Bradford/London: Bradford in the northern England county of West Yorkshire recently launched its City of Culture 2025 festivities, with British Indians enthusiastically joining in to showcase the region’s diversity, vibrant bazaars and curry restaurants.
Bradford was designated the UK City of Culture for 2025 after winning government backing from a record-breaking 20 bids.
The initiative, covering the entire Bradford district across West Yorkshire, opened last weekend with a glittering performance that paid homage to the region as a melting pot of cultures – with one in three residents identifying as being of South Asian heritage.
“Our communities can and should be empowered to come together, tell their story and create change in their local area. That is what the UK City of Culture competition is all about,” said Lisa Nandy, the British Indian Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
“So much enthusiasm and hard work has gone into organising Bradford’s year. There is a real buzz in the city as people get ready to showcase their talents. I would encourage everyone to go and see some of the fantastic events in the new year," she said.
A year-long roster of performances, exhibitions, events and activities inspired by the extraordinary variety of the landscape, from the city’s historic centre to the bucolic countryside that surrounds it, will pay homage to Bradford’s potent heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world’s first UNESCO City of Film.
Deepak Sharma, Trustee of Bradford Hindu Council – one of the many community groups who have been hard at work since 2018 to put together the winning bid, is ecstatic about the Diwali, rangoli and Yoga events in the pipeline for the year.
“What our community is looking to do with Bradford being the City of Culture is looking to showcase our roots and diversity here,” said Sharma, born in Bradford to parents who migrated from Punjab.
“We're going to do some rangoli with children, Yoga for International Yoga Day and a series of events planned for the summer such as mehndi festivals. We are also looking to put together a kind of gallery to showcase Indian costumes, music and dance from different parts of India. On the whole, visitors and Bradfordians alike will find a rich Indian cultural experience when they visit this year,” he said.
Fatima Patel, who is a founder of the region’s ‘Asian Standard Weekly, is another proud “Bradford born and bred” to parents who migrated from Gujarat. “We've got a lot to show off about. A lot of people from outside the city who haven't explored our city and don't realise how stunning, beautiful, dynamic and culturally alive our city is," said Patel.
So, to have the UK City of Culture 2025 in Bradford is amazing because we get to invite people to come and explore our lovely city, a lovely landscape, and to see how many amazing things we have going on in our wonderful town,” she said.
Patel is particularly proud of the city’s history of Indian cuisine, referred to as curry in the region having undergone a British makeover as a result of a mix of South Asian influences into the recipes.
“We're known as the curry capital, having won the title six years in a row. So, we take great pride in telling everyone how we are the best when it comes to showing off our curry cuisine,” she added.
Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh are among those who have also been attracted by the city’s historic architecture for some of the major blockbusters over the years.
“All eyes will be on Bradford as we mark the start of 2025 UK City of Culture… We’ll introduce audiences to our rural landscapes, pay tribute to our local heroes, and platform the astonishing talent emerging from our radical city. Our time is now – and it starts with RISE,” Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said of the glittering opening ceremony last week.
" welcome to 2025!"
— Bradford 2025 (@bradford2025) January 1, 2025
creative director shanaz gulzar welcomes the world to bradford as we start a thrilling year of culture! 💚💛🩷 pic.twitter.com/630Qp6oRsE
Two major exhibitions opened in Bradford this month as part of the UK City of Culture programme – ‘Nationhood: Memory and Hope’ featuring new work by acclaimed Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh, and ‘Fighting to be Heard’ (17 January – 27 April 2025) at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, which explores connections between the ancient art of calligraphy and boxing, alongside rare items from the Arabic and Urdu collections of the British Library.
Meanwhile, the National Science and Media Museum has reopened following a major development to present a mesmerising David Hockney exhibition ‘Pieced Together’, which explores the world-famous artist’s pioneering use of film and photography.
British Bangladeshi choreographer Akram Khan presents ‘Jungle Book Reimagined’, based on Rudyard Kipling’s iconic work, at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre. Khan has reinterpreted the known story of Mowgli from another perspective, through the eyes of a refugee caught in a world devastated by the impact of climate change.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: “Bradford’s creative industries are brimming with ingenuity, diversity and attitude, and with these spectacular opening events, the whole world will get to see Bradford at its best.
“That’s why we’re investing GBP 6 million into Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 – to attract visitors and investment, create jobs and growth, and build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”
