Developed in collaboration with learning specialists, cultural partners and young people, Bradford Made is a hub of place-based resources aligned to the National Curriculum designed to help learners connect with Bradford District’s rich history and develop
in education settings.
Bradford Made resources have been rolled out in schools throughout the year, but with the launch of
Local Stories for Learners, a new suite of ready-to-use education packs are now available for all. These downloadable activity packs give educators tools to inspire local pride and connection in the classroom, helping children and young people
understand and engage with the history of Bradford, linked to Ofsted’s framework.
Stories explored in Local Stories for Learners include:
- Behind the Brontës, The Life of Nancy de Garrs: Research from the Bronte¨ Parsonage Museum uncovers the life of the Bronte¨’s nanny and housekeeper, and untold stories of working-class women.
- Lost Mills: Learners will explore oral histories and digital artwork which reveal how mill work continued to shape Bradford and Keighley in the 1970s and 80s, beyond its time as a woolopolis.
- The History of Bradford Dinner Ladies: This pack looks at Bradford’s pioneering role in free school meals, the stories of the women behind them and the vital role of school food in our lives.
- Bradford in Full Colour: explore the vibrant fashion and music of Bradford’s African-Caribbean community in the 1980s through rare colour photographs.
- A Spoonful of Sugar: Learners are introduced to two significant Bradford migration histories: Italian migration in the nineteenth century and Syrian migration since 2014.
The Bradford Made platform will continue beyond this momentous year, with further resources suitable for early years, primary, secondary, SEND, alternative provision, and home education settings.
A free conference will take place on Wednesday 12 November at Bradford Live where educators will benefit from hands-on workshops showing how to use Bradford Made resources, networking sessions, a cultural learning marketplace with creative
and educational organisations, alongside panels and keynote speeches on heritage, identity and creativity in the curriculum.
Rhiannon Hannon Director of Creative Engagement and Participation at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said “Through the Bradford Made programme, we are ensuing that young people in Bradford District are connected to their place and past.
Learning about local history will help them develop skills which will stay with them for life. Embedding creativity and our heritage into the local curriculum through these resources will ensure a tangible legacy for the City of Culture designation for generations
to come.”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund says
“Bradford boasts an incredibly rich and varied heritage, and it is fantastic news that Bradford Made will share these amazing stories with children and young people across the district. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we’re delighted
to be supporting the programme that will preserve this important heritage for future generations.”
Bradford Made is part of Bradford 2025’s education offer in place since May 2024, which has seen theatre performances in classrooms, trips to art galleries, poetry and drawing workshops, more than 5,000 books distributed to schools across the district, an
incredible summer performance at Bradford Live with local schoolchildren being the first to perform at the new venue, and more.
Bradford Made is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust.