Bradford Culture Company Celebrates Nature In The District

Image by Vincent Lucas

A new programme of events from Bradford Culture Company, the charity that delivered Bradford’s year as 2025 UK City of Culture, will build on the legacy of last year by bringing world-class experiences to the district’s greenspaces. Celebrating the relationship between people, place and nature, the programme invites communities to experience culture beyond traditional venues, from Bradford city centre to the surrounding countryside.

The summit of Baildon Moor will become the stage for an orchestra of more than 200 rare nature-powered instruments from Wednesday 9th to Sunday 13th September. The brainchild of composer Pierre Sauvageot, Harmonic Fields has previously been presented in Copenhagen, Marseille and Helsinki, and now comes to the wild West Yorkshire moorlands.

An orchestra of woodwind, string and percussive ensembles; vibrating drums, windmill glockenspiels, harmonic cellos, bamboo flutes, propeller sirens and gyrating musical boxes, will be played by both the elements and by 'wind farmers' characters. Visitors will wander through the landscape, pausing to listen to this unique symphonic experience with a rural backdrop offering 360-degree views across Bradford district.

The internationally renowned Flower Carpet project has its UK premiere from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th September in the heart of Bradford city centre. Inspired by Bradford’s industrial growth, textile heritage and its people, local artist Shiraaz Ali has combined archival pattern and symbols to create an intricate and powerful design spanning 29-meters wide. This living artwork is handmade from over 300,000 colourful dahlia flowerheads. 

The flowers will change responding to the environment across the 4 days. At the end of the event, when the dahlias have ceased to bloom, the flowerheads will be composted locally and naturally decompose, continuing their natural lifecycle.

The world-famous Flower Carpet has been a regular event in Belgium since the 1970s, and for this UK first, the installation will be created live by a team of 40 participants within in the public realm of Centenary Square in the gothic surrounds of Bradford’s City Hall. In this once in a lifetime free event, the public can get up close and marvel as the pavement is transformed by this rich bed of flowers, and each night it will be illuminated with sound and light, bringing this vivid design to life.

Local artists, musicians, photographers and writers will undergo 3-month residencies responding to different areas of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve. Through soundwalks, artworks and performance the artists will be inspired by the distinct environments of the areas, from Bingley North Bog to Penistone Hill and Trench Meadows. 

In partnership with the National Science and Media Museum’s Pictureville Cinema, there will be a special showing of Ed Sayers’ 2025 film Super Nature on Saturday 10th October. Filmed entirely on Super 8 cameras by professional filmmakers and local enthusiasts alike, audiences are invited on a journey across 25 different countries across land, in the air, and underwater.

A brand new 18-mile walking route across the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve will launch in September, passing through all eight sites in the NNR. To mark this, walkers are invited to take on a ‘challenge walk’ from Ilkley Moor on Saturday 19th September, through Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen, Trench Meadows, Bingley North Bog, St Ives, Harden Moor and ending at Penistone Hill above Haworth. Shorter walks led by experienced local guides will also take place on the same day for those less confident tackling the full route, and there will be family activities taking place at key locations helping to bring the secrets of the reserve to life for people all ages.

Jane Earnshaw, Executive Producer at Bradford Culture Company says “There has never been a more important time to shine a spotlight on our environment and natural surroundings. The UK is one of the world’s most nature depleted countries, and the situation is only getting worse. By encouraging audiences to experience art and creativity in nature, we’re not only showcasing the incredible beauty of our district, but also helping to increase people’s understanding of how significant these spaces are and why they should be protected for future generations.”

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund says “Bradford’s natural heritage and green spaces are something to be very proud of and we’re thrilled to be supporting this programme of events. Thanks to National Lottery players, this programme will ensure local communities and visitors to Bradford will be given a chance to connect with nature and the amazing landscapes of the district and explore the value of nature in all our daily lives."

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said “West Yorkshire is vibrant with culture and creativity, and as the great Castleford-born artist Henry Moore once said, it is the job of artists to help people see and appreciate nature.

By embedding talented artists in our beautiful landscapes, this programme is an innovative way to encourage people to enjoy art and nature together and discover the beauty right here on our doorsteps.”

Cllr Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, Regeneration and Planning, said “Introducing all these cultural activities to our District over this next few months is a great way to celebrate our stunning local landscapes, as well as building on the success of our Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture year and ensuring this arts and culture legacy continues. We are already very proud of Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve and the interest it has attracted so look forward to the new projects around this as well as the events coming to the city centre.”