Heritage has a vital role to play in connecting people to place. Once known as the wool capital of the world, Bradford is the UK City of Culture 2025, welcoming visitors from across the world to a year of celebrations.  

Since 1994, we’ve invested over £62million in more than 320 heritage projects across Bradford and the surrounding area. From Bradford Arts Centre to the Peace Museum, our investment is helping communities engage with the city’s rich and diverse heritage and create lasting change.

Making heritage accessible

A key part of this is Bradford’s Heritage Action Plan, developed by Bradford Council with a £207,400 grant from us and shaped by local voices.  

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, says: “The Action Plan sets out our vision for accessible heritage. Bradford will offer a new definition of art, culture and heritage that reimagines our district as a place that is knowingly different and radically alternative.”

A home in Bradford

That vision is already taking shape at Bradford Arts Centre, formerly called Kala Sangam, which has been renamed to represent the city and welcome everyone. With £2.8m of funding, we helped transform the Grade II listed building into an accessible venue with state-of-the-art facilities for the community.

Throughout the project, Amer Sarai, Head of Community Engagement, has been working with local groups to connect them to Bradford’s heritage. She says: “The project has ignited something truly special – a sense of belonging, creativity and pride among communities with little to no previous engagement in arts and heritage.”

Through a collaborative approach, Amer has worked with groups including WomenZone, u3a and European Drom to co-create personal artistic responses that reflect Bradford. She says: “For European Drom, the experience has been life changing. They shared that they used to feel invisible in public spaces but now, after rehearsing and creating with others, they walk into sessions and say, ‘This is our place. We belong here; it is our new home’.”

From calligraphy that honours faith, to Roma theatre that blends music, dance and storytelling, these groups have created works that celebrate identity and connection. They will be shared with the public in the newly reopened Centre, celebrating community-led creativity.  

Creating lasting change

We’ve invested in heritage projects that strengthen communities and transform places, helping Bradford build a future with heritage at its heart.

Just next to Bradford Arts Centre is Little Germany, a historic quarter, home to one the highest densities of listed buildings in the UK. Once the heart of the wool trade, its Victorian buildings are now being reimagined for the future. A £78,353 grant to Impact Hub West Yorkshire is working with community stakeholders to a new identity for the area – one that connects local people to its heritage and unlocks its potential as a cultural and creative destination.

At the Peace Museum, our £245,000 grant supported its move to a permanent, accessible home at Salt Mills in Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The new space has given local communities the chance to explore its 16,000-object collection.

Dr Áine McKenny, Curator (Interim) at the Peace Museum, says: “Our move to Salts Mill has not only improved our annual visitor figures from 3,000 to 40,000 but has also improved the experiences visitors have when they're in our space. Our newly developed exhibition space guarantees we're able to present a varied event and exhibition programme that is relevant to local people.  

“Bradford's long-standing history with peace and activism is not only preserved in our collection, but in the museum's own history as a Bradford-based organisation. It is support, advocacy and engagement from local communities which has enabled our growth.”  

A legacy for Bradford

We fund projects that create a lasting impact for places across the UK.  

Explore other projects we’ve funded across the district, such as Bradford Live and the National Science and Media Museum.

Find out more about how we’re committed to supporting heritage projects that create thriving places.