After an successful live launch of Intercultured Festival last year, the festival back again for Autumn 2022, happening from 19-29 October, 2022, the festival will have up to 25 events exploring culture, community and belonging in Bradford and beyond.
The festival plans to have a range of Arts, dance, food, experimental music and creative arts workshops.
The highlights of the festival would include ‘The Other Side of Hope’ Launch night at Waterstones on the 19 October, ‘Electric Sufi’, an experimental music exploring climate change with world renowned musicians and Sufi singer Sahrah, Mina Salama and Rupert Till on 21 October at Theatre In the Mill, and a ‘Teens Rule the World’ Mini festival on 22 October at Common Space.
One major attraction would be a ‘Commoners Ball’ at The Midland Hotel on the 29 October where the visitors can bring their family and friends to a soiree of cultural music , dance and song.
Intercultured Festival is supported and funded by Arts Council England and Platforma, Multiple venue partners include Common Space (Common Wealth Theatre), TiM, (Bradford University) Bradford Libraries, Waterstones, Bradford Deaf Centre and Mary Magdalene Church
This year the festival has expanded on the programme to include new elements bringing Pahari Poetry to Bradford with Nabila Ahmed, a ‘Youth Cutz’ Open Mic night exploring mental health and a World Foods cooking programme with local refugee artists.
Most events are free, some are PAYF and some will be Pay It Forward, particularly the Commoners Ball and the mini concert.
Additionally there will be an Art Installation available at Bradford City Library, ‘Hope the Boat’ created on the experiences of marginalised communities who have traversed dangerous routes into the country, illegally, on boats or via trucks.
‘The Boat’ represents more than that, it symbolises humanity, and a message that everyone is equal and inter-connected.
‘The Boat’ is a heart-warming concept, incorporating the migration movement of world citizens, charting the passage of people across continents, a global movement of integration, Journeys and home.
Image: Intercultured Festival
There will also be Workshops with Cecil Green Arts as we welcome back their annual Lantern Parade at Lister Park on the 28 October , and a varied range of family friendly workshops and talks available throughout the festival.
Mussarat Rahman, founder and director of the festival said “Our work is mostly with marginalised communities who normally aren’t represented in the finest light. And we wanted to showcase the beauty of the often hidden communities or ignored communities which make up the demographics of Bradford. Then we provided them with platforms and started showcasing their culture, heritage and traditions and how much these communities add value to the growing cultural revolution of Bradford.”
“Bradford has a strong history of welcoming migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and we should continue to hold theses strengths, rather than listen to the negative narrative,” she added.
