'Bradford Brit School shows music industry isn't just London-centric'

Musicians have said they hope a Brit School outpost in Bradford will boost performance venues and education opportunities in the region.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which runs London's Brit School, announced in 2023 it would open a campus in West Yorkshire for 500 pupils aged 16 to 19.

The BPI, the trade association for Britain's music industry, runs the BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize.

A Bradford Brit School is expected to welcome its first pupils in 2028 and will be based near Bradford Interchange.

Musicians and education professionals in Bradford say the school, which has alumni including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Olivia Dean and Raye, will bring a lot more opportunities to the city.

Oliver Ripley, 19, is a guitarist and singer with the band Manic Man. He is currently studying music, performance and production at Bradford College.

"My first response was, "I wish I was born a few years later"," he says.

"Bradford really only has three big educational facilities, Bradford University, Bradford College and the Bradford New College.

"While all of those have their own departments for creative subjects the nearest fully creative facility is Leeds Conservatoire.

"If you're someone like me who would rather not step one foot in Leeds, then it'd be really good to have one in Bradford to bring creative people all over to the city."

Ripley began playing six years ago, starting with guitar and drums.

"Being a musician wasn't my first ambition, but now definitely, because it's just probably one of the most purest outlets of creativity besides arts and artists as well," he says.

"I feel like it's my only option now, but yes, it is the dream."

Jake Keating, 28, is a solo artist, also based in Bradford. He says, while a Brit School education was not what he would have chosen, he's still excited for the opportunities it might bring to the city.

"I'm really happy that anything attracts positive attention for Bradford as a city and especially the creative arts and music - especially off the back of last year, a City of Culture.

"It's been a really exciting time for the city and I think having the Brit School come, it's vital for the scene in the city and will bring a lot more opportunities. I think it's a really wonderful thing."

He says he hopes the move means the music industry is serious about supporting talent outside of London.

"It shows a commitment to showcase the UK's output and northern talent. It doesn't have to come from London even though your offices and things may be in London.

"I think we're now seeing a greater kind of diversity and a real push to show the UK music industry isn't just London-centric.

"It's one of our greatest exports as a nation isn't it? And I think having the Brit School in the north, in Bradford, plants a flag and establishes that and positively reinforces this."

Josh Booth is a guitarist and singer with Leeds/Bradford band Character Actors.

He says while he would have jumped at the chance to go to Brit School as a teenager, now he would have second thoughts.

"I'm older and wiser now. As a kid, I would have been like, 'Oh, yeah, cool. I get to go to a place where I just get to play guitar all day then.' Yeah, I'd have absolutely loved that'," he says.

"But a lot of very successful and respected artists have come out of it. So, you know, it clearly works for some people."

He hopes that an influx of young musicians will bring a boost to local venues, which have struggled in recent years.

"Hopefully it would attract people from a wider area, like across the north to come to Bradford to study, and then hopefully mix with local musicians and start bands together and share stages and inspire each other - provide a bit of fresh impetus for the Bradford music scene.

"The only way you're ever really going to know if your music is any good is when you put it in of people and if you haven't got enough places to put that music in front of people then you're not going to get that feedback," he says.

Bradford's problem - he adds - has been that Leeds "sucks in everyone else in the wider West Yorkshire area".

"There's the Conservatoire, there's Leeds City College, also there's new things, so a lot of young musicians, probably from across the north, even, kind of all flock to Leeds or Manchester, and not a lot of them really go anywhere else."

Sam Nicholls, also known as Whiskas, is director of Music Local, which runs the music development programme Launchpad.

He is also a lecturer in music business at Leeds Beckett University and on the advisory board for the West Yorkshire Music Hub.

He agrees that young musicians need venues to play in - but says it is important to remember Bradford is a district, as well as city.

"There's a lot of amazing venues in Shipley, Keighley, Saltaire, but for the purposes of the Brit School, there is a really cool opportunity for venues like The Underground and Nighttrain, which are the city centre grassroots venues, to benefit from that," he says

"I know The Underground in particular already works with Bradford Music Service and the college to do showcases and with Teen Scene to do stuff for young people.

"And there is an opportunity for Bradford Live and St George's Hall to step up as well."

He hopes a Bradford Brit School would bring industry connections.

"It isn't just the fact it's there, it's the connection into the music industry. And we've seen majors labels investing in the North.

"EMI North are now based in Leeds. Warner Music has a strategic partnership in Newcastle. Sony has a lot of investment into Manchester. And it's an interesting moment to see how that might all like corroborate into support for young people," he says.

"But, even though those partnerships are there, it's a lot of individuals driving it. What you have in London is whole buildings full of people working in the sector.

"So I'm really interested to see how BPI and the major labels replicate that while having a footprint in the region, but not having the massive resource that is in London to support the young people there."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.