Appendix 2 – Lists of cultural assets in Bradford

In 2021, BOP Consulting undertook a comprehensive mapping of Bradford’s cultural economy. This research mapped cultural provision and infrastructure in the district and compared it to other comparator cities with similar populations – Sheffield and Newcastle & Gateshead.  While this data is now somewhat out of date, it remains very useful for identifying deeply entrenched patterns of investment and provision in the Bradford District. Headlines from this research show a relatively low level of public investment in culture compared to national averages and shows that NPO grants are below half of comparator cities. However, the research shows that local authority spending has maintained despite continued austerity. 

This research identified Bradford’s distinctive creative sector profile, and some unique cultural assets. But it also points out that cultural organisations tend to be smaller and have less production capacity than those in comparator cities such as Sheffield and Newcastle. 

In terms of the theatre scene in Bradford, BOP identified that the district has a similar number of venues compared to other cities of its size. However, the number of seats in these venues is significantly lower. The professional production capacity in Bradford’s theatres is limited, and there is a higher concentration of community and amateur activity compared to other similar cities.

Table 6: Numbers of theatres and seats for Bradford and other cities

Bradford  has fewer cinema screens and slightly fewer music venues than comparable cities. Less of Bradford’s cultural infrastructure is in specific clusters, and there are no distinct areas of cultural focus in planning policy. These characteristics are likely to limit the economic contribution made by the sector.

With regards to the visual arts, Bradford has a similar number of studio spaces to Newcastle and Gateshead, though significantly fewer than Sheffield; however, these are often found in small individual units and there are no large-scale, multi-site operators present. There are also significantly fewer art galleries per person.

Table 7: Visual arts studios and galleries

Source: BOP Consulting, 2020

The capacity for professional theatre production in Bradford is limited, with only two producing theatres (Mind the Gap and Common Wealth). However, although work can be extremely high quality, these theatres are not as well established as in other comparable cities such as Sheffield and Newcastle, where larger production clusters bring in more income to the theatre sector and local economy. For instance, Sheffield Theatres produces around 13 new productions each year, with a mix of artistic, sector development and commercial goals. This includes co-productions with smaller theatres in Sheffield and other UK theatres, as well as commercial partnerships with receiving theatres that increase income. In 2018/19, Sheffield Theatres earned around £2.3 million from production income. In Newcastle, Northern Stage Theatrical Productions at the Playhouse has a procurement spend of around £1.1 million.

Table 8: Cultural assets in Bradford District

Bradford has a strong heritage sector, with a comparable number of museums per head to other city districts and two UNESCO listings. According to BOP’s research in 2020, it also has twice as many listed buildings per head as comparable cities.

Table 9: Museum and Heritage indicators