Bradford’s arts sector benefits from some investment by Arts Council England (ACE), but despite being the 5th largest metropolitan district by population in England, ACE investment is only ranked 78th out of 180 authorities. While the district has 12 ACE National Portfolio Organisations (NPO), there is no major orchestra in Bradford and no producing theatre on the scale of, for example, Sheffield Crucible or Leeds Playhouse. The district also has only one NPO in visual arts (Impressions Gallery).
However, positive changes are happening. The last 2 rounds of NPO awards included the additions of the Bradford Literature Festival, Bronte Society, Common Wealth, Tranquil Productions, Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company, and Bradford Museum Galleries. However, the sector also saw the loss of NPO funding to Artworks and Freedom Studios, and Bradford still has no major producing theatre or music NPO. In 2019, Bradford also won a major new investment from ACE to become one of its new Creative People and Places locations, as well as one of only two pilot producing hubs in England.
The Arts Council will invest over £10million between 2023-26 in Bradford, an increase of 89%. This includes a significant increase in funding for the Bradford Literature Festival, now over £1m per year and Kala Sangam saw the largest percentage increase in ACE funding.
The table below shows recent ACE funding rounds awards for Bradford District between 2023-26. Sites in Yorkshire and the Humber were supported with £124m, or 8.72% of the total. The total value for the Bradford recipients is £5,533,539.
Table 5: Recent ACE funding rounds awards for Bradford District between 2023-2026
Grant Type/Round |
Organisation |
Value |
Genre |
Constituency |
CRF 1 Grants |
Artwork Creative Communities |
£50,707 |
Combined arts |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
BD Band |
£76,080 |
Music |
Bradford South |
CRF 1 Grants |
Bradford Museum & Galleries |
£208,536 |
Museums |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Bradford Theatres |
£894,423 |
Theatre |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Culture Squared CIC |
£139,707 |
Literature |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Fuse Art Space CIC |
£66,250 |
Combined arts |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Hive Bradford |
£52,000 |
Visual arts |
Shipley |
CRF 1 Grants |
Ilkley Playhouse |
£60,454 |
Theatre |
Keighley |
CRF 1 Grants |
Jam on Top |
£60,147 |
Music |
Keighley |
CRF 1 Grants |
Kala Sangam |
£123,000 |
Combined arts |
Bradford East |
CRF 1 Grants |
Mind the Gap |
£150,000 |
Theatre |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Nightrain Entertainment Ltd. |
£143,255 |
Music |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
Stage 84 Performing Arts Ltd. |
£50,000 |
Theatre |
Bradford East |
CRF 1 Grants |
The Brick Box |
£70,003 |
Combined arts |
Bradford West |
CRF 1 Grants |
The Bronte Society |
£119,200 |
Museums |
Keighley |
CRF 1 Grants |
The Stage Management Company (UK) Ltd. |
£50,000 |
Not discipline specific |
Bradford East |
CRF 1 Grants |
Thornton and Allterton Community Association |
£52,592 |
Visual arts |
Keighley |
CRF 1 Grants |
Thought Bubble Festival |
£51,000 |
Visual arts |
Keighley |
CRF 1 Grants |
UK Tech-Fest |
£45,529 |
Music |
Shipley |
CRF 1 Capital Kick-start |
None |
|
|
|
CRF 1 Emergency Grassroots |
None |
|
|
|
CRF 2 Grants |
509ArtsLtd |
£45,000 |
Theatre |
Shipley |
CRF 2 Grants |
Actors Touring Company |
£58,974 |
Theatre |
Shipley |
CRF 2 Grants |
Bingley Little Theatre |
£76,045 |
Theatre |
Shipley |
CRF 2 Grants |
BD Band |
£38,040 |
Music |
Bradford South |
CRF 2 Grants |
Bradford Theatres |
£445,000 |
Theatre |
Bradford West |
CRF 2 Grants |
Culture Squared CIC |
£552,246 |
Literature |
Keighley |
CRF 2 Grants |
Fuse Art Space CIC |
£33,125 |
Combined arts |
Bradford East |
CRF 2 Grants |
Ilkley Literature Festival Ltd. |
£27,000 |
Literature |
Keighley |
CRF 2 Grants |
Kala Sangam |
£61,500 |
Combined arts |
Bradford East |
CRF 2 Grants |
Mind the Gap |
£33,915 |
Theatre |
Bradford West |
CRF 2 Grants |
Pro Audio Systems Ltd. |
£263,697 |
Not discipline specific |
Bradford West |
CRF 2 Grants |
The Beat-Herder Ltd. |
£510,573 |
Music |
Keighley |
CRF 2 Grants |
The Brick Box |
£35,000 |
Combined arts |
Bradford West |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
509ArtsLtd |
£41,000 |
Theatre |
Shipley |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
Culture Squared CIC |
£732,559 |
Literature |
Bradford West |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
Fuse Art Space CIC |
£39,735 |
Combined arts |
Bradford West |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
Ilkley Literature Festival Ltd |
£27,000 |
Literature |
Keighley |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
Nightrain Entertainment Ltd. |
£25,247 |
Music |
Bradford West |
CRF 3 Continuity Support |
Stage 84 Performing Arts Ltd. |
£25,000 |
Theatre |
Bradford East |
CRF 3 ERS Round 1 |
None |
|
|
|
CRF 3 ERS Round 2 |
None |
|
|
|