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UK City of Culture 2025: Bradford launches bid

Jack King A still from We Are All BradfordJack King
The We Are All Bradford film by Jack King is the first commission for the bid and features people from across the district

Bradford has launched its bid to host UK City of Culture in 2025.

Community and cultural leaders gathered at an arts centre to watch a short film called We Are All Bradford.

Mary Dowson, who is leading the city's bid, said it was "all about pride and resilience, innovation and creativity."

The city council has pledged £400,000 towards the bid as part of a £1.4m package for cultural investment in the city.

Karol Wyszynski Tech Style 5 at Kala SangamKarol Wyszynski
Organisers said 29% of people in Bradford are under 20 and almost 25% are under 16

"Bradford is four times the size of previous title holder Derry and twice the size of Hull, yet it has some of the lowest levels of cultural engagement in in the UK," Ms Dowson said.

Organisers have also said it is the "youngest" city in Europe - with 29% of people aged under 20 and almost 25% under 16 - and is also one of the most diverse in the UK.

Earlier this year the BBC's We Are Bradford highlighted untold stories from communities across the city.

The project engaged people of all ages to tell the stories which mattered to them.

Organisers of the culture bid said: "The team came up with the (We Are All Bradford) name and when we realised it was not a giant leap from the BBC's 'We Are Bradford' we really liked the fact that we were building on something that worked really well."

Hull, the current UK City of Culture, attracted more than five million people in 2017.

According to a 2018 report by Hull University, almost 800 new jobs were created between 2013 and 2016. In 2017, one in four Hull businesses recruited new staff.

Tim Smith Bradford MelaTim Smith
The Bradford bid will also hold a launch in London later
Nigel Hillier St George's Hall, BradfordNigel Hillier
The bid needs to "challenge perceptions of a city", Mary Dowson, who is leading the city's bid, said

Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford City Council, said the bid would have "social and economic benefits" for the Bradford district.

The UK City of Culture title was created following the success of Glasgow and Liverpool as EU Capitals of Culture in 1990 and 2008 respectively.

The British Council has said the title "can become increasingly effective in sparking or strengthening international cultural relationships".

Coventry has already been named as the next UK City of Culture in 2021.

Other bids for the 2025 title include Medway, Tees Valley, Lancashire, Luton and Southampton.

The winner is expected to be announced in December 2021.

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