Cultural activities and events among adolescents in Bradford, England: evidence from the Born in Bradford Age of Wonder study

<ns3:p>Benefits of artistic and cultural engagement among adolescents include improved mental health, wellbeing, and reduced loneliness. We described quantitative and qualitative data regarding arts, cultural participation, and local pride in the 2023/24 round of ‘Born in Bradford: Age of Wonder’, an ongoing longitudinal study of secondary school pupils in Bradford. 9,003 pupils at 25 secondary schools participated. The median age was 13.9 (IQR 13.2-14.7); 40.0% were Pakistani; 35.4% were White British; 24.6% were of other ethnicities; and 53.6% lived in the most deprived quintile of neighbourhoods nationally. The majority of participants (89.6%) reported attending a cultural event in the past month, such as a religious service or party; and similarly the majority (85.6%) reported participating in an artistic or cultural activity, such as creating artworks or reading for enjoyment. Boys were more likely to report engagement with sport and video games, whereas girls were more likely to report engagement with visual arts, theatre, and performances. Pakistani participants were more likely than White British participants to report participation in religious services and voluntary, charity, or community work. White British participants were more likely than Pakistani participants to report participation in theatre, dance, circus, or other performances; singing or playing an instrument; a live music concert or gig; and live sport. While 60.4% of participants reported that they are proud to live in their local area, only 35.2% reported that local arts and culture make them feel proud. Qualitative interviews suggested that pride is strongly related to perceptions of community, belonging, familiarity, and safety. The geographical pattern of responses to questions about local pride suggests that levels of pride are relatively high in the centre of Bradford, which is a relatively deprived area with a large Pakistani population, which may suggest that drivers of local pride are broader than deprivation.</ns3:p>