LEEDS 2023 & Bradford 2025: Shared Cultural Futures

LEEDS 2023 was an independent, not-for-profit Year of Culture supporting hundreds of creative and cultural events across the city and beyond. Meanwhile, neighbouring Bradford has been named as UK City of Culture 2025, and is set to deliver more than 1,000 new performances and events and a series of major arts festivals and major national and international collaborations.

As LEEDS 2023 neared its end and Bradford prepared for 2025, Spirit of 2012 awarded a grant to Leeds Culture Trust (manager of LEEDS 2023) to support a collaboration between the two major events organisers. Shared Cultural Futures facilitated knowledge exchange and mutual learning, engaging key stakeholders in both cities and the broader arts and culture sector of West Yorkshire. The project aimed to strengthen evaluation and learning capabilities, establish educational channels between the organisations, produce innovative digital learning resources, and ensure the lasting impact of LEEDS 2023.

Furthermore, the project prioritised early training for volunteers from Bradford in Leeds, offering them practical, hands-on experience through “live testing.” The ultimate aim was to foster collaboration and collectively develop a roadmap for other cities seeking to organise culturally significant events that meet the needs and aspirations of their communities. This culminated in a conference in March 2024 entitled Here Today Gone Tomorrow? which brought together producers, funders, policy makers and experts all invested in major events from around the world.