Bradford is gearing up to host a significant festival as part of its celebrations as the UK City of Culture. The BBC Contains Strong Language (CSL) festival, now in its ninth year, is set to take place in the city for the first time, running from Thursday, September 18th to Sunday, September 21st.
The festival promises a vibrant programme of performances, readings, events, and activities held at various venues across Bradford. Several flagship Radio 4 programmes, including Front Row, Start the Week, and Loose Ends, will be broadcast live or recorded during the four-day event, bringing national attention to the city’s cultural scene.
Headline Acts and Special Events
The festival boasts an impressive line-up of talent, including appearances by Edith Bowman, who will be presenting Loose Ends live from the festival. Her guests will include AA Dhand, the author behind the Virdee novels recently adapted for BBC television. Music will be provided by Neil Hannon’s The Divine Comedy, coinciding with the release of their new album and UK tour.
Fans of the long-running radio drama The Archers can look forward to a special edition of The Archers Podcast, presented by Emma Freud. Guests will include Ben Norris, who plays Ben Archer and is also a poet, Archers scriptwriter Sarah McDonald Hughes, and poet Rachel Bower.
Poet Ian McMillan will host Radio 4’s The Verb, a “cabaret of the word” featuring the winner of The Laurel Prize for nature writing, whose identity will be revealed during the festival.
Free Events and Accessible Venues
Many of the weekend’s events will be free to the public, making the festival accessible to a wide audience. Venues include St George’s Hall, City Library, and Alhambra Studio, offering a range of spaces for performances and activities.
Community Engagement
In the lead-up to the festival, the BBC, Word Up North, and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture have collaborated on an outreach and engagement programme. This initiative involves working with schools, the NHS, and mental health charities across the Bradford District to promote the power of poetry and the spoken word.
Featured Programmes and Performances
Here’s a more detailed look at some of the highlights planned for the BBC Contains Strong Language 2025 festival:
- Front Row: BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts programme will be broadcast live, presented by Bradford’s own Nick Ahad.
- The AdVerb: Poet Testament will present poetry and performance from across the country, featuring Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan, and Kirsty Taylor, all for Radio 4.
- BBC Introducing: Showcasing new talent, this platform will feature performances from some of the best emerging spoken word and musical artists from the Bradford area.
- Antony Szmierek: An intimate gig from the critically acclaimed spoken-word artist and musician, whose debut book and album are now available.
- Start the Week: Tom Sutcliffe and guests will explore the history of Bradford and Britain through their poetry, in a recording for BBC Radio 4.
- Blue Envelopes: A playback recording of Nick Ahad’s comedy drama, followed by a Q&A session.
- CSL Poetry Shorts: Poet-led sessions exploring topics such as mind and body, music and lyrics, and the power of the women of Bradford.
Audience Participation Events
The festival will also feature a range of audience participation events, including:
- Bradford Open Mic: An open platform for anyone to read, perform, or listen to poetry and spoken word.
- Sisterverse: A space for women to share their voices through poetry and the spoken word.
- Beehive Poets: An interactive poetry reading to create an exciting poetic soundscape.
Awards and Showcases
The festival will also host the announcement of the winner of the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award, with Oscar-winning judge Peter Straughan, recognised for his screenplay of Conclave, in attendance.
The Words First Talent Showcase will feature performances from emerging spoken word artists chosen as finalists in the CSL and BBC Upload talent development scheme for 18 to 30-year-olds.
The Language is a Queer Thing project, supported by the British Council, will culminate in performances by six queer poets from India and the UK.
Community Art
Renowned local art collective Sand In Your Eye will transform City Park into a vibrant canvas with a giant ground mural, bursting with colour and words. Members of the public will be invited to add to the mural, drawing inspiration from poetry, words, and each other, as it becomes a living artwork.
Partnership and Support
The BBC Contains Strong Language 2025 festival is a partnership between the BBC, Word Up North, and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, with support from Arts Council England. The festival aims to showcase the city’s rich creative spirit and provide a platform for both emerging and established poetic voices. The collaborative effort promises a dynamic and engaging event for both local residents and visitors alike.