BBC News, Yorkshire
BBCMembers of Bradford’s black communities have called for more representation in City of Culture events, amid concerns they have felt “excluded” from the programme.
Claudia McFarlane, chief of the African Caribbean Achievement Project which received funding from organisers, said the group was “very grateful” for the grant.
But she added: “We are hoping that as the programme develops throughout 2025 there is more effort made to include marginalised communities like ours.”
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said the team had worked to “ensure that the programme reflects the diversity that makes up the Bradford district”.
Speaking as City of Culture reached its half-way point, Ms McFarlane told the BBC: “I think largely, and this is coming from the black community itself, there have been times we feel quite excluded from the process and not involved in activities.
“I think they are trying to redress that, but I think with most public-facing services, projects, whatever, we tend to be a bit of an addendum and that has been noticed.”
She added: “There’s tonnes of staff down there, so I can’t understand why the outreach programme is so weak.
“There’s a thriving black community and we’re all doing things, it’s just that we need to be included in the programming.”
Dr Olushola Kolawole is a lecturer at the University of Bradford and the executive director for the African Business Association in Yorkshire.
“When the programme was being designed, we were not carried along in the designing of the programme,” Dr Kolawole said.
“Consultation was really poor.”
He said: “I think they focused more on the white community and the Asian community and they left behind the black community because we’re not carried along, we’re not consulted.”
According to Bradford Council, the Bradford district – which includes areas like Ilkley and Shipley – is 61.1% white and 32.1% Asian or British Asian.
Just 2% of the population – around 10,000 people – are black, but Dr Kolawole said there had been other issues.
Dr Kolawole highlighted an event in January held in Keighley for the Meet Our Mothers cookbook celebrating home cooking.
He said people expected to be cooking from their own cultures only to find that a different chef was hired.
“They hired a white chef, not even a black chef,” Dr Kolawole said.
“They were asking some of our mothers that were involved to come and be tasting the food that was prepared by the chef.
“And we said no, this is embarrassing.”
Although Dr Kolawole acknowledged there had been some black representation in the year of culture, he said there had not been enough members of the community asked to participate.
“These are not the people that are based in Bradford,” he said.
“They are not based in Bradford, so I am talking about getting the grass roots involved.
“You can bring black people there, but do they know the culture of Bradford?
“Do they know what is meant to believe in Bradford?”
Cleveland Simmons, an 82-year-old also known as “Bradford’s music man”, said the year of culture had been “fairly good” so far.
Those who have spent any time in the city centre will no doubt have seen Mr Simmons with his boom box playing tunes.
“It could be better by involving the communities,” he said.
Asked whether black communities had been involved enough, he said: “It could be taken up a step.
“For most black folks it’s either food or music and that’s something that can be escalated.
“A few more events involving black folks and I think that would make them feel part of Bradford 2025.”
Organisers highlighted an exhibition by Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh, a mural to local musician Mikey Roots and a display of photographs of Bradford’s African Caribbean communities by Victor Wedderburn as examples of celebrating black culture.
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said later in the year Benin artist Angélique Kidjo would perform her African Symphony and a festival of Kenyan music and culture would take place in Manningham in September.
A spokesperson said: “Please note that the programme announced so far isn’t everything that is being presented across 2025, with more to follow in the coming months.”
