A FESTIVAL Hub will be created in Bradford to celebrate the BBC Centenary, after a £15,000 grant has been announced from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The University of Bradford alongside ‘Being Human festival’ will collaborate with the BBC to create an innovative hub that will focus on public engagement.

The University of Bradford’s programme of free festival events and activities will focus on engaging individuals and communities with research that celebrates the contemporary relevance of the BBC and looks at the past, present and future of broadcasting and journalism.

Bradford and the university have a strong track record in broadcasting. Bradford is a key location for film and TV production including the BBC’s Peaky Blinders and Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop, it was the world’s first UNESCO City of Film, and it is home to the renowned National Science and Media Museum. The city has also been named in the final four for UK City of Culture 2025.

Professor Shirley Congdon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, says:

“We are delighted that the university and the city have been chosen for the BBC 100 Hub. The BBC has made a difference in everyone’s life whether that is following big news like the Olympics, documentaries like Blue Planet or discovering your favourite band via John Peel.

“Our research is also making a difference in people’s lives, from Virtual Bradford which was recently awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the new Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space.

“The BBC 100 Hub will provide an exciting opportunity for people to discover more about how broadcasting and research are linked, how it benefits them and how they could play a part in its future.”

Being Human festival Hubs are designed to create concentrations of activity, supporting locally relevant programmes of events involving multiple researchers from different disciplines, with multiple community partners.

Professor Sarah Churchwell, director of the festival, says:

"We look forward to celebrating the BBC’s rich stories and history, and to exploring its contemporary relevance with communities across West Yorkshire."

Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History, says:

“The BBC’s centenary is everyone’s centenary, and the BBC 100 Hub will I am sure be a great dynamo for new and fascinating community conversation.”

Dr Allan Sudlow, Director of Partnerships and Engagement at AHRC, says:

“This activity will engage the public with research in new and dynamic ways - reflecting on the past but also shaping ideas for the future.”

Being Human festival will take place 10–19 November 2022, at locations across the UK.