Street festival plan to entice shoppers to Bradford (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Dancers, singers and magician among acts booked to boost city centre business
9:50am Thursday 23rd June 2011 in News
By Marc Meneaud, Aire Valley Chief Reporter
Bob Parker, city centre operations manager for Bradford Council
Flamenco dancers, folk singers and a magician will be among the street artists descending on Bradford city centre for a buskers festival.
More than 15 acts will be at three locations – Northgate, Newmarket Place and Darley Street – throughout the summer as part of a drive to entice shoppers into the city centre.
Bob Parker, city centre operations manager for Bradford Council, told a meeting of retailers at City Hall last night that many of the acts were “enthusiastic” about the summer busking festival, which if successful could become a regular event.
He told the meeting of Bradford retailers and businesses: “Folk bands, singers, jazz quartets and ten rappers have already been in touch and there are various markets going on through the summer. I am quite surprised with the number of buskers who have come forward and I am really looking forward to it.”
Each will be vetted by the Council to make sure their talents are up to scratch. Confirmed acts already include guitar player and singer Matthew Toczek, Irish folk band Rakish Paddy and Hebden Bridge Flamenco Group. London-based magician, Magic Singh, is also expected to bring his “David Blaine” style street magic to Bradford’s streets during the festival, which will be every Saturday for nine weeks from July 2.
More acts will be announced in the Telegraph & Argus. Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and the economy, said: “I will back anything that brings people into the city centre.
“We would like to extend it, certainly over the spring and summer, as long as the buskers are good at what they do.”
The planned festival dovetails with Backing Bradford, a new campaign by the T&A and Bradford Council to drive loyalty to Bradford’s many shops from people living in the city and wider district as the effects of the recession and the Government’s austerity programme kick in.
John Lee, T&A head of advertising, revealed details of the 26-week campaign to businessmen and women at last night’s meeting. The high-profile marketing campaign will be launched tomorrow with a Backing Bradford booklet full of discount offers from local businesses.
It will include a key fob, which shoppers will need to show to claim discounts from the booklet.
There will also be online promotions to encourage shoppers into Bradford, said Mr Lee. “We need to support city centre business,” he said. “Westfield (developers behind the proposed Broadway project) are now moving forward but it is going to be a two-and-a-half to three year building project and we need to fill that void by publicising what we have in the city centre.
“As a Bradfordian, I am positive and passionate about Bradford and what we need to remember is that we have some great shops and businesses here.”
- Read the full story Thursday’s T&A
Comments(24)
Clowny
says...
10:53am Thu 23 Jun 11
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Any efforts to bring trade into Bradford should be applauded, but something more than street performers will be needed to really bring in footfall, at very least parking charges need to be examined.
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The impact the city park will have has been wildly overestimated and regardless it won’t be ready until Autumn so it won’t have any real pulling power until next summer.
Yorkshire Lass
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11:21am Thu 23 Jun 11
BantamsForever
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11:39am Thu 23 Jun 11
ollie59
says...
12:04pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Oh dear.
I'm presuming the council won't have to vet the resident artists (you know the type I mean) who seem pretty good already.
Rambo
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12:05pm Thu 23 Jun 11
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Until middle end stores can be attracted here, breaking the cycle of cheap stores, bookies, cash-converter types and money transfer shops the people who do have money with a desire to shop will go elsewhere.
ohno
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1:13pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Would you really want to take your children or allow them to go shopping in such a place ? not when Leeds is a ten minute train ride away.
spinnekop
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1:21pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Meanwhile arts groups loose funding and established event companies that have worked with Bradford council for decades get overlooked as they give their bussines to companies from outside the city, so much for keeping jobs in the city and supporting local enterprise and talent.
Couldnt make it up could you?
Clowny
says...
1:43pm Thu 23 Jun 11
ohno wrote:Quoted for 100% accuracy.
It may help if instead of methadone clinics on Rawson rd next to John st market and shoppers parked cars and drug dealers on Aldermanbury behind the pubs and restaurants along with groups of youths hanging around the city centre smoking cannabis or whatever takes there fancy with impunity the powers that be actually try to keep the nastiness out of the area instead of encouraging it through bad planning and zero enforcement.
Would you really want to take your children or allow them to go shopping in such a place ? not when Leeds is a ten minute train ride away.
Al Spade
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2:13pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Al Spade
says...
2:14pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Patrick Bateman
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2:16pm Thu 23 Jun 11
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"Folk bands, singers, jazz quartets and ten rappers have already been in touch"
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TEN rappers??! ONE is one too many in my opinion: bloody noise pollution!
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May I propose a T and A commenter's skiffle group? Voice of Reason on tea-chest bass. Albion on swanee whistle and jugs. And of course Mrs Walker on washboard. Maybe John Philips could hold a one-man anti-western-music protest at the same time to complete the picture?
Rambo
says...
2:23pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Al Spade wrote:I had a cousin come over in April, he's foreign and had not been to Bradford before.
A friend of mine, who lives in Calderdale, brought his wife to Bradford a few weeks ago to do some shopping. They left empty handed. his comment to me, "Never again, where are your shops?" I had to explain that we don't have any decent ones left!
He stayed in the Jurys Inn and after staying for 2 days before moving on to Manchester he actually asked us where the city centre is. Despite staying in the middle of it.
Now he lives in a country with a population just a bit less than that of the entire Bradford district, and that speaks volumes.
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He also regarded that the centre was very dirty and litter strewn, and I think a lot of us would aggree on that.
Pak-Bantam
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2:46pm Thu 23 Jun 11
Joedavid
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2:47pm Thu 23 Jun 11
S. Horseman
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3:15pm Thu 23 Jun 11
ohno
says...
4:05pm Thu 23 Jun 11
S. Horseman wrote:Its not the few decent shops we have ,but the nastiness you have to expose yourself to in order to get to them.
Kind of a half full cup this forum - looks as though all people know how to do is pull the place down, I have shopped in Bradford for many years and feel that people try hard with what they have got - The place I love to shop is North Parade - now there you can find nice niche market shops, Table Decor has been there years, Threads Men’s wear, Cafe Blue, Active Bodz, The Camera shop & now that great bar Sparrow, these people care about what they do and they have invested their lives and homes in the place - least you pessimists can do is help support them - if you don't they will leave too. I am sure there will be a negative comment thrown back at what I post here - so go ahead - make my day pessimists - Empty your glass more.
Having been on the receiving end many times over the last 6 years I speak from experience .
S. Horseman
says...
4:10pm Thu 23 Jun 11
ohno wrote:Turn the other cheek and support what we have
S. Horseman wrote: Kind of a half full cup this forum - looks as though all people know how to do is pull the place down, I have shopped in Bradford for many years and feel that people try hard with what they have got - The place I love to shop is North Parade - now there you can find nice niche market shops, Table Decor has been there years, Threads Men’s wear, Cafe Blue, Active Bodz, The Camera shop & now that great bar Sparrow, these people care about what they do and they have invested their lives and homes in the place - least you pessimists can do is help support them - if you don't they will leave too. I am sure there will be a negative comment thrown back at what I post here - so go ahead - make my day pessimists - Empty your glass more.Its not the few decent shops we have ,but the nastiness you have to expose yourself to in order to get to them. Having been on the receiving end many times over the last 6 years I speak from experience .
ohno
says...
4:32pm Thu 23 Jun 11
davidh66
says...
7:30pm Thu 23 Jun 11
cylon 2
says...
12:10pm Mon 27 Jun 11
Patrick Bateman wrote:Hey
Bob Parker said:
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"Folk bands, singers, jazz quartets and ten rappers have already been in touch"
.
.
TEN rappers??! ONE is one too many in my opinion: bloody noise pollution!
.
.
May I propose a T and A commenter's skiffle group? Voice of Reason on tea-chest bass. Albion on swanee whistle and jugs. And of course Mrs Walker on washboard. Maybe John Philips could hold a one-man anti-western-music protest at the same time to complete the picture?
Don't leave me out !!!
mad matt
says...
4:28pm Mon 27 Jun 11
mogpick4
says...
4:40pm Mon 27 Jun 11
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Completely agree! The City Centre needs a variety of shops to cater for all. I would quite happily commit to Bradford if it catered at all for my needs. In the meantime I will go to Leeds where I can enjoy a nice shopping day out with friends or family and get everything I need.
The best way to get shoppers into the city center would be to have some shops to actually visit that aren't charity and pound shops. . No amount of Flamenco dancers will inspire me to shop in places like No 10 the bargin den or Poundland. When I go shopping I want to go shopping so I will go for choice over any gimick, choice that is not availible in Bradford.
Albion.
says...
3:52pm Mon 11 Jul 11
Patrick Bateman wrote:Accompanied by Karl Dallas.
Bob Parker said:
.
"Folk bands, singers, jazz quartets and ten rappers have already been in touch"
.
.
TEN rappers??! ONE is one too many in my opinion: bloody noise pollution!
.
.
May I propose a T and A commenter's skiffle group? Voice of Reason on tea-chest bass. Albion on swanee whistle and jugs. And of course Mrs Walker on washboard. Maybe John Philips could hold a one-man anti-western-music protest at the same time to complete the picture?
Thee Voice of Reason says...
10:08am Thu 23 Jun 11
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No amount of Flamenco dancers will inspire me to shop in places like No 10 the bargin den or Poundland. When I go shopping I want to go shopping so I will go for choice over any gimick, choice that is not availible in Bradford.