Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with BCB Radio as their official Community Broadcast Partner. BCB has worked closely with BLF since the first festival in 2014 to promote events, provide opportunities for volunteers, and give festival artists the opportunity to discuss and promote their work.
BCB (Bradford Community Broadcasting) is a volunteer-led community radio station with a team of over 200 volunteers, providing community radio to the Bradford region since 1994.
Bradford Literature Festival is one of the top three largest literature festivals in the UK and Europe’s most eclectic and diverse literature festival. BLF creates spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for all, with a vision of creating a fairer society and changing lives through world-class culture and literature. BCB supports this mission, and with their support the festival is able to reach more community members, raising awareness and participation, and engaging future volunteers.
During the 2024 Bradford Literature Festival, BCB broadcasted daily weekday interviews with artists from the Festival Hub in City Park, right at the heart of the events and exhibitions, as well as pre and post festival interviews. 13 volunteers received excellent training from BCB in outdoor broadcasting to prepare for the live shows, where they reported on the day’s events and informed listeners about great events still to come. An unforgettable and career enhancing experience for those involved. BCB hosts interviewed 44 festival participants, including Haji Noor Deen, Charlotte Bradman, Meriem E. Abida, Kay Faraz, and Tasneim Zyada, as well as festival attendees and BLF team members.
BCB have worked closely with Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy throughout the year, culminating in an amazing opportunity for some of the Year 5 students as they became Junior Reporters interviewing author, Kay Faraz, and Jacob from Codswallop Theatre. The pupils had a unique opportunity to meet festival artists, develop speaking, listening and interviewing skills, and build their confidence. All the Junior Reporters who took part received a certificate from BLF and BCB for their excellent reporting skills! (Listen back to both interviews in the videos below.)
Syima Aslam, CEO and Artistic Director of BLF, said: “We are pleased to officially partner with BCB Radio as our Community Broadcast Partner. BCB has been a great supporter of the festival since 2014, amplifying our events, engaging communities, and giving a platform to speakers and artists. We have a shared commitment to making arts and culture accessible to all.”
BCB also said of the new partnership: “BCB is delighted to be recognised as the Community Broadcast Partner for Bradford Literature Festival. This agreement consolidates the positive working relationship that we have established over the 10 years of the festival, and will enable us to develop exciting joint activities in the future”.
Find out more about BCB Radio at bcbradio.co.uk.