Welcome to the BCB newsletter for July. Here’s just a few things that have been going on at BCB and some events that are coming up:
Bradford Literature Festival 2025
Thanks to everyone who took part in BCB’s successful coverage of the Bradford Literature Festival. We were more ambitious in our BLF coverage this year as we had the BCB Radiobox in City Park. As well as the daily 5.30-6pm programmes, Live from the LitFest, we were also broadcasting live over the two weekends which is the time when most of the BLF activity takes place. We spoke to lots of authors, panellists, artists and contributors as well as members of the public attending the Festival. The Radiobox was a great attraction for families and children who were able to take part in activities on the table outside brilliantly organised by Marie and Emma. We also held our very first BCB Book Club, a live broadcast with the Bradford author Liz Mistry, discussing her book Last Request. Despite a few internet connection problems at the beginning of the festival, it was really good to have a greater visible BCB presence at the Festival. A big thanks as well to all those who supported the broadcast in the studio.
BCB Radiobox
We will be out and about across the Bradford District this summer with the BCB Radiobox. As well as broadcasting live from events, we want to use these encounters to raise awareness of BCB, recruit new listeners and volunteers, talk to people about BCB,find out what they listen to now – and what they’d like to hear on BCB. This is a great opportunity to get in touch with our listeners and create new ones too. We need a big team of BCB volunteers at every event to promote BCB – and to broadcast too! So please do let us know if you’d be up for joining us jonathan.pinfield@bcbradio.co.uk .
Developing Confidence in Community Journalism
The final session in BCB’s collaboration project with Leeds University School of Media will be on Monday 21 July 1.30 -3.30 pm. This workshop will again be with Carl Hartley and Layla Painter, and will build on the production elements that we discussed last time, working on how we can make the most of on location and pre-recorded interviews. If you’re interested in attending- and haven’t been before, please contact mary.dowson@bcbradio.co.uk. And if there’s anything from the previous sessions that you’d like to develop further in this session. Do please let us know.
Schools
Our team of Children from Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy became our Junior Reporters for Bradford Literature Festival! They interviewed Storyteller Gav Cross, produced a special program about reading and even featured on the BLF Jingle!
Pupils from the Academy at St James in Allerton did their first live broadcast last week at our Radiobox in City Park! The children had a brilliant time and really enjoyed the experience.
Feodora, age 10 said, ‘This was so much fun. I think we need the RadioBox at our school!’
Storyquest, “The Adventures of Bradford,” is a new project empowering the city’s children by helping them find their voices and become authors of their own stories. Recently we welcomed pupils from Dixon’s Manningham Primary School to BCB to share their stories. They recorded audio versions of their stories which are going out on Bradford and Beyond at 4.05pm every day this week!
Radio Times
After running a couple of taster sessions BCB is going to be starting a brand new radio project for the over 55s commencing on the 15th of July between 10.00am and 12.00pm. The project is called Radio Times, and will provide a weekly drop in session at BCB where people can learn radio skills, and ultimately present a new weekly afternoon programme on BCB. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining the project or finding out more about it then please let us know.
BCB is based in Bradford City Centre at 11 Rawson Road, Bradford BD1 3SH (near Oastler Market).
For more information contact us: dipak.mistry@bcbradio.co.uk or mary.dowson@bcbradio.co.uk.
Sound and Vision gallery at NSMM – opening this week!
The new galleries at the NSMM are opening! From Thursday July 10th you”ll be able to visit the two floors of new attractions – including the BCB studio. This is a mock up of our BCB studio here at Rawson Road, which gives the visitor the opportunity to have a go at being a radio presenter. There’s also a lovely digital display of photographs of many of our BCB volunteers. So do go and visit – and have a go yourself! We’ll be broadcasting live from the family fun day at lunchtime at the NSMM on Sat 12 July so come and join us there.
Bradford StoryHub Workshops
Quick reminder – last few places!
The Bradford StoryHub is a new community journalism initiative from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism in partnership with Bradford Community Broadcasting (BCB). It aims to amplify local voices and support community-led storytelling.
Upcoming free StoryHub workshops at BCB (no experience required)…please book a free session and/or pass on to your colleagues/friends that might be interested!
Using Journalism for Community Impact
Tuesday, 15th July – 4-6pm with Katie Mark from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Join Katie Mark, journalist and documentary filmmaker at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, for an interactive session on how journalism can uncover overlooked stories and challenge power. With experience at BBC Panorama and Africa Eye, Katie focuses on under-reported communities across Africa and the Middle East. She’ll share how investigations are built, why public interest journalism matters locally, and guide a practical workshop to help you shape your own impactful, evidence-based community story ideas.
How to write for the reader
Tuesday, 22nd July 4-6pm with Oliver Kemp, from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
Learn how to craft stories that truly connect with your audience. This practical session will explore how to write clearly, compellingly, and with purpose—keeping the reader front and centre. Whether you’re sharing lived experience, reporting a local issue, or writing a blog, you’ll pick up tips to make your writing more engaging and impactful. Oliver joined TBIJ to lead on direct audience growth, having previously developed digital strategies and best practices for regional titles across the UK.
To reserve your place, email johnofford@tbij.com. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
New Substack launch:
We’ve just launched our first Substack as part of the Bradford StoryHub, sharing what we’re learning from community organising and reshaping how local investigative stories are told. Check it out and subscribe:
https://substack.com/@thebradfordstoryhub
‘Hear My Voice’ – BCB Radio Project.
BCB is running a radio training project called ‘Hear My Voice’ for refugees and people seeking asylum in Bradford. The project will cover all the basic skills needed to make radio programmes for broadcast on BCB radio. No previous experience is necessary!
The main aims of the project are:
To provide radio training for a group of 6 – 8 refugees and people seeking asylum, with the opportunity for people to contribute as volunteer broadcasters, gaining skills and experience, working alongside the BCB community in a positive, supportive, and creative environment.
To use radio broadcasting to create greater awareness and understanding of the refugee and asylum seeker experience among the wider community in Bradford.
The radio training project will be for 8 weeks with one session 2 hours each week. Training will include interviewing skills, recording, editing, radio presenting, using the broadcast studio, programme planning. The project will create radio programmes, reports and features for broadcast on BCB.
Bus fares can be paid for people taking part.
BCB is based in Bradford City Centre at 11 Rawson Road, Bradford BD1 3SH (near Oastler Market).
For more information contact us: dipak.mistry@bcbradio.co.uk mary.dowson@bcbradio.co.uk
Radio 119
It has been another busy month with Radio 119, our project supporting adults with learning disabilities to have greater access to the media. Lee Eccles, a member of Radio 119, took part in a sponsored walk to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The British Heart foundation had looked after Lee’s mum when she was unwell and Lee raised £101 – well done Lee! The team also visited Low Ash Primary school where they interviewed deputy headteacher Dan and had Keighley and Craven People first visit them at BCB for an interview. Finally they’ve been spending time in the studio brushing up on their studio skills
Bradford 2025 Roundup
Bradford 2025 is powering on bringing a whole host of opportunities, excitement and events. This month saw the return of the BCB RadioBox, our roving radio studio in a converted shipping container, to Centenary Square just in time to be right at the heart of Bradford Literature Festival (which you can read about above). As well as hosting our broadcasting as part of Bradford Literature Festival we’ve been regularly bringing you About Bradford, Bradford & Beyond and Roundtable from the BCB RadioBox (in the lovely sunshine no less). Alongside this, on Bradford & Beyond at 5.35pm, we’ve been chatting to people putting events on for Bradford 2025 to keep everyone in the know and to really celebrate this fantastic year for Bradford!
Featured Programme of the Month
A bit of a change of pace this month as we’re not bringing you a featured programme BUT a featured strand. The strand we’re telling you about is BCB Xtra. The BCB Xtra strand runs Mon-Sun 6:30-7pm and each programme is brought to you by a different young person from Bradford. Monday’s programme is with Ethan Johnson, Tuesday Izzy Harper, Wednesday its The Basement with Ash Pamment, Thursday alternatives between Bulletin Beats with Silver and Curl Talk with Amelia George and Friday is Nerd Alert with Lewis Murphy.
If you’re a young person who is interested in having their own 30 minute programme as part of BCB Xtra please email hello@bcbradio.co.uk
