The UK’s youngest city counts down to 2025

A group of young people stand in a line in a Bradford street

Published January 22, 2024

Jan 22 2024

We’re marking the 12-month countdown to Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture by launching programmes that ensure young people from across the district are at the heart of the celebration.

The passion and drive of our district’s young people was instrumental in helping us secure the title of UK City of Culture 2025. Opportunities for the younger generation remain a key focus as we launch of a range of paid work, training placements and a Youth Panel that will inform planning and decision-making.

Youth Panel

Almost 50 young people from all corners of the district applied in December 2023 for a role on Bradford 2025’s Youth Panel, which offers people aged 16–22 a unique opportunity to help shape and plan activities across programming, education and training, audience engagement and more.

Some 17 young people have now been recruited from a diverse range of backgrounds, including GCSE and A-level pupils, university students studying film and Artificial Intelligence, a care worker and a finance apprentice.

Bradford is a really big thing for me, being born here and living here, and I love seeing Bradford getting amazing things. Bradford 2025 is going to change my city and I joined the Youth Panel so I could be a part of the change.

Young Creatives

A new 18-month Young Creatives scheme – supported by a £250,000 grant from the Bradford-based Harry & Mary Foundation, which focuses on improving the education and wellbeing of under-25s – is offering 10 young people the opportunity to work in Bradford 2025’s Producing and Engagement departments. Paid at the Living Wage Foundation rate, these young people will have the unique opportunity to work behind the scenes on creative programming and events planning for Bradford 2025.

Young Creatives will be delivered in partnership with Bradford School of Art and Bradford College, enabling the cohort to gain vital on the job experience while working towards a Level 4 Professional Diploma in Creative Enterprise.

The programme aligns with our key principles of enhancing educational opportunities and improving the wellbeing of young people. Through this programme we hope that these young people flourish, learn new skills and go on to be excellent ambassadors for Bradford.

Bradford 2025 Apprenticeships

We’ve also announced six paid apprenticeship roles across various Bradford 2025 departments, including Marketing, Digital, Producing and Operations. Delivered in partnership with Access Creative College, the UK’s industry-led creative college, the programme is part of our remit to enhance skills and training opportunities for young people.

These full-time paid apprenticeships are equipping young people with skills in their chosen fields, offering hands-on experience of working on a once-in-a-generation cultural programme on their doorstep. Further apprenticeship opportunities will be announced in the coming months.

We are creating opportunities for young people throughout our year of culture, and this is one of many. I was very impressed when I met the Youth Panel applicants – they demonstrated the breadth and depth of talent in the district.