Bradford has hit the headlines again. Typical. I know what you're thinking. What is it this time? Race riots? Social unrest? Has it been named top of a list of least desirable places to live in the UK? Maybe.
But Bradford is in this headline because of one of the most positive arts events I have witnessed all summer.
Next year, the Government is making money available for cities and organisations to claim for cultural events as part of the lead up to t
he Olympics – the Government's way of proving it hasn't forgotten that the Games are not just about the sporting prowess of the nation.
Ahead of the coffers being opened for what is called the Cultural Olympiad, some cities around the country are making an early bid for the money by showing how good an event they can stage without funding.
Bradford's "if we can do this without your funding, imagine what we can do with it" idea was to base a weekend in the city centre around dance.
And so it was on Friday night I stood and watched an hour-long contemporary dance piece along with several hundred other residents of the city.
The September sun had given way to a cold evening and there I was in the middle of a cultural combination I never thought I'd witness: Bradford city centre, hundreds of peaceful audience members, and contemporary dance.
It was extraordinary.
Controversial architect Will Alsop's idea for Bradford was – and I'm paraphrasing – to flood it. Well, last Friday I saw a much better way for the city centre to be flooded – with people appreciating a piece of art.
The dance piece was performed by Top-9, a Russian break-dancing group and considered by those in the know to be one of the world's best.
In between the breathtaking bouts of athleticism on display with their body-popping, there was enough contemporary dance on stage to fill a programme by Phoenix Dance Theatre.
With all the negative connotations that normally follow the writing of the name Bradford, it is a joy to be able to report something positive for the city.
The Russian dance troupe were performing as part of a weekend of dance which featured artists from Yorkshire and around the world.
Enough praise cannot be heaped on the organisers of this event for making it happen – yes, I am praising Bradford Council.
There is, however, a caveat.
I happened to be in Bradford; a straw poll of the audience revealed that I was not alone. Very few in the audience were in the city centre for the event, most happened to be there anyway, or passing by, and
decided to stop.
If the city is going to stage more of these events, and I hope after the success of last weekend that it will, it needs to bang the drum more loudly and tell people what is happening.
There are enough complaints about negative publicity – well, the council should be shouting the positives from the rooftops.
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