ARTISTS, organisations and communities are invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to create projects that celebrate the Bradford district’s great outdoors.

A scheme called Summer Unlocked - commissioned by Bradford Council with Bradford's City of Culture 2025 bid team and Creative People and Places programme The LEAP - aims to highlight the outdoor spaces that have been vital to health and wellbeing during the pandemic. Parks, open moors, streets, civic squares, even gardens and shopping arcades are all potential venues for the Summer Unlocked programme, designed to help people safely enjoy creative activity outdoors between July and September.

The partnership is seeking ambitious inspiring, creative projects and will offer community grants of up to £5,000 alongside larger project funding over £10,000. Applicants are invited to submit ideas for "playful and engaging projects" which take place outdoors, such as a temporary performance space in an unexpected location, live music at a local landmark or pop-up cultural events spontaneously appearing in neighbourhoods.

Bradford Council chief executive Kersten England said: “With the prospect of widespread vaccination in sight for many and a roadmap out of lockdown, we wanted to bring vividly to life those outdoor spaces that have been so important during the last year. Over the last 12 months the council has helped support our creative industries with several grant programmes and the result has been an astonishing display of trademark Bradford grit and resilience, with creative flair to match. Summer Unlocked will allow us all to enjoy a sense of freedom and fun this summer without straying too far from home.”

Bradford 2025 bid director Richard Shaw said the past year had reminded us of the district's "extraordinary beauty".

He added: "We know there are inspiring artists and organisations across the district who will want to seize this chance to create some outstanding events this summer, we can’t wait to see what brilliant ideas our remarkable creatives come up with in a summer of celebration of the great outdoors.”

Zulfiqar Ahmed, director of The Leap said: “Summer Unlocked will offer a fantastic way to bring people together, share fun experiences and connect across our district. This is an opportunity for artists and communities to lead and be part of something new that celebrates our great outdoors through arts and culture; our canal paths and community parks, open moorland and woodland walks, from Keighley to Wibsey, Idle to Ilkley.”

Applications are invited from the district and beyond. Submissions must include a creative response or connection to the specific place where the project is proposed to take place and include collaboration with local artists, groups or organisations that are based in the district. Projects large or small are expected to be sufficiently adaptable that they can respond responsibly and creatively to whatever social distancing rules are in place at the time of the event.

* To apply visit curatorspace.com/opportunities/detail/summer-unlocked/5379

The closing date is Wednesday, April 21.