Twelve Months. One Mission. A City Embracing Culture
For most cities, building an audience is a long game. But for Bradford, 2025 is the year that everything happens. As the UK’s City of Culture, the city is halfway through a once-in-a-generation programme packed with performances, exhibitions, installations and pop-up events, all taking place in just twelve fast-moving months.
It’s ambitious, and it’s everywhere, happening in theatres, community centres, repurposed mills and neighbourhood parks. There’s no permanent venue to guide people back to, no routine. Instead, every event is new, and so is the audience. Many are younger, many are first-time attendees, and most are navigating unfamiliar places to experience something surprising and joyful.
That’s where crowdEngage comes in.
Meeting Audiences Where They Are
Chris Marr, a digital consultant working with the Bradford 2025 team, puts it simply:
“We’re not running a typical season. We’re delivering a living, breathing cultural programme that evolves every week.”
With such a dynamic schedule, the team needed a way to communicate with audiences that was fast, adaptable, and clear. Sending out PDF tickets by email just wasn’t going to cut it, especially for people discovering culture for the first time.
crowdEngage gives the team a better way. On the day of each event, audiences receive a friendly SMS with everything they need: their mobile ticket, directions to the venue, what to expect when they arrive, and how to get there sustainably. No apps, no downloads, no confusion.
“It’s about creating calm and confidence,” Chris says. “When you’re heading to a performance in an unfamiliar part of the district, that message on your phone makes all the difference.”
Reaching New Audiences with the Right Tone
One of the most important goals for Bradford 2025 is to open up culture to new audiences—and that means changing how they communicate.
For a lot of attendees, this isn’t just a new show, it’s their first ever cultural event. They don’t necessarily know what to expect, how accessible the event will be. crowdEngage allows Bradford 2025 to give them clear, helpful information that’s relevant to each event and audience, without overwhelming them with details or technical jargon.
And because messages are sent via SMS, even those who rarely check their email still arrive informed.
“It’s that same ease you get with services like Uber or Deliveroo,” Chris explains. “People want communication that just works, when they need it.”
Culture That Moves- Literally
Bradford 2025 is different in another important way: they’re not just putting on events, they’re also thinking hard about how people get to them.
Thanks to a collaboration with You. Smart. Thing., each SMS from crowdEngage also includes a personalised travel plan. When someone clicks their event link, they can see public transport routes, walking directions, cycling options or, if they need to drive, where to park.
It’s not just helpful. It also provides vital data. The team can track how people are travelling and use that information to understand the programme’s environmental impact.
“We want to be accountable,” Chris says. “And this lets us say: here’s how we reduced car travel, here’s how many people walked or took the train. It gives us real data we can share with funders and stakeholders.”
Built for a One-Year Marathon
When you’re only active for twelve months, you don’t have time to slowly trial systems or bring in consultants for months of onboarding. The tools have to work straight away and they have to be flexible.
crowdEngage lets the team make quick changes when venues shift, events move, or the weather threatens to interfere. There’s no delay, and no bottlenecks. The messages keep going out, and the audiences keep showing up.
Chris describes it as “a system that helps us breathe,” reducing pressure on the team and giving audiences a more polished experience.
The Bigger Impact
For Bradford 2025, success isn’t measured just in ticket sales. It’s about giving people a sense of belonging. It’s about showing someone that culture is for them, even if they’ve never set foot in a theatre. It’s about making the journey easy, the welcome warm, and the experience feel unforgettable.
crowdEngage is helping make that happen; not by replacing human interaction, but by creating the space for it. When guests arrive feeling informed and confident, staff can spend more time greeting them and less time fixing problems.
“We’re here to open doors,” Chris says. “And tools like crowdEngage help us do that—in every part of the journey.”
Want to deliver confident, connected, and climate-conscious experiences like Bradford 2025?
Learn more about how our Visitor Experience tools support ambitious teams and dynamic programmes.
Explore upcoming events at bradford2025.co.uk.
