2019 Event Highlights | Visit Bradford

The dates we are most looking forward to in 2019.  The best events and exhibitions taking place in Bradford & District.

February – Yorkshire Games Festival is a five-day extravaganza celebrating games culture, design and production, with special guests, workshops, master classes, and a fun-packed weekend for gamers of all ages at the National Science + Media Museum.

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May till September – Bunnies will be bouncing all over Cartwright Hall art gallery.  Peter Rabbit: Mischief & Mayhem hops, skips and jumps right off the page in an interactive exhibition about Beatrix Potter’s most famous creation.

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May – Turn back the clock at Haworth 1940s Weekend a full programme of WWII and 1940s themed entertainment and events. 

 

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June – Oarsome!  Bradford Dragon Boats a fun filled three-day family festival with dragon boat racing along the river Aire at Saltaire and landside attractions.

 

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June/July – Bradford Literature Festival, hailed as one of the most inspirational festivals in the UK. With over 500 events packed into iconic venues across 10 days, featuring world-renowned authors, poets, musicians and artists. Bradford truly is the place to be 28th June- 7th July!

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July – Taking place exactly 50 years after the first humans landed on the moon, the 2019 Bradford Science Festival looks at space travel among its main attractions.  Celebrate science and technology in a fun, family-friendly environment.  An out-of-this-world weekend.

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September – Bradford is to host the start of the Women’s Elite Road Race at the 2019 World Championships based in Yorkshire. See top-class athletes in our district over two days of this prestigious event.

 

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October – Ilkley Literature Festival, the longest running festival of its kind in the North of England.  Over 200 events over seventeen days • Authors’ events, Readings, Performances, Workshops, Literary Walks, Poetry, Festival Fringe, Children’s and Young People’s Weekend.

 

Find the best things to do all year with our visit Bradford events calendar & guide. visitbradford.com/events

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Stories from women across the north inspire new dance show at Kala Sangam

North East based Company of Others are listening to real life experiences from women across the North to create a new dance production which will premiere at Kala Sangam and tour in Spring 2019.

Crackle. Dust. is a Co-Created dance theatre production with women from across the North of England. The production positively represents women by sharing their experiences of endings that have had a life changing impact through movement, live sound and spoken word. The show is a poetic unveiling of women’s resilience, a call to action for us all to listen more carefully and a sharing of power. Performed by an exquisitely diverse ensemble of 6 female performers Crackle. Dust. witnesses and celebrates the silence breakers, survivors and the hopeful in our region whilst remaining universal.

‘Beautiful & Urgent’ Audience Member

‘Brilliant Representation and Integrity’ Audience Member

Crackle. Dust. is a love letter to women everywhere who have survival stories that may have never been told, and is a celebration of their strength, intuition and courage.

Newcastle based, Artistic Director Nadia Iftkhar, has been inspired by the women in her life to make this work. Nadia says:

‘In today’s world we are surrounded by stories in the media of experiences from women who already have a platform yet we can overlook the stories of those closest to us; grandmothers, mothers, sisters, colleagues and friends. These stories often go untold, even though there are so many lessons in those experiences and so many women who want to feel heard and witnessed. Crackle. Dust. is my way of readdressing the balance and sharing stories of women from across the North and celebrating their resilience’.

 As part of the research Nadia will be listening and collecting stories from women until February 2019 and then inviting the women into rehearsals to help her shape how their experience is performed on stage.

‘So many women have contacted me with complete honesty in their words and I feel an incredible responsibility to represent their stories with care and empathy. I want women from all walks of life to see themselves reflected in the show, to share with us a celebration of the great things women can achieve and their resilience to overcoming the impossible’.

Crackle. Dust. is Company of Others’ first full length production in collaboration with Sound Designer Caro C, Set and Costume Designer Nicolai Hart Hansen, Lighting Designer Lucy Hansom and Performers Sophie Hutchinson, Susan Betts, Alicia Meehan, Emma Holt and Jenna Ann Nathan.

Company of Others is a story of success in itself. Artistic Director, Nadia Iftkhar, has been working with communities in the North East for over 10 years before founding Company of Others in 2016. During its inaugural year, the company was selected by Arts Council England to be awarded Elevate Funds in order to strengthen the organisation in recognition of Nadia’s important contribution to diversity and equality within the arts in the North.

Alex Croft, Creative Director at Kala Sangam said:

‘Bringing communities together, and ensuring people’s voices are heard, is central to everything we do at Kala Sangam so I’m delighted we’re presenting the premiere of this important new work here in Bradford. We’ve supported Company of Others throughout the project and it’s been incredible to see the words, experiences and memories of women from throughout Bradford’s communities brought to life. I think it’s going to be a moving, thought provoking, must-see piece of theatre.’

Do you have a story to tell? Nadia will be at Kala Sangam to listen to stories from women in Yorkshire who want to tell their stories in person, between 11am and 3pm on Friday 20^th December 2018.  To book a slot or find out more about how to tell your story – email: nadia@companyofothers.org.uk or to share your experience anonymously, please post it to: Nadia Iftkhar (Company of Others), Kala Sangam Arts Centre, St Peter’s House, 1 Forster Square, Bradford, BD1 4TY.

 

In the City #IlluminateBradford

We welcome Illuminate Bradford this weekend, experience three days of magical acts amazing performances, interactive installations and colourful street theatre.    See our amazing 3D video show projected onto City Hall then wander out and discover surprising happenings around the city centre. (30 Nov – 2 Dec: Fri 5-8.45pm, Sat 4-8.45pm, Sun 4-8.15pm.)

Make a day of it, explore the city, go shopping, have a bite to eat…. create wonderful memories,  illuminated brilliantly.

Our top highlights

wur bradford‏ – Join us @BradfordMarkets Oastler this Saturday 1st December for a Meet The Traders guided walk for #SmallBizSatUK. Places free but limited, email to book!

‘Made Bradford’ is delighted to be hosting its first arts and crafts night market at the Illuminate Bradford 2018! Stalls of handmade goodies produced by local artists, crafters, designers and producers.  The creative traders offer a wide variety of products including art, fashion, jewellery, accessories and homewares as well as a great range of food.

CreativeEye2018‏ – Hey, photographers a meetup and chat all things creative, images, photography at Bread and Roses, North Parade.  Saturday 1st Dec 1.00pm-3.00pm Drop in and have coffee then #IlluminateBradford

Impressions Gallery‏ at City Park – We can’t wait for #IlluminateBradford this weekend! Look out for eyeSay, a dynamic projection on the side of Impressions Gallery all about Bradford, from 5pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Visit Bradford‏ – Look out for our new #SparklingBradford Snapchat filter tomorrow at #IlluminateBradford. Don’t forget to share your selfies with us. (Friday, Saturday & Sunday between 5pm-8pm) #Bradford

TheBroadwayBradford‏ – This Saturday we will play host to a very special visitor, as Father Christmas himself visits the centre to have breakfast with the children of Bradford in the first instalment of #BreakfastWithSanta (Booking necessary)

The Snowman and The Snowdog… The Broadway welcomes everyone’s favourite Christmas characters The Snowman™ and The Snowdog. Meet them at intervals throughout the day this Saturday 1 December 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm Free event, no booking required.

Light Cinema Bradford‏ – He’s mean, he’s green and he’s back on our screens! Don’t miss Benedict Cumberbatch voicing #TheGrinch for just £7.99 for an adult ticket over the weekend.

Food & Drink

Our Taste of Bradford Trail has something for everyone and recommends some of the best places in Bradford to get your food fix.  Bradford is home to delicious and exciting options, from the modern to the traditional, Bradford can cater for you.

Sunbridge Wells Nr. City Park – It’s all looking wonderful here @BearsPantry Get Yourselves down for some delicious food options only in Sunbridge Wells.

Brick Box Rooms at Ivegate – If you’re heading to #IlluminateBradford this weekend, call in at our twinkly little bar on Ivegate in #Bradford for some mulled wine when you’re done, or get it to take out so you can sip it while you watch the lights at @CityParkBD

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We love seeing your pictures so tag us in @visitbradford or hashtag #IlluminateBradford

For the full listing of things to do in December in Bradford & District take a look at our events calendar. Find the best Sparkling Bradford & district Christmas events and festive activities including, pantos and Santa visits.

Daredevil & Firework Stunt Show Spectacular at Odsal Stadium

Are you looking to spice up your Saturday night? Head over to Odsal Stadium to see the Firework and Daredevil spectacular, where kids GO FREE!

If you make your way down to the home of the Bulls, you will witness a show to remember as the daredevil stunt team take to the skies.

Not only will the motocross bikes hit the ramps and the monster trucks take to the famous Odsal oval, a colour explosion will light up the skies when the fireworks round off a perfect evening.

Before the evening kicks off you can take a trip to the Saltaire Brewery Festival to taste some of Yorkshires finest ales.

You really don’t want to miss out on this event. It’s going to be a fantastic night for the entire family.

Tickets:

Terrace – Juniors £6 / Adult £14

Provident Stand – Juniors £6 / Adult £18

Under 5s GO FREE!

Reserved seating and VIP indoor tickets are available now – CLICK HERE for more information.

Live Cinema Event – Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old

Colourised footage artistic rendition 2018 – THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD by WingNut Films with Peter Jackson. Original black and white film © IWM

From Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, the groundbreaking documentary film has been created to mark the centenary of the First World War.

A nationwide live cinema event on the 16th October 2018 will see cinemas across the country simultaneously screening THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD in 2D and 3D including a live broadcast from the film’s World Premiere at the BFI London Film Festival; cinema goers will get to see red carpet arrivals and a Q&A with Peter Jackson hosted by film critic Mark Kermode as a live telecast from the premiere.

Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, and Imperial War Museums, in association with the BBC, THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD has been created exclusively with original footage from Imperial War Museums’ film archive and audio from BBC archives.

The internationally renowned director has combined his personal fascination with the period and his Academy Award winning directorial skills to bring the First World War to life in a way never seen before.  THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD uses the voices of the veterans combined with original archival footage to bring to life the reality of war on the front line for a whole new generation. Footage has been colourised, converted to 3D and transformed with modern production techniques to present never before seen detail.

For more information including participating Bradford cinemas, please visit:  https://theyshallnotgrowold.film

Titus Salt’s Great Grandson to Show Unique Heirlooms at Heritage Open Days

Nick Salt, great great grandson of Sir Titus and great-grandson of Titus Jr and Catherine Salt, will be at Milner Field Farm in Gilstead on 8 and 9 September.  He’ll be one of the guides at the Heritage Open Days organised by Saltaire History Club.

Nick, who lives in Wales, plans to bring with him and to display, precious family heirlooms – Titus Jr’s handtools and items that he made.

Titus Jr was the Salt who, in 1869, built the sumptuous Milner Field mansion in Gilstead.

Now a ruin, so prestigious was it that the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) visited in 1882.

Nick tells us that Titus Jr was always interested in practical skills as well as being closely involved in the running of Saltaire’s mill and village.  He was a skilled woodworker and turner.  Milner Field mansion included a private workshop or ‘Turning Room’ attached to the Billiard Room.

Nick still has many elegant woodworking tools (some of them made using exotic hardwoods and brass and stamped ‘T. Salt Jnr.’) together with Titus Jr’s mahogany workbench, complete with a vice and green felt-lined drawers. Some tools were manufactured by identifiable Bradford makers.

Nick also has some of the items Titus Jr created, including the inscribed ivory mason’s mallet used by Jr’s very young son Gordon – Nick’s grandfather – to lay the foundation stone of Milner Field in 1869. Along with other objects, it will be on display at the Open Days.

Chair of the Saltaire History Club, Colin Coates, observes that “This unique object directly links those coming to our Milner Field event to the construction of the now-lost mansion and to the legendary Salt family”.

Tickets for the event are free and can be obtained from Eventbrite where full details of the event can be found.

For further information, contact the event organiser Les Brook at 01274 590537 or Email

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This event is part of the Saltaire Festival and Heritage Open Days.

Experience local history, architecture and culture! Go explore! For the full listing of Heritage Open Days events taking place across Bradford & district.

New Inflatables Theme Park FUNZY coming to Bradford’s Leisure Exchange

A unique inflatable theme park will be opening in Bradford on the Wednesday, 8th August.  ‘FUNZY’ is located at the Bradford Leisure Exchange and will be West Yorkshire’s “biggest” inflatable theme park and is designed for people of all ages.

The park 10,000 sq ft. will include a giant bouncy area with an inflatable obstacle course, a ball park with a separate smaller play area for toddlers under the age of four.

The play area at the new FUNZY inflatable theme park will cost adults £9.95 per hour, and £5.95 per hour for children under four years old.  Look Out for special offers by Following Funzy on social media platforms under the name of funzythemepark or sign up to the newsletter to stay informed.

There will also be adults only sessions, as well as ladies only sessions with fitness classes incorporating Zumba, which is an aerobic fitness exercise performed to music.

The Leisure Exchange is easily accessible via train/bus from all over West Yorkshire to Bradford Interchange Station.

Funzy will offer an alternative environment for family celebrations, such as birthdays and special occasions with a private party room with capacity of 50 hosted by trained staff to provide everything you would want in a birthday – several hours of supervised fun on the play structures with cake and ice cream and prizes. 

Booking is subject to availability, we highly recommend online booking to avoid disappointment.

For more information, visit funzy.co.uk

 

Go behind the scenes on a Saltaire Brewery tour

Starting on Saturday 21 July, guided tours will give behind the scenes access at Saltaire Brewery in Shipley, allowing visitors to witness what goes into making real Yorkshire beer before sampling a selection of its award-winning brews.

Following a £1.3 million investment in 2017, guests will be shown around the newly developed brewery, home to a semi-automated 40-barrel brew kit.

Ewen Gordon, managing director at Saltaire Brewery, said: “We are thrilled to invite people inside the brewhouse, with our fantastic new equipment, it’s something we’ve always wanted to do. The beer industry is so exciting to our customers who are increasingly interested in learning all about the ingredients and processes behind creating their favourite beers.

“We have a true drive and clear passion for making great beer and we can’t wait to share this with our customers. Launching brewery tours is just one of many new and exciting developments taking place at Saltaire Brewery this year – stay tuned!”

To celebrate the launch, Saltaire Brewery is also running a social media competition on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to give its followers the chance to win two places on a brewery tour and a £50 bar tab at the Brewery Tap.

Tours are bookeable via Eventbrite and priced at £12 per person, each tour will last around one hour and will conclude with a tasting flight onsite. With a maximum of 12 visitors per tour, disabled access is available. No under 18s allowed and sensible shoes must be worn. Private tours are also available. For more information, visit www.saltairebrewery.co.uk

 

Things to do in June | Visit Bradford

Find out what events and festivals are taking place in June.We’ve picked top events to help you plan your next day out in June.

This summer marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë, and the celebrations will start in Thornton. South Square gallery will mark the occasion with exhibition ‘Of Real Worlds’ which features multi sensory work by local artists as well as pupils from Thornton’s schools.

The only known surviving portrait of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë together painted by their 17-year-old brother Branwell in 1834 will be on display at the Brontë Parsonage until the end of August before returning to the National Portrait Gallery.

The Five Rise Beer Festival will be taking place June 1 & 2 at Bingley Arts Centre. More than 70 beers, ciders and perries will be available at the festival, including some from local breweries.

Winner of six Tony Awards including best musical, Throughly Modern Millie is coming to the Alhambra Theatre, June 7-9.

Sunday June 10, come and explore historic displays and buy beautiful modern craft and artworks all in the magnificent setting of Cliffe Castle Museum. Stalls will include textiles, fashion, ceramics, photography and jewellery.  Then head outside where you can enjoy music in the newly restored Cliffe Castle Park. There will be live music featuring Hurricane Blue and 2 Rivers Swing Band.

Be sure to check out the Denso Marston Reserve, June 9 for the annual ‘Celebration Day‘ a fun day filled with activities, pond dipping, walks, games, refreshments and more…

Experience a rare opportunity to hear the magical, ancient sound of the Santoor at Kala Sangam, June 16. Kala Sangam welcomes Ustad Kiranpal Singh, one of the leading masters of the Santoor in the UK and Europe, to Bradford for a rare performance.

Steam, diesel, big, small, old and new! It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 24 June – 1 July.

Our Hotpick! Bradford Dragon Boat Festival Adrenalin fuelled dragon boat racing on the river Aire, and land side attractions for the whole family to enjoy. 22-24 Roberts Park, Saltaire.

Shipley Street Arts Festival returns this summer (June 29 -July 1) at Shipley’s market square with a day of circus attractions.  A wide range of entertainment will additionally be on offer at the Rae Gala, held at Northcliffe Woods on July 1, including donkey rides, ferret racing, face painting, and the Bradford Model Engineering Society will be offering rides on the miniature railway.

Bradford Literature Festival celebrates the written and spoken word. This year’s festival takes place between 30 June  – 8 July. Hailed as one of the most inspirational festivals in the UK. With over 500 events packed into iconic venues across 10 days.

If mods, rockers, Lambrettas and the Beatles evoke fond memories, then Haworth is the place to be 30 June – 1 July. Come along get dressed up and have a fun weekend at Haworth 1960s Weekend!

Bradford stands together to remember the courage and bravery of our armed forces at a special drumhead service, June 30 on Armed Forces Day.

Be inspired! visitbradford.com/events

May Instagram Round-Up| #visitbradford

Our favourite happy and inspirational images tagged #VisitBradford on Instagram for the month of May.

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Sights You Have To See –

Cartwright Hall

Wool Exchange

buttonmk Peaceful and colourful here at #listerpark earlier today! #visitbradford

tallpaul84  Had such a good day off today, milling around my hometown of Bradford where I paid a visit to the best and most wonderful bookshop in the world!

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Top Attractions –

gilly.qfe  Salts Mill

gilly.qfe  When you go to Pudsey for a vintage home fair & you realise you’re a day early. Only one thing to do pop over to Salt’s Mill, Saltaire & inhale some Arrival of Spring, David Hockney 👌😁

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Activities for Children –

Parks & Woodland

Shipley Glen Tramway

happy.little.learners  One of the best play places you can take a child to is undoubtedly the woods! We have a couple of woods near us that we like to visit at St Ives, Bingley and Chellow Dene Reservoir.

edenbooksknits  We went to Shipley Glen Tramway yesterday, I had never been despite not living that far away for a good few years. It’s a lovely little funicular tram that goes up and down the hill at the weekends. We walked down but you can buy a day rover and just ride all day if you like. I’d love to come back when it’s dark enough to turn all the festoon lights going up the tramway on.

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Highlight! Haworth 1940s Weekend –

jamiedobsonphotographer This is a fun shot from Sunday at the #Haworth 1940’s weekend.

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The Great Outdoors #NationalWalkingMonth 

St Ives Estate, Bingley

Windhill – Wrose

tobyandmay  St Ives ‘Love this beautiful park.’

Ka_ewka  Windhill and Wrose – ‘Moments to remember…’

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geoffshackleton3788 Early morning walk on the Leeds & Liverpool canal

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Looking forward to June! Follow @visitBradford and tag us in your top post on Instagram #visitbradford. with a chance to feature in our ‘Round-Up’ of the month.

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