IETM Focus Bradford 2025 - 22-24 October 2025

With international relations having entered a new period of upheaval, we came together in Bradford to consider what this means for the future of cross-border creative collaboration.

Europe is at a crossroads, grappling with the continued rise of populism, the collapse of traditional allegiances, and responding with increased emphasis on military expenditure.

Meanwhile, the European Commission proposed a double budget for Creative Europe. This proposal is now up for debate and critics are many. As the EU's flagship cultural funding programme, with 40 countries participating, a final decision will influence the ability of thousands of performing arts professionals to collaborate across borders. With current developments as a backdrop, we delved into critical questions about international collaboration.  

Leaders from the performing arts sector and European policy arena joined us to digest and debate the options ahead. As global tensions rise and the UK continues to navigate its post-Brexit reality, we allowed ourselves to think big and imagine what an expanded Creative Europe might look like. Can it become a programme that welcomes participation from all corners of the globe?  

As we explored that possibility, we also looked at how Creative Europe’s priorities around the green transition and social inclusion take shape on the ground. Focusing on artist mobility, creative practitioners shared inclusive practices that centre disabled artists and new approaches to environmentally sustainable touring. Together, we exchanged ideas, asked questions, and sparked fresh thinking.

This wasn't an IETM meeting without the opportunity to expand networks, and there was be plenty of opportunity to connect with fellow participants and seek future collaborators.

Rooted in the unique context of where we met, we drew on perspectives shaped by the UK’s post-colonial legacy - a country of four nations, each with devolved government and arts funding structures, and the city of Bradford, where nearly 40% of people trace their cultural heritage beyond Europe.

Bradford 2025 is the UK’s City of Culture and the Focus meeting offered a chance to experience this cultural moment first-hand, with two new commissions that reflect the ambition and diversity of the year-long festival. The Javaad Alipoor Company presented the world premiere of Elmet, a poetic story of family, land and resistance, set in the shadowy edges of the modern North of England. We also included YOU:MATTER by Marshmallow Laser Feast, an interactive digital experience that invites audiences to step through a series of immersive environments exploring our elemental connection to the world around us. Plus, the world’s most exciting visual arts prize came to Bradford for the first time - the Turner Prize 2025 was at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery during this period.

We encouraged participants to make the most of their time in the UK and extend their trip to experience Transform 25, a festival of powerful international performance from 21-25 October in nearby Leeds - the fastest train between the two cities took just 17 minutes. Several performances from the Transform 25 programme - ranging from visceral theatre to dance and interactive installations - were on offer for the Focus meeting, and participants caught more of their exciting line-up by arriving early on Tuesday 21 October, or by staying on for a full day of programming on Saturday 25th.

IETM Bradford Focus Meeting 2025 was co-organised by IETM, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and IETM member caravan, Farnham Maltings and our associate members Creative Scotland and Arts Infopoint UK, a partnership initiative led by Wales Arts International/Arts Council of Wales with support from Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.