Bradford City of Culture 2025 bid backed by other northern mayors

Bradford’s UK City of Culture bid has been given a major boost after winning the support of high-profile Northern mayors outside West Yorkshire.

In addition to South Yorkshire’s new mayor Oliver Coppard, Bradford’s campaign for the accolade in 2025 is being backed by Liverpool’s Steve Rotheram, who said it would be a “boost for the entire North”,

West Yorkshire Mayor Ms Brabin told the Yorkshire Post that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is also supportive of the bid, which is “about us transforming the North as a crucible of culture”.

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Speaking to this newspaper, Ms Brabin said that all areas of the North would “benefit” if the City of Culture comes to West Yorkshire.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin in November 2021Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin in November 2021
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin in November 2021

“My role is to make the case that this isn’t just about Bradford. This is absolutely about Calderdale and Wakefield and Huddersfield and Halifax,” she explained.

“And also being able to bring the other mayors with me.

“Having spoken to Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram and Oliver Coppard, I was able to say to the panel, ‘they want it for the North, because we will all benefit’.

“It isn’t just about Bradford, it’s about us transforming the North as a crucible of culture.”

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Judges have been visiting Bradford and the other shortlisted locations - Southampton, County Durham, and Wrexham County Borough - in recent days, as they are set to reveal the winning location by the end of this month.

New South Yorkshire mayor Mr Coppard said Bradford winning the title would have the potential to help create a “golden triangle of the North” between South and West Yorkshire as well as Greater Manchester in the fields of culture and creative arts.

He thought the accolade “would show the breadth of talent we have in Yorkshire as a whole”.

He added: “The ambition we have when it comes to culture and creativity they have in West Yorkshire is the ambition we share here in South Yorkshire.

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“There are huge opportunities for us around creative, culture, digital, heritage. All of those things we have in spades in South Yorkshire.

“We want Bradford and West Yorkshire to succeed as much as I’m sure they want us to succeed.

“Over time, I think that what that potentially does is create a network of businesses and opportunities that we can share across not just Leeds, West Yorkshire, Sheffield, Bradford, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster and in all the sort of great cities and towns in terms of Yorkshire but also then extending out to Manchester as well in Greater Manchester. We have this opportunity to create this golden triangle of the North.

“If we can build on that, it is a huge opportunity for all of us.”

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Meanwhile, Mr Rotheram, who represents the Liverpool City Region, said that northern mayors are “working together to achieve” a “stronger northern economy”. Bradford’s bid is a boost for the entire North,” he added.

“I’ve got everything crossed for the city to be crowned the next City of Culture.”

Mr Burnham’s representatives did not offer further comment when approached by the Yorkshire Post yesterday.

Earlier this week, the visiting judges remarked that Bradford had shown “a real hunger” for the title.

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The 10-strong-team led by Sir Phil Redmond took a guided tour on Tuesday, and Sir Phil said of the city: “They’ve got the point that culture is a great catalyst to bring about change,”

“One of the big things about the project is that it gives you a badge of authority to try things differently. It’s an excuse really, to experiment and innovate, and everybody seemed to be well up for that,” he added.