THE increased Arts Council funding coming to Bradford is in part down to the “hard work” done in the District to prepare for City of Culture.

Yesterday the Arts Council announced that is was increasing the amount of funding it provides to Bradford by 89 per cent.

Organisations like Bradford Literature Festival and Kala Sangam would see a big increase in annual funding, while theatre group Bloomin Buds and dance group Tech Styles Ltd would become “national portfolio organisations” – groups that will get Arts Council funding each year for at least three years.

For the first time Bradford Council’s museums and galleries service would be getting Arts Council funding – over £1m between now and 2026.

After the funding was announced, the Telegraph & Argus spoke to Pete Massey the Arts Council’s Director, North – Yorkshire & the Humber.

He said the success of Bradford in the latest wave of funding was partly due to Bradford Council’s focus on boosting culture in recent years.

He said: “It is largely down to the ambition of the local authority, who have made culture a strategic priority. They have put in place what is needed to boost the chances of arts groups, and this is a testament to their ambition and hard work.

“What is really pleasing is being able to make this investment in the museums and galleries, and put them on a footing where they are able to grow and offer much more.

“With the extra funding for Kala Sangam it will allow them to become a really strong arts centre right in the middle of the city.

“The money for the Literature Festival has the potential to propel it into the premier league of literature festivals.”

When asked if the successful City of Culture bid had led to the higher level of investment, Mr Massey said the fact that Bradford had the title was not a criteria the funding bids were judged on. But he added: “We wouldn’t award organisations just because Bradford is City of Culture, but the ambition and hard work that went in to achieve the title means we had a lot of great applications.

“I think Bradford realised that City of Culture isn’t a destination – it is a means to get there quicker than you would otherwise get there.

“The city came up with a strong vision of what culture could do for Bradford, and an understanding of how to get there.”

He said the various bids were made before the current coast of living crisis, and there was leeway for the successful organisations to modify their plans based on the higher costs.

Mr Massey said the £10m for the portfolio organisations was not the only funding that the Arts Council would be providing to the District over the City of Culture period.

He said: “The Arts Council has already pledged £5m as well as this investment. We’re working with the City of Culture team to draw that money down.

“We expect that between now and the City of Culture year we will have funding applications for what will go on in that year. We wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being around £10m the Arts Council provides for the City of Culture year on top of the National Portfolio Organization funding.”