinaz have chosen to use young people both internally and externally. “It’s not just virtue signalling, but legacy building. They need young people to take the reins in the future and they’ve realised that can’t be done without experience.”

Bradford 2025 Youth Panel. Credit: Nathan McGill

Bradford 2025 is actively engaging these young people through different initiatives and opportunities. For Rory, this has meant retraining in a sector he is passionate about. “Day to day I assist in administrative tasks and provide support across several different projects in both production and engagement.”

“I have always had a keen interest in arts, culture and community engagement,” he says. “And Bradford 2025 presented me with the perfect opportunity; not only to be able to learn new skills, but also to be able to help contribute towards the city I have lived in my whole life.”

Malachi’s participation on the youth panel is less day to day; they attend meetings where “we come together and get updates on the project. But the emphasis is placed on what we think about things that are happening. We spend time brainstorming and discussing ideas.” He recounts the experiences he has gained through the panel, including attending “a conference on what young people need” and going to Bradford 2025 patron Zayn Malik’s first concert back in the UK. “You can’t replicate the things I’ve experienced. I’ve loved seeing things grow.” It’s apparent that being part of Bradford 2025 has given Malachi, who only recently moved to the city, a profound sense of place and belonging. “Bradford has a lot to offer, it’s just not had a good chance to prove it.”

Saaliha creates TikToks and other digital content to promote Bradford 2025, ensuring the project reaches young people on platforms where they are active. She expressed a huge amount of gratitude to Bradford 2025: “I really appreciate them giving everyone a chance and recruiting from such a diverse range of people. I come from a background where science is regarded as much more important than the arts and if I hadn’t been offered this chance by Bradford 2025, I wouldn’t know that this, the arts, is where I am supposed to be.”

Bradford 2025. Credit: Karol Wyszynski

The inclusion of young people in Bradford 2025 is transforming the lives of these individuals. For Rory, the opportunities Bradford 2025 has given him are just as significant as what the initiative means for the city itself. “It’s not only a celebration of a city with a rich cultural heritage, but also something that brings Bradford’s cultural sector to life in the present and beyond.”

“Bradford gets a bad rep and a lot of it comes from the perspective of outsiders,” Saaliha observes about her hometown. “There is negativity posted on the internet which leads to a lot of undeserved hate.” She feels strongly that, through Bradford 2025, she is “helping to dismantle the stereotype.”

From talking to Rory, Malachi and Saaliha, it became apparent to me the true importance of Bradford 2025, not as a headline-grabbing title but as a transformative force for the city’s youth. Bradford is not only celebrating its present culture but investing in its future leaders, creators and innovators. The programme is not just happening in the city, but with the city. There is a core commitment to young people as active participants, not just observers.

By putting youth at the heart of the programme Bradford is fostering experiences that go beyond the year-long celebrations. These young voices are not only shaping the city’s cultural landscape today but ensuring that its legacy thrives long after 2025.

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Head to the Bradford 2025 website to see what’s on next year!