A SERIES of creative projects across the district - including art, dance and gaming - aims to help more people reap the benefits of access to culture.

Starting when it is safe to do so under Covid-19 regulations, the 15 projects are the first from THE LEAP, a 10-year programme supporting locally informed and community-led culture in Bradford and Keighley with the aim of finding a new pool of creative leaders. Taking place across six wards - Bradford Moor, Bradford City, Keighley Central, Keighley West, Manningham and Tong - the projects include activities, workshops and taster sessions aimed at engaging with a broad range of people young and old, reflecting the district’s rich diversity.

The BAFTA-winning team behind Bradford-based Impact Gaming, which uses game making to mentor young people and help them build confidence and friendships, is one of the 15 projects given the go ahead after more than 50 creatives put forward submissions. Impact Gaming will work with disenfranchised people and “those who feel voiceless” to create a series of games based on the people of Bradford and how they hope to change their community.

Bradford-based charity Dance United Yorkshire (DUY)delivers contemporary dance projects for groups including young offenders and victims of domestic violence. With support from The LEAP, DUY will run ‘Set the Scene’, a three-day multi-disciplinary project incorporating dance, outdoor play and visual art. Three groups (aged four to seven, eight to 11 and 12-16) will explore landscapes around Holme Wood through movement and visual art.

In Keighley West, freelance artist Victoria Alderton will lead Keighley Healthy Living; a series of fun arts workshops using prompt cards and music to get conversations flowing. A map of Keighley and colour coded pens will be used to identify where people would like to access arts, and an existing story trail at Cliffe Castle Park will be used with a primary school group to capture thoughts about engagement with the arts.

THE LEAP is aimed at getting more than 100,000 local people engaged in the arts, helping them to shape a new cultural programme for the district. Kickstarting in 2020, the 10-year project will create experiences for, by and with local communities in areas where people tend to engage less with arts and culture. It’s the first Creative People and Places project in the country to be led by an NHS body; the Born in Bradford project.

Director Zulfiqar Ahmed says: “It’s fantastic that the first project under THE LEAP has garnered so much interest from the creative community in Bradford; it shows there is real hunger within Bradfordians for a cultural transformation. Thankfully, we’ve been able to continue with our ambitious plans throughout the Covid-19 crisis and we’re already well on the way to finding a new pool of creative leaders who will be at the forefront of transformative change in the city. By putting people in control of decisions about art and culture in the places that they live, we will give them agency, skills and opportunity and grow their confidence and capacity, which will bring huge benefits to Bradford.”

The 15 projects, funded by THE LEAP and Bradford For Everyone, aim to reveal people’s experience of living in the district, and their cultural needs and aspirations. The projects will also uncover current levels of cultural engagement and identify community-based partners who will help to deliver THE LEAP programme. More than 50 creatives applied to a call-out before the final 15 were chosen.

Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “Our district has a long history of involvement in the creative arts. THE LEAP seeks to extend this so everyone has the opportunity to be part of creative projects, regardless of their background.”

* Visit theleapbradford.co.uk