Ahead of the publication next year of a 10-year cultural strategy, bid director Richard Shaw has revealed the number of people working in the city’s cultural and digital industries could double to more than 10,000 if the submission is successful.

He said: “This last 12 months has brought into sharp focus how important the arts are to Bradford and how important Bradford is to the arts. This is the youngest city in Europe and with 29 per cent of the population under 20 years old, supporting the creative industries is key to unlocking the next generation of skills.”

Bradford will compete against Lancashire, Luton, Medway, Southampton and the Tees Valley for the title which will see the winner secure millions of pounds of investment, and which was heralded as a catalyst for regeneration by Hull that was the UK City of Culture in 2017.

Figures showed that the port city received £219m of new funding, created 800 jobs and, while the long-term legacy is harder to calculate, the benefits of the multi-million pound overhaul of the city centre are still being felt.

Mr Shaw said: “The hunger for UK City of Culture in Bradford is palpable. When we were setting up a steering group we approached almost 30 people thinking that less than half would say yes. In fact everyone jumped at the chance and I think that says a lot about the desire and ambition that there is here.”

Those bidding for UK City of Culture status have to prove not only that it will bring genuine social and economic benefits, but crucially that there is already a foundation of creativity on which to build.

Lisa Mallaghan, of the Bradford Producing Hub, a four-year programme launched to support artists to develop new work, believes that the city’s burgeoning arts scene is ripe to exploit the exposure which would come with the designation.

She said: “This last 12 months has been eye-opening. As well as great institutions like the Alhambra and St George’s Hall there is a whole host of new, up and coming companies producing exciting work.

“This year they have had to work in extraordinary circumstances and yet while we all know how hard the cultural sector has been hit, in Bradford there is so much work in the pipeline, that once audiences are allowed to return we will be ready to go.”

Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture was due to begin in January, but has been pushed back until May owing to coronavirus. The delay may impact on the timescale for future bids, but extensive research to support Bradford’s bid is already under way in readiness for the submission.

Mr Shaw added: “With local authorities facing unprecedented pressures on budgets, it would have been understandable, if disappointing, had Bradford Council decided to scale back its support. However, the reverse has happened. The council recognises how important the arts will be in our post-Covid world and has been unstinting in its support.

“In the 19th century industrialists like Titus Salt realised that as well as successful businesses, great cities also need great arts. The UK City of Culture will be a platform for both economic and cultural excellence and Bradford both needs it and wants it.”

Creatives hold key to Bradford's UK City of Culture 2025 bid - and to economic success