A COMPANY which played a major part in delivering a hugely-successful venture on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway has become a corporate partner for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
Event production firm Amplitude had a leading role in bringing The Railway Children to life this summer on the five-mile heritage line.
Audiences were transported by steam train from Keighley, before watching the performance in an adapted engine shed at Oxenhope Station.
The acclaimed family-friendly production also featured a real steam engine as part of the staging, with a purpose-built auditorium seating the audience on either side of a railway track.
In addition to its involvement with The Railway Children, Amplitude has supported a number of flagship Bradford 2025 projects.
It’s a major backer of Turner Prize 2025 and provided production infrastructure and technical audio-visual support for the prestigious arts exhibition and awards event, which runs until next February at Cartwright Hall in Bradford.
And it has been instrumental in the staging of The Beacon, a semi-permanent touring venue which has visited parks and communities across the district – including Cliffe Castle, Keighley.
Amplitude – which is based in Shipley – was founded more than three decades ago, and began by supplying PA systems, projectors and staging.
Over the years it has evolved into a full-service specialist delivering event management, technical production, and virtual and hybrid events for clients nationwide. Its portfolio ranges from small locally-based projects to Government summits.
Managing director, Matthew Corcoran, says: “Being part of Bradford 2025 has given us the opportunity to work on projects that are bigger and more ambitious than anything we’ve done before.
“The Beacon has pushed us to grow our skills and to build relationships with the cultural sector that will last well beyond this year.
“To sponsor and be directly involved in delivering this year’s Turner Prize – one of the world’s most prestigious art awards – is a huge milestone for us as a business. We’re proud to be a Bradford-district company contributing to a City of Culture programme that is inspiring people and making a real difference across our district.”
Dan Bates, executive director of Bradford 2025, says: “Bradford 2025 is not just about the events we’re creating today – it’s about building a foundation for the future. Amplitude’s journey shows how local businesses can grow through collaboration with the arts, while also bringing their expertise and innovation to the sector.”
For further information about the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture events programme, go to bradford2025.co.uk
