BOLD! is about testing new ideas, reflecting the range of voices, stories and experiences found across our city, told by the artists who live and work here.

At this event, we saw work in development from artists at different stages in their career. As an audience member, we were invited to feedback on the performances we saw, shaping the direction of each piece and contributing to the development of new creative ideas.

It was a vibrant, generous space, for experimentation and creative dialogue. A place to come together with other creatives to celebrate and support the development of work in live performance in Bradford.

A Scratch Night is a space to test new ideas in front of a live audience. It’s an opportunity to get a sneak peak of original, never-before-seen performance. The name comes from the idea of starting ‘from scratch’. It’s for work that’s in it’s early stages, unfinished and open to change.

At BOLD!, each artist shares a short extract of a performance in development. You get to experience something raw and original, and your feedback helps shape what comes next.

Established in 2022, BOLD! supports local creatives, bold ideas and stories, making space for testing, connecting and developing new performance.

BOLD! is all about creating a supportive platform to present work in early stages of development. We’re here to champion new ideas, connect people through performance, and develop Bradford’s creative scene. It offers a space for artists to come together, to connect with the audiences they speak to, collaborate and reflect on the work they make.

Hassan Fazane Khan

Hassan is a multidisciplinary artist, actor and director from Bradford whose work blends social realism with poetic storytelling, drawing from working-class life and lived experience.

His new mockumentary is a follow-up to BD1, and an early exploration into music, character and place, inspired by French New Wave and Turkish cinema. Set across two sides of a city, it plays with gothic realism and documentary style to explore adolescence, identity and survival.

Lucie Lee Sykes

Lucie is a dance and digital artist-researcher based in West Yorkshire, combining contemporary dance with motion capture and immersive technology.

The Curious Incident of the Intellect is a dynamic dance-theatre piece following Tara on a journey to find calm, guided by mystical friend Wilma. Blending movement and digital visuals, the work reflects on how we navigate challenges and find renewal in ourselves.

Tahir Shah and Mustafa Chaudhry

Tahir and Mustafa are actor-writers working across theatre, screen and community arts, with a shared focus on storytelling that centres identity, friendship and culture.

Starplex is a brand new two-hander set during one unforgettable night shift in a small independent cinema. As best mates Saj and Zaf wrestle with dodgy popcorn, big dreams and real-life drama, this funny and heartfelt preview captures the magic of friendship and ambition behind the scenes.