Wednesday 25 March 2026
9 AM - 7 PM
Bradford Arts Centre
St Peter's House, 1 Forster Square, Bradford, BD1 4TY
£0 +
Tickets are priced on a Pay What You Can model
A one-day conference uniting the arts and culture sector to explore the power of place-based collaboration.
Connecting Culture: The Bradford Way is a one-day public conference sharing Bradford’s model for place-based culture.
Bringing together artists, freelancers, producers, funders, policymakers and cultural leaders from Bradford and beyond, the event programme will explore the following themes:
- Learning and Looking Forward
Artists, cultural leaders and policymakers reflect on how Bradford’s collaborative spirit secured and delivered the 2025 UK City of Culture. Includes early findings from Bradford 2025 evaluation, new research, and sector needs analysis from The Bradford Way. - Connecting Culture
A day-long hub for networking and exchange. Expect opportunity boards, spaces to connect, and a live broadcast with BCB Radio to extend the conversation across the district. - The Bradford Way
Stories of collaboration and creativity in Bradford. Hear 10-Minute Tales of ‘Bradfordness’, discover projects strengthening the local creative ecology, and explore case studies from The Bradford Way partnership. - Start with Art and Close with Culture
Art is at the heart of the day, and creativity will open, punctuate and close the event.
Marking a moment to unite the arts and culture sector, the conference aims to help shape the District’s creative future beyond its landmark UK City of Culture 2025 year. Attendees will hear how collaborative place-based working aids sector stability and raises the ambition of local arts and culture development.
The full programme for the conference will be announced in February 2026, and will include an introductory plenary session with Bradford 2025 Executive Director Dan Bates, Creative Director Shanaz Gulzar, and Director for Northern Economy and Partnerships at Arts Council England, Pete Massey – to reflect on the collaborative spirit that will share the legacy of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
Delegates will also have the opportunity for one-to-one sessions with potential funders, to attend curated screenings by the Yorkshire Film Archive.
Who this event is for
- Creatives, freelancers and arts and culture organisations
- National policymakers and culture funders
- Representatives from towns and cities invested in cultural planning and placemaking
- Anyone interested in how culture can drive change and raise local creative ambition
Booking opens at 9 AM on Thursday 4 December 2025
To ensure this event is accessible to all, tickets are priced on a Pay What You Can model. Custom donations are also warmly received to help continue the work of The Bradford Way – thank you.
More about The Bradford Way
The Bradford Way is one of the largest Arts Council England-funded Place Partnerships, bringing together Bradford Producing Hub, Bradford Cultural Voice Forum, The Leap and Bradford Council.
This long-term partnership is building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient cultural ecosystem – creating opportunities for local creatives, supporting grassroots projects, and laying strong foundations for a thriving cultural future across the Bradford district.
Established in 2024, the programme was designed to strengthen the district’s cultural community – including those behind the once-in-a-generation achievement of securing UK City of Culture status. Each partner is deeply embedded in the city and district, making them perfectly placed to deliver a plan for culture that goes far beyond 2025 – and one that fosters cultural and heritage development, creates positive change, and lays strong foundations for a thriving cultural future that feels authentic to and for the people of Bradford.
“Bradford is young, ambitious, and creative – and we do things our own way. The Bradford Way is our lasting commitment to our district and how we celebrate that uniqueness. This conference is about the bigger picture for Bradford and what comes next. 2025 has been an outstanding, transformational moment in our story. Through The Bradford Way, we will continue to celebrate and inspire our ‘Bradfordness’ for years to come, using culture as the hook to prove what’s possible.”
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