TWO dozen cultural organisations in the District will be getting a cash boost to help expand their offer to local residents.

Bradford Council has awarded funding to 24 cultural organisations – ranging from art and theatre groups to literature, heritage and broadcasting – to “grow their businesses and help to bring arts and culture to all parts of the district.”

Among the groups to get funding are the Bronte Society, the National Science and Media Museum and Bradford Community Broadcasting.

The new Arts, Culture and Heritage – Regular Funded Grants 2022-25, forms part of Culture is Our Plan – a ten-year cultural strategy launched earlier this year.

The grants range from £5,000 to £30,000 per year for the next three years, and will start in April 2022 and end in March 2025. They aim to provide funding to support the development, growth and resilience of not-for-profit arts, cultural and heritage organisations as Bradford builds towards UK City of Culture in 2025.

Play which explores Islamophobia, racial profiling and car culture now underway in Bradford

The fund will support costs such as salaries and overheads and support the organisations in accessing other sources of funding for their work.

The recipients are: 509 Arts Ltd (£15,000 over three years); Artworks Creative Communities (£15,000); Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company (£15,000); Bradford Community Broadcasting (£90,000); Bradford Literature Festival (£90,000); Cecil Green Arts (£15,000); Common Wealth Theatre (£45,000); Dance United Yorkshire (£45,000); Freedom Studios (£45,000); Friends of Bradford Youth Players (£15,000); Hive Bradford (£45,000); Ilkley Literature Festival (£45,000); Impressions Gallery (£45,000); Kala Sangam (£90,000); Keighley Creative (£15,000); Mind the Gap (£90,000); National Science and Media Museum (£90,000); Saltaire Inspired (£45,000); Spin Arts (£15,000); The Bronte Society (£15,000); The Peace Museum (£15,000); The People Powered Press CIC (£15,000) and Thornton and Allerton Community Association Ltd (£45,000).

Impressions Gallery uses listed building to bring art to Bradford city centre streets

Successful applications were decided by a panel which included Council officers and independent advisors.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “We are delighted to have been able to award this funding to as many as 24 organisations which each in their own way create, inspire, inform and enrich our district with their projects and activities. We also wanted to ensure that culture includes those who are underrepresented in this sector and to aid those who don’t have regular access to arts and culture, so we hope this funding and our future plans will help realise this ambition.”