Bradford Creative Economy Pilot

The Project

As part of the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership (YPIP), this project focuses on how culture has the power to transform our lives. Culture connects us to one another, opens new horizons and perspectives, and can be used to build wellbeing and skills. However, many people have limited access to cultural activity, not all communities’ cultures are recognised or valued, and investment and engagement in cultural education and skills programmes has declined significantly over the years.

The ambition of this pilot project is to reaffirm the significance of culture in the lives of communities and its importance to the prosperity of the UK. This project will look at the practical steps which can be taken to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part in culture, be it in a professional or personal capacity.

This project is also associated with efforts to reduce inequalities through support for inclusive business practices by:

• Creating a Yorkshire and Humber inclusive business network to share good practice amongst communities and businesses. 
• Understanding what constitutes good practice through studying local examples.
• Creating a space where disadvantaged communities can come together with employers to understand how they can benefit one another.

The Team

This project is led by Professor Gary Dymski (Director of YPIP) and Kersten England CBE (Co-director of YPIP) under Work Package 2B. Gary and Kersten are supported by a team of researchers and non-academics across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Find out more

Visit the Bradford 2025 City of Culture website to find out more about this project and YPIP's involvement in Bradford's creative industries.

Keep an eye on this page for more news and reports from this project!