Creative Lives has teamed up with Bradford 2025 to support over 50 local organisations to take part in Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

The £400 'Do Your Thing' micro-grants are being distributed to 54 grassroots groups across the region, enabling them to carry out a wide range of fun, creative projects and events to mark this important year for Bradford.

Successful applicants include:

• The City Gent, the fanzine for Bradford City FC, will host an exhibition celebrating 40 years as the oldest surviving football fanzine.
• Denholme Shared Church will create an installation of ‘Peace Doves’.
• Equity Partnership is putting on a LGBTQ+ History Month event that will feature ‘Queerobics with Brinny’.
• Ilkley Players will run a new playwriting competition.
• Inspire Support Sports Empower will work with Baji Bantams (pictured), Bradford City FC's fan group for South Asian women, to host a day of music and culture.
• Lister Community Action Group will host art trails showcasing artwork by current and former residents, celebrating community and heritage.
• SEND Salaam will hold a sensory art session for children in the Girlington area with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Topic Folk Club will run a song-writing workshop to help people contribute to their 'Songs with a Bradford Accent' project.

Rhiannon Hannon, Bradford 2025’s Director of Creative Engagement says “We had an incredible number of applications, and we’re ever inspired and impressed by the creativity taking place every day in every area of our district. Bradford 2025 is all about making culture more available and accessible all across Bradford, and these organisations are showing how this can be done every day.”

Robin Simpson, Chief Executive of Creative Lives says: "Creative Lives was thrilled to receive an incredible 161 applications from local creative groups across Bradford, demonstrating the amazing breadth and diversity of grassroots creativity happening in communities throughout the district. We are delighted to be able to support 54 groups through ‘Do Your Thing’ micro-awards, but the quality and ambition shown by all applicants was truly inspiring and we hope all the groups will stay connected with Creative Lives as we continue our commitment to championing community-led creative activity in Bradford during 2025 and beyond."

Read the full list of successful applicants, and what they'll be spending their 'Do Your Thing' grants on.

[Pictured above: micro-grant recipients The Bradford Belles]