August Blog

This month, we have one of our final capital updates on the big build before we open to the public in October, as well as an update on the Arts and Heritage project and what our staff have been getting up to outside of work.

Check out what we have been up to in the month we launched Bradford Arts Centre to the world…

Capital Update:

With six weeks to go until we welcome you all in things are VERY busy on site! Everywhere you go there’s a strong smell of paint as the decorators work their way through the building putting the finishing touches in. The Clocktower is now finished, and our five new dance studios are all nearing completion. In the theatre our new dressing rooms are being installed and the truss and house lights have all gone in ready for the full fit out to commence soon. It’s definitely all starting to feel very real now!

We also moved out of Bank House, and will be working from home as we prepare for the big move back to St Peter’s House. A huge shoutout to the team from Virgin Media for helping us with all the heavy lifting!

Upcoming Performances:

Tickets for our opening season will be going on sale on the 1^st of September! Most of our events are Give What You Decide, meaning you can book for free and make a separate donation if you wish.

We can’t wait to welcome you into the building to see some fantastic performances from the likes of Jaivant Patel Company, Northern Rascals, Nina Rajarani and more.

Book your tickets from September 1^st here

Arts and Heritage Update:

Over at South Square Centre in Thornton, the Soul Girls launched their art trail in Allerton, with a massive community party at Café West. The art trail celebrates the heritage, identity and creativity of young people and the group worked with a variety of artists and artforms to develop the trail as a way of using art to brighten up the local area. The art trail can be enjoyed over the summer holidays, and a trail map, designed by the Soul Girls, can be picked up from Café West in Allerton. We’re so proud of the girls for working together to create artworks and share their stories with the community!

At Keighley Creative, we’ve been busy with our new programme ‘The Story Huddlers: Tales From The K-Town Cart’. Co-produced by Falling Stars Theatre Company, our K-Town Cart popped up in parks and residential areas, including Cliffe Castle’s 75^th Birthday Party Bradford 2025 event, and Long Lee Village Halls first art and music festival!  Onboard, the Story-Huddlers: actors, performers, and improvisers were on a mission to collect the real stories of Keighley. They chatted to people about their area, community champions, interesting local stories. Then those actors transformed those stories into a lively pop-up performance—created and performed right there on the spot, the very same day! We’ve also celebrated sharing ‘The Secret Life of Parkwood’ children’s map at Parkwood Play Day, supporting Highfield Community Centre at their summer outdoor events, and continuing to work with One In A Million on their bus installation.

What Have Our Staff Been Up To:

Ifty visited Pakistan in August to see his family and friends for a few weeks. He explored different areas and tasted some amazing food, and he really enjoyed the 47 degree weather!

Its been a very arty August for Jess. She closed her solo exhibition ‘Between Mind + Motion’ at Fountain Street Arts after a great 3 months, and celebrated with some closing drinks. She also ran a pottery workshop over at Cliffe Castle as part of their Festival of Archaeology earlier in the month, and had over 250 people come in for the drop in sessions. Finally, she had a week off in the studio at Keighley Creative where she got on with some large scale paintings and did some sculpture work for upcoming exhibitions later this year and next year!

This August, Amer and her kids soaked up every golden ray at Bristol’s Forwards Festival—and what a day it was! With the Downs bathed in sunshine and the city buzzing with energy, they danced their way through an unforgettable set by the sensational ‘Olivia Dean’, whose soulful vocals lit up the stage. From gourmet bites to refreshing sips, the food and drink scene was a feast for the senses. It wasn’t just a festival—it was a full-blown celebration of music, family, and summer magic!

This month Fay celebrated her birthday with a trip to Hornsea with her family. This meant walks on the beach with her dog Ted, attempting to swim in the sea and of course plenty of ice cream!

Venue Hire:

Our beautiful, heritage building is an inspiring, welcoming and inclusive place for your conference, training day, or event.

With our range of flexible spaces – from a fully equipped conference hall to smaller meeting rooms and break out spaces – as well as on-site catering, super-fast free WiFi and great IT support, we can deliver your perfect event.

We offer a city centre location with a host of professional, high-quality spaces at prices tailored to fit all budgets.