A CHANNEL 4-backed new hub for Bradford’s filmmakers was launched this evening in Little Germany.
The historic area is no stranger to film crews, having provided a backdrop for many productions over the years including Downton Abbey, Gentleman Jack, and Peaky Blinders to name just a few.
‘The Unit’ will be based at The Impact Hub, on Peckover Street, for six months before moving to Keighley Creative for the rest of 2022.
It’s a partnership between Bradford Council, Channel 4, The Impact Hub, and Keighley Creative and tonight’s launch came hot on the heels of the release of Clio Barnard’s hugely successful film Ali & Ava, set in Bradford and shot in the city, largely in Holme Wood.
“The idea is that we have a space which is about developing and supporting new talent across the Bradford district,” said Nic Greenan, Head of Cultural Partnerships at Bradford Council.
“There’s the space itself, with kit and equipment, that we’ve heard when doing our research is something that filmmakers and content makers struggle to get hold of, either because of costs or accessibility or knowing what’s the right equipment to have.
“We’ve just finished doing a screen strategy for Bradford and one of the things that came out was the need for a home for content makers to be able to try and create a space that really starts to Bradford on the map as a place where talent lives, so that commissioners know talent is here, people in the industry know talent is here.”
Kevin Blacoe, Head of Partnerships and Skills at Channel 4 added: “It’s exactly the sort of thing that we came to the region for.
“We’ve got an ambition to support, develop and nurture the next generation of talent in the industry and it’s initiatives like The Unit and the wider Bradford wider screen strategy that are ways we can tangibly do that.
“People should be able to have rewarding and fulfilling and exciting careers in creative industries – in the place where they grew up.
“Moving to London should be an option, but not a requirement for being able to pursue that creative dream and ambition if you have that.
“That’s exactly what we want to try and enable, and we’ll do that through supporting schemes like this, but also commissioning content and having our commissioners in the region being able to help create that network.”
An announcement was also made of a £50,000 short film content fund, split into four awards of £10,000 and 10 awards of £1,000 each.
Kevin added: “We were at The Impact Hub about six months ago for an initial meeting and just the enthusiasm and excitement from everyone who is involved was really infectious.
“I think there’s a real desire within Bradford to make sure that the talent here doesn’t get overlooked because it is an incredibly diverse, young, and creative city and it’s our responsibility to showcase that and shine a light on that.
“We’re really excited to be able to support it.”
Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said it was a “tangible” example of Channel 4 investing in the city’s young talent.
She said: “It’s all about people, this investment in these people means hopefully they will produce films that are going to be globally significant, stories that will be told by Bradford, about Bradford, about the people of Bradford, that wouldn’t have otherwise come to light.
“There are so many stories, so many communities, so many positive things happening here that never get heard, this really shines a light on us and really gets those stories heard and enjoyed throughout the world.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin added: “Being in Little Germany, what a great spot.
“The possibilities of Little Germany are endless, I think this could be the real hub of creativity here, the buildings are so beautiful.”
She added: “When I was growing up on Howden Clough estate, thinking ‘where do I go to meet people who feel like me, who want to act or who want to tell stories?’
“My go-to place was Birstall Library, that’s the only place I could go, but this is an amazing opportunity.”
About Impact Hub Bradford
The vision Impact Hub Bradford has been working towards for a number of years is to establish a hub for social innovation and enterprise, in the heart of Bradford’s historic Little Germany district, to serve the people of our city and of the region.
This vision has been grounded in values of Leadership, Openness, Collaboration, Inclusion, Policy and Listening, qualities they aim to imbue in all our work.
Bradford has long been a lab for social innovation – from Titus Salt’s workers village in the 1800s, to William Forster’s work on the first national education legislation. Bradford’s schools were the first to offer free meals to children and Bradford was the world’s first UNESCO City of Film. The Impact Hub sees themselves as one of many custodians of this legacy of social impact.
Impact Hub Bradford is a home for social innovation and enterprise in the heart of Bradford’s historic Little Germany district to serve the dreams of the people of our city and of our region.
Impact Hub Bradford began in 2015 when CEO Kamran Rashid, in starting up his Socially Conscious Company venture, experienced the frustration of working from home and in a team of one. Visiting the Impact Hub in London convinced Kamran that this could both alleviate his entrepreneurial isolation as well as create new opportunities for Bradford.
Imran Ali joined the team in 2016, with a background in innovation ecospheres and technology, with Alex Chisholm joining shortly after to develop strategies for arts and culture. Together they established 30 Chapel Street, the company which would incubate the work necessary to join Impact Hub’s global network and build our capacity.
By 2019, they were joined by Mandip Sahota, bringing expertise in policy and strategy, as they transitioned from a private company, limited by guarantee, to a community interest company in order to provide more robust governance and an ethical vehicle for external funding.
A Civic Collaboratory
At the heart of Impact Hub is a platform for social experimentation, our “Civic Collaboratory”: an organisational form that encompasses social processes, collaboration, co-design, formal and informal communication and consensus on principles and values. As both learners and facilitators at the intersection of various key sectors – public, private, voluntary, academic, entrepreneurial, NGOs and academia – the “Collaboratory” is a hub that convenes and creates dialogue across unconnected disciplines.
A capacity to see the city as a platform offers opportunities for curiosity, accessibility and even “remix-ability”, where all its components become the materials and behaviours by which social innovations take place.
A Platform for Impact & Prosperity
The role of Impact Hub Bradford is as a platform for creating prosperity and a catalyst for bringing together innovators who wish to tackle the city’s challenges. Prosperity is a broad goal, but for our city they have very specific markers they wish to use as metrics in assessing impact.
Developing a membership model for 130 members by 2025, people who they will support to become the essence of a vibrant and thriving ecosystem for aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to have social impact.
They offer members packages of workspace, mentoring, masterclasses, and access to programmes of business support and funding.
Impact Hub Bradford are curating collisions and collaborations across sectors which would not ordinarily work together. For example: they recently produced an event that brought together people from the arts, healthcare, and technology; co-developed a leadership programme for social innovators; and convened a “Collaboratory” of organisations across the voluntary sector to raise investment for that sector.
Locally Rooted, Globally Connected
Knowledge of and access to Bradford’s unique demographics and diversity allows Impact Hub Bradford to offer a vital multicultural and youthful perspective to the wider world. They believe sharing the lived experiences and solutions of our city creates a vital solidarity with other communities around the world and a sense of being part of global social innovation.
Impact Hub Bradford CIC, Digital Exchange, 34 Peckover Street, Bradford BD1 5BD
