Arts centre re-opens after £7.5m refurbishment

A major city centre arts centre has officially re-opened its doors to the public after a multimillion-pound refurbishment lasting nearly two years.

Work started on the Bradford Arts Centre, based in the Grade II listed St Peter's House building in Little Germany, in January 2024.

Alex Croft, the centre's CEO said he hoped the changes, which have included the creation of a 170-seat theatre, five rehearsal studios, a radio studio and several meeting and conference venues, would be "transformational" for the city.

"It's the end of an eight-year journey to get to this point, so I'm a little bit emotional. It's an arts centre Bradford can be proud of and that this city deserves," he said.

"I can't wait to see that theatre full of people, to see all of our studios buzzing with school children and artists. It's going to be incredible," Mr Croft added.

The landmark building was built in the 1880s as Bradford's General Post Office and later housed a museum before Kala Sangam, a South Asian community arts centre, moved there in 2007.

The decision to rebrand from Kala Sangam to the Bradford Arts Centre after the refurbishment was made following a year of consultations with more than 30 arts groups across the district.

Kala Sangam's legacy will be honoured in the form of the "Sangam Lounge" at the centre, a new informal space including heritage artwork from local artists.

Accessibility had also been improved at the site with the installation of two new lifts, staff said.

Meanwhile, outreach programmes have been ongoing during the renovations to encourage local communities to use the centre.

Amer Sarai, head of community engagement, said: "It's tricky sometimes when you work with hard-to-reach communities, where there's a perception that arts centres, theatres, cultural venues generally, are for other people.

"What we want to create is a home for communities so it's a natural step to walk over the threshold, it's a place to go."

Mr Croft said affordability had also been prioritised as part of the changes, with artists able to hire rehearsal spaces at the arts centre for as little as £1.

"We're trying to give people access to a space that in other parts of the country, they wouldn't get," he explained.

"For us, it's about making sure everybody in Bradford can afford to be able to come through those doors and experience what we've got to offer.

"I use that word 'transformational', and I genuinely believe that's what this building is going to be."

The first performance at the re-opened centre will see the the Jaivant Patel dance company premiere their new production ASTITVA on Thursday 9 October.

Other events later in the month are expected to include the Bradford South Asian Festival and the Black Roots and Voices Expressed (BRAVE) Festival.

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