New Queers in Bradford

In the second in our series of New Queers blogs, our local ambassador in Bradford Sonia Sandhu writes about audiences for queer work in her home city

I live, work and play in Bradford, and despite its economic challenges, and being a city which tends to be overlooked nationally, you don’t have to search too far here to find an exciting cultural scene. Artists making use of empty buildings and turning them into performance spaces, galleries and studios (Speakers’ Corner, Cecil Green Arts, Fuse Art Space). The collective ownership of buildings as community hubs (Bread+Roses – cafe and co-working space, 1in12 Club – punk live music venue and cafe). Grassroots theatre companies (Common Wealth Theatre Company – making site specific, political work, Mind the Gap – making work with learning-disabled artists). This list is by no means exhaustive. The Brick Box Rooms is a cosy live arts venue and bar in the city centre, and is where I first worked on the New Queers on the Block project in October 2018, providing free food during a pre-theatre gathering before the shows at Theatre in the Mill.

NQOTB is the first time I have noticed specifically queer programming of live art in a Bradford theatre, and the diversity in the line up was striking. Approx 35% of Bradford’s population consists of Asian, African, Caribbean and other non-white ethnic groups; communities in which if you are LGBTQ+, you have the added layers of culture and religion which can make it harder, or even unsafe, to be visible. Reasons related to this, and also the cultural expectation to pursue more traditional job roles, is probably why it’s actually quite hard to find many QTIPoC artists from Bradford, who currently live and make work here. In conversations had with audiences, the diversity in race, age and gender identity of the artists involved was consistently pointed out as significant, and factors which made the works more relatable. Like many cities, Bradford has a gay nightclub and bar with regular drag performances, which can be great, but it is not representative of, or accessible or appealing to everyone that is queer.

“New Queers on the Block helped to show there is an audience in Bradford for live art which falls outside of the mainstream”

My favourite thing about the project is its collaborative approach, letting people in to be a part of the process, providing space for the sharing ideas to shape how the project looks in each city it goes to. As local ambassador I had the chance to speak directly with LGBTQ+ community groups about the shows, ensuring the reach was beyond people already aware of and attending the theatre. Having a budget to cover travel costs for people with access needs, and an option to cover ticket costs for anyone low/unwaged was so important, and helped to show audiences their presence was valued. The support in my ideas, and budget I had to work with, allowed me to programme free, community focussed events alongside the touring shows brought to the city. This provided paid opportunities for local queer artists and brought together people from a range of backgrounds – we held a really beautiful poetry and food event in July ’19, ahead of shows being previewed at Theatre in the Mill before the Edinburgh Fringe, with audiences ranging from an older LGBTQ+ group, people from an LGBTQ+ faith group, to students who had travelled in for the event from Manchester. I love the sharing of food as a tool to connect people, and this was a recurring element in my work on the project; it helped to create a welcoming space for both audiences and artists, and initiated discussion in between shows, and time for people to talk about the work they had seen. Across the February ’20 weekender, there was a range in the programming, from more familiar and traditional art forms, workshops to get involved in, through to bigger, bold and experimental productions.

NQOTB helped to show there is an audience in Bradford for live art which falls outside of the mainstream, and I see it as a catalyst for more queer-led art emerging in the city. There is no shortage of LGBTQ+ people with creative ideas from Bradford, but there has been a lacking support system, and so no distinct queer arts scene here because people go to more established cities to make work. With the recent announcement of Bradford’s bid for UK City of Culture, Arts Council England’s investment in the city, to pilot Bradford Producing Hub (to develop and support the making of live art), and the launch of The Leap (programme to increase engagement with the arts by helping local people to create what’s on offer), Bradford feels like a unique and promising place for making and showing creative work. NQOTB has been adaptive during the Covid19 pandemic, reaching out directly to ask artists what kind of support might be appropriate for them, be it instant cash, partnering with organisations or help in applying for ACE funding. Schemes like this are so needed to retain creative people in the city, and to show that you don’t have to be from a particular background to enjoy and get involved in the arts.

Marlborough Productions’ David Sheppeard said: “On meeting Sonia Sandhu in Bradford on our first New Queers on the Block tour, it was immediately clear that we’d met a really special person. Sonia’s skills as a creative community organiser and a banging chef made her uniquely placed to introduce us to this vibrant city. What struck us about Sonia and Bradford on the whole was the willingness to collaborate, the interconnectedness and the sense that people were working towards a common goal to represent the lives of the Bradford’s unique communities in new creative ways.”

Best known for her vegan pop up supper clubs and as a founding member of the Bread + Roses cafe, Sonia Sandhu has worked as Associate Artist with Common Wealth Theatre Company, as a producer with West Yorkshire Queer Stories, and is currently a project worker for an LGBTQ+ youth group. She has a penchant for Dr Martens, loves bhangra music, and is really, really fast in spin class. @itssoniaomg @soniaveganchef