A brand-new visual arts festival is launching in Bradford in Autumn 2025 designed to develop and celebrate Bradford’s thriving visual arts scene.

OUR TURN is the first visual arts event of its kind in the city and will shine a spotlight on art that is made and created in Bradford. The festival will take place between 17th September – 28th January 2026 to coincide with Bradford’s prestigious role as host city for the Turner Prize 2025 and includes a compelling mix of visual art events that celebrate Bradford’s artistic diversity and creative energy.

OUR TURN programme highlights include:

• Practice Bradford – a group exhibition showcasing new artwork from four exciting emerging Bradford artists, Joanna Byrne, Atiyya Mirza, Liv Preston and Saba Siddiqui. The exhibition is open 18 September – 19 October at Loading Bay and will launch the OUR TURN festival with an opening event on Wednesday 17 September. Practice Bradford is curated by Yorkshire Contemporary in partnership with Bradford Producing Hub and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
• Bradford Art Show – a dynamic exhibition of artwork from artists across Bradford open 6 – 21 December at Loading Bay. Bradford artists and residents are invited to submit work for this exhibition relating to the theme OUR PLACE.
• Artists’ Showcase – newly commissioned artwork from 14 local artists. Artwork will be displayed throughout the festival at various venues and unusual spaces across Bradford.
• Bradford Print Collection – a special collection of prints representing the vibrant printmaking sector in Bradford. The collection will be on display and available for sale at various locations and online throughout the festival programme.

More events that form part of the OUR TURN programme will be announced in the coming weeks.

OUR TURN is designed and led by artists and delivered by South Square Centre in collaboration with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Yorkshire Contemporary and Bradford Producing Hub. The festival is supported by Arts Council England, Yorkshire Visual Arts Network and commissioned by Bradford 2025.

Alice Withers, Director at South Square Centre, said:

“OUR TURN places artists and the Bradford community front and centre, showcasing the depth and breadth of Bradford’s vibrant visual arts ecosystem. The programme is already shaping up to be something special and we still have many more events and activities to announce. Do keep your eye out for further announcements coming soon – there’s lots to get excited about!

At its heart, OUR TURN is a celebration – but it’s also a call to action for further investment in creativity and culture in our city. We don’t just see OUR TURN as a one-time event. Our ambition is to make this a biennial festival, building on the success of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture’s celebrations and creating opportunities for future generations. This inaugural festival is our turn to show what our city and our visual arts sector can do.”

Jenny Harris, Director of Producing at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said:

“OUR TURN is a bold and ambitious festival that forms an important part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. It will showcase the diversity and strength of our homegrown talent at a time when the world’s visual arts community looks to Bradford as it hosts the Turner Prize 2025, giving local artists a powerful platform during a global spotlight.

With a varied programme that spans traditional and non-traditional venues across the district, OUR TURN will also engage diverse communities across Bradford, reaching artists, seasoned art-goers and brand-new audiences. We hope as many people as possible seize the opportunity to be part of this exciting moment for Bradford.”

To learn more about the OUR TURN festival and keep up to date on event announcements, visit: OURTURN.co.uk