How two Yorkshire women are challenging race and class stigmas and stereotypes that still exist in the world of arts and culture

But now both are leading the way for a shift in cultural perceptions and opportunities in Yorkshire.

Kully Thiarai is Creative Director and Chief Executive of Leeds 2023 and Shanaz Gulzar, Chair of Bradford 2025 – Bradford’s UK City of Culture bid 2025 which last month was shortlisted into the final four.

Leeds 2023 came about after the city's bid to be European Capital of Culture was cancelled due to Britain's exit from the EU. However, city leaders decided to press on with work that had already been done and have a £30m year long celebration of culture that everyone could be part of.

The Bradford 2025 bid builds on a ten year cultural strategy for the Bradford district which was announced in May 2021 with ten ambitious targets steered by cultural renaissance to be met by 2031.

Both organisations have already secured massive investment and opportunities for their respective cities, but say it has been a constant battle to change the view that only by being in London could you be successful in arts and culture as well as the views that come with their own backgrounds.

For Ms Gulzar, she grew up in West Yorkshire preparing to study computer science to please her family - until at 17 she met Ms Thiarai, who after having joined a drama group “because she could” while studying social work, ended up working in community theatre. That led to being artistic director of Red Ladder Theatre which prides itself on a radical socialist approach, and also the National Theatre of Wales.

Ms Gulzar said: “The term imposter syndrome has lived with us constantly. Nobody looked like us. The first person that looked like me was Kully and I was 17. I thought people like me are in the arts. Everybody was white. She was a woman and I thought ‘okay I can do this’.”

Even when Ms Gulzar filmed four part series, “Yorkshire Walks”, for the BBC in 2019 questions were asked why a woman, despite being from Keighley, of Pakistan and Muslim background was chosen to present it. Ms Thiarai added: “All the time because of where we have come from, nobody expected us. We had to really fight in terms of gender, race and class and recognition. The journey we have taken has been horrendously more complex and challenging than our peers. I have been working in the arts for 30 years and still when I go to London people think I can’t be any good because I haven’t run a London company.”

The stigma is changing but through Leeds 2023 and Bradford 2025, the cultural events and opportunities this creates, they hope to inspire other people into the sector. Ms Thiarai added: “We see ourselves as siblings and the success of one is the success of another. We know how much creativity and talent there is in our communities. This is about celebrating it, creating pathways for people to embrace these things and flourish. Everybody has a story to tell.”

Bradford is the UK’s sixth largest city and cultural developments currently taking place include a new 4,000 capacity music venue; Bradford Live, due to open later in 2022; the £23m flagship Darley Street Market including a 750-capacity venue; the National Science and Media Museum’s new galleries and the Transforming Cities £50m public realm enhancement programme.

UK City of Culture 2025 will be announced later in spring.