The Brontës, the world’s first UNESCO City of Film, David Hockney - Just a few things that the district of Bradford, UK is famous for. In 2025, being the UK City of Culture will be another accolade the area can add to its list.
As part of the celebrations, the BBC organised a talent search to find Bradford’s new voices. One of those voices, Humaira Bham, spoke to Bitesize about what makes her city so special.
'A city where there will always be someone who wants to help you out'
Bradford has a varied landscape that could inspire many of those who live or visit the area. The peaceful, rolling hills and moorlands are only a stone’s throw away from a bustling, modern city centre. It’s no surprise that the area is home to such a rich amount of culture and creative people.
Humaira, who works as an someone who is trained to examine the eyes, was announced as one of the three winners of the BBC’s search to find new voices for the city on this special year.
When BBC Bitesize asked Humaira to describe what Bradford is like for those who have never been before, she told us: “There will always be someone who wants to help you out.”
This idea of helping others is something that Humaira hopes will come from Bradford 2025. She said: “If we can showcase the art and culture in Bradford it might inspire someone to explore that talent within themselves.
“I also want to help young people find their passion in life and go for it and become really successful. Bradford is one of the youngest cities in the UK and there’s so much potential to come from there.”
Image source, BBCA competition that involved singers, dancers, rappers and a puppeteer
Humaira’s day job may seem very different to her new role during the UK City of Culture, which only came about while she was scrolling through her phone one day.
“The BBC were looking for new voices. I thought why not try it out and why not be the one to champion the city."
"Sometimes when I get imposter syndrome I think if someone else deserves it, why don’t I?”
Humaira was up against a variety of applicants including singers, dancers, rappers, someone performing Bhangra and a puppeteer, all of who represented the diverse talent that Bradford homes. She had to think hard about how to make her audition stand out.
“I can’t sing and I can’t dance, so I thought about what I can do and I started writing out bits of poems. I like writing poems and had never shown anyone, I never thought they were any good.”
Humaira penned an emotive poem about her grandparents’ experience of landing in Bradford many years ago. “I wrote from my grandmother’s perspective to her father who wasn’t in this country. My grandmother was only 16 when she came to Bradford. When I first showed it to my sister she cried, and I thought maybe this is okay.”
Events taking place during Bradford 2025
There are lots of events and exhibitions taking place across the year in Bradford, including:
- An open-air event called RISE in January that marks the start of the year-long UK City of Culture, created by award-winning director Kirsty Housley and Bradford-born Steven Frayn, the magician formerly known as Dynamo.
- A nationwide drawing project supported by David Hockney to encourage people to draw to reflect their daily lives.
- The Turner Prize, which in 2025 celebrates the 250th anniversary of JMW Turner’s birth, will come to Bradford.
- A three-day music festival celebrating the new music across all genres.
If you don't live near Bradford, you can still soak up the events virtually throughout the year. The BBC will be showing a behind the scenes film of how RISE was put together. There will also be special editions of Countryfile and Bargain Hunt that were filmed in the area.
Image source, BBCThe sky’s the limit
Now, alongside Olivia and Irene, Humaira has been crowned the voice of Bradford. The three winners will be at the heart of the coverage of the special year.
For Humaira, it’s a chance to inspire others. She said: “I just want people to see what’s going on and think ‘wow that’s really cool’ or ‘I’d like to get into that’. The sky’s the limit.”
It will be a busy year. The event will take over the city for a whole year, something that Humaira can’t wait for. She shared: “I think people are buzzing for life to come to their city, that’s what I’m excited most about.”
Humaira also mentioned: “A lot of the artists performing are going to be from Bradford, I want people to think ‘that person is from my city, that’s incredible, I want to do the same thing’.
“It’s really important to show people that where they live can be really nice, that there is so much talent that comes from where they live. You also gain an appreciation of where you live once it’s championed.”
This article was published in January 2025
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