TWO iconic Bradford theatres have been awarded over £180,000 in Lottery cash to “unlock” their heritage.

St George’s Hall, which opened in 1853, is one of the oldest surviving purpose-built concert halls in the country. It has hosted some of the biggest names in stage, from Charles Dickens and Harry Houdini to Iron Maiden and David Bowie.

And the Alhambra Theatre, built in 1913, remains one of the premier theatres in the North, having recently hosted a lengthy run of The Lion King.

It is home to Bradford’s annual pantomime and acts such as Laurel and Hardy and Morecambe & Wise have performed there.

It has now been announced that the two Bradford Council run theatres been awarded a grant of £185,912 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a three-year project, starting this month, to develop and deliver “an extensive heritage activity programme.”

Inside the newly-restored St George's Hall

The programme will look at, among other things, the lengthy history of pantomime at the Alhambra.

The cash comes from the lottery’s Heritage Centre Stage activity programme announced on Friday. The Lottery says the funding will “unlock the heritage associated with Bradford’s historic city centre venues and engage with a range of people in the district.”

The announcement added: “The Alhambra Theatre and St George’s Hall, as well as being stunning, working performance venues, hold huge significance in the peoples’ history of Bradford.

“This grant will allow Bradford Theatres to work with community partners to unlock this heritage and explore not only the famous themes such as the long history of pantomime at the Alhambra Theatre but also dig down to discover underrepresented histories such as the Black, South Asian and LGBTQ+ heritage at these venues.”

The programme is expected to involve heritage tours and workshops for communities, schools and colleges, as well as the creation of new events and exhibitions.

It will also fund online heritage content for the Alhambra Theatre and a volunteer programme. Activity will be led by Heritage Learning Officer Penny Green and a number of specialists.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places said: “Culminating in 2025 when Bradford will be UK City of Culture, we are thrilled to receive this award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for our project; Heritage Centre Stage which will support a range of people from across the Bradford district to engage with the heritage in our fantastic, historic venues, in a way which has real meaning to their lives.”