BRADFORD 2025: RISE for magical year, says Bradford UK City of Culture's Shanaz Gulzar - PODCAST

RISE, a spectacular open air city centre event he has created, directed by Kirsty Housley, will blend professional artistry with the raw talent of 200 community performers to launch the year-long Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, on Friday and Saturday, January 10 and 11. For tickets see bradford2025.co.uk/event/rise.

Miracles, Steven's Christmas Sky TV special ,saw him return to his street magic roots as he delivered mind-blowing moments to crowds while unearthing everyday heroes.

"It was a clue as to what people can expect from RISE”, reveals Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025, who today shared her vision for a year-long celebration designed to engage communities, spotlight the city’s rich heritage, transformation, vibrant diversity and boundless creativity, while reshaping perceptions of the city locally and nationally, writes Graham Walker.

This is a city full of magic. From landscapes to communities, Bradford has an energy and creativity that’s truly spellbinding and 2025 is time to make the world believe in its magic.

LISTEN: Check out Shanaz Gulzar’s exclusive Big Interview podcast chat with Graham Walker below or - CLICK HERE.

"RISE is musical. It's mystical and it's magical," says Bradford’s own cultural sorceress Shanaz, the acclaimed British artist, filmmaker and cultural leader at the helm of this transformative year, whose passion for Bradford’s people and stories infuses every part of the program.

In our chat she emphasised the lasting impact Bradford 2025 aims to achieve. From providing apprenticeships and creative industry insights to promoting cultural tourism, the program seeks to position Bradford as a cultural magnet for the North and beyond.

She outlined how it is already bringing benefits. The Department for Education has announced plans to open a Brit School North in Bradford 2026/2027, inspired by the Croydon model, which launched stars from Adele to Amy Winehouse, Jessie J to Tom Holland.

"Bidding and beating 18 other cities to be UK City of Culture was Bradford saying, 'it's our time now to own our story', to shift the perceptions and make sure that we are the ones that do it. It's just amazing," she said.

She says of RISE: "Over 200 people of Bradford are performing in the show. If it wasn't for this opportunity, if we weren't the UK City of Culture, it would not be happening. You can see a shift and change already beginning to happen because of these moments.

"Steven is thinking around people, community, individuals, our friends, families and loved ones, helping to find ourselves is very much part of this story."

And the magic is just beginning.

A Do Your Thing initiative has already empowered over 100 groups to weave their own cultural spells, and there are still opportunities to get involved.

For Bradford’s young people, this year means apprenticeships, creative training, and a youth panel helping them unlock doors to the arts, proving that the north has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for aspiring creatives.

The ambitious program - full details at bradford2025.co.uk - includes many other highlights, such as The Railway Children, theatrical performances of the children’s classic on the very train tracks where the film was shot, on the iconic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, July 16 to Sept 7.

Bradford On Foot is a series of 25 immersive walks showcasing Bradford's rural and urban landscapes.

Draw aims to get everyone drawing - supported by artist David Hockney it is part of a cornerstone of the year, a Creative Health Programme, using cultural activities to improve physical and mental well-being, addressing health inequalities, with other initiatives from knitting to baking circles.

There really is something for everyone, explains Shanaz.

"I think we've got magic in our water. There's so much creativity. There's so much invention here. You couldn't get more character and personality than a Bradford audience across the city and district. Our landscapes are magical. I'd say our history is magical. We are anything but dull in Bradford. Anyone who comes here falls in love with us," she says.

Shanaz was born and raised in Keighley in West Yorkshire. She has deep roots in Bradford and its surrounding areas. Her role is more than a job - it's personal. She hopes to inspire the next generation of creatives.

"If you'd asked 16 year old me, who was trying to convince her parents that the arts was a viable career choice, as the first one in my family to go to university, I would never have believed you that I could have actually been in a role like this in my home city - these opportunities you don't often get in a place that you're born and brought up in.

"I'm incredibly proud to be able to deliver it, not only for that 16 year old kid who promised her parents that she would definitely carve out a career in the arts if they supported her, but also to every other young person who's thinking and looking at a career in the arts and is based up north and is thinking, 'can I make it up here?' I will say you absolutely can.”

The program underscores inclusivity, with activities tailored to engage residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Bradford-born artists, local communities, and national collaborators are joining forces to bring the city’s stories to life. Volunteer opportunities abound, inviting people to contribute to this transformative cultural journey.

People can get involved in many ways, including as a volunteer, welcoming people to Bradford events, by taking the spotlight, as an artist or by simply attending, as an audience member.

Shanaz emphasised the lasting impact Bradford 2025 aims to achieve. From providing apprenticeships and creative industry insights to promoting cultural tourism, the program seeks to position Bradford as a cultural magnet for the North and beyond.She outlined how it is already bringing benefits.

The Department for Education has announced plans to open a Brit School North in Bradford next year, inspired by the Croydon model which launched stars from Adele to Amy Winehouse, Jessie J to Tom Holland.

'Big Four" accountancy firm PwC have also moved all its 179 staff to Bradford's £35 million One City Park development, just in time for City of Culture celebrations.

Bradford 2025 itself has created local jobs with more than 90 percent of its team are from the North.

She said`` "As UK City of Culture we are celebrating our history and heritage, our diversity and what makes us unique.

"Bradford has given the world many, many artists - we think about the Brontës, the sisters who created pseudonyms in order to be published at a time when women weren't published."

We have David Hockney, one of the greatest living artists of our time and the greatest draftsmen ever. We have, Zayn Malik,who has taken the world by storm, as a musician. We've given the world so many brilliant creatives and we've got so much more to offer. So our program is about that. It is celebrating the culture and creativity of Bradford and our young people, because we're one of the youngest cities in the UK.

"It's about our present. It's about who we are right now, and this year is already shifting perceptions. We own this moment in order to create change.

"We're working with schools, young people and older people. We're both urban and rural, ensuring that our program is across the city district. We're about 144 square miles as a district, so it's a brilliant playground for opportunity, rich and varied.

" I would say Bradford 2025 is one of the most accessible, inclusive festivals for all ages, all backgrounds, regardless of what your ability and what you can and can't do. "The legacy started the minute we decided that we were going to bid to create a campaign to bring people together, to dream and to start seeing opportunities for themselves.

“It brings attention to Bradford. We're starting to introduce ourselves and how we choose to be seen. The invitation is to the entire UK to come to Bradford. We've got an extraordinary program. Come and be a part of it. And I'd urge people to keep coming back."

For more information about the events for Bradford 2025 and to buy tickets visit: https://bradford2025.co.uk/whats-on/