A PROJECT to help deliver cultural events in Bradford has been awarded £200,000.

Following two successful years of delivery, Bradford Producing Hub has announced it has secured the new funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The money will enable the project to continue its work transforming and developing the city’s creative ecology until 2025 – including building a more representative and diverse community of organisations and individuals working across the arts in Bradford.

Funding will see 250 artists create new work, build networks and develop the skills needed to progress their careers. 80 per cent of those receiving training, support, mentoring and investment will be from groups affected by systematic discrimination.

It will also help at least 30 early career creatives progress into paid roles within the City’s creative scene.

A spokesman for the project said: "The funding will help to cement the hub's Creativity Council, made up of 18 members representative of Bradford’s communities, as a powerful, permanent and diverse forum,

driving forward change and progress across the district."

The successful application was made by Kala Sangam, who will manage this funding for Bradford Producing Hub, on behalf of its steering consortium which also includes Theatre in the Mill, Mind the Gap and Displace Yourself Theatre.

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Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam said, ‘I am delighted that Esmée Fairbairn Foundation have provided this considerable support for Bradford Producing Hub.

"With the district aiming to be City of Culture in 2025, this investment secures delivery in the run up to what we hope will be a monumental year for the arts in Bradford.

"Being able to secure such a major supporter, on the back of Arts Council England’s incredible £1.5m investment to establish the Hub, is a real endorsement of the hard work and impact the team have made

over the last two years."

Lisa Mallaghan, Project Director of Bradford Producing Hub said, ‘This Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funding really highlights the success of the first two years of BPH which, thanks to the work of a talented and dedicated team, has already supported significant growth in the Bradford live arts sector.

"We are really committed to using this funding to ensure structural, strategic change that will make Bradford’s creativity even more diverse, vibrant and visible – helping achieve our mission to make sure Bradford is a creative city where lots of amazing live performance is happening all the time."