organisations
SENDiVERSE Festival 2025 is set to become the first district-wide celebration of creativity, imagination, and inclusive expression through the arts, led by and for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families. Taking place from Monday 27th to Friday 31st October, with a flagship 'Big Bang' celebration on Saturday 1st November SENDiVERSE Festival will amplify SEND voices and talents across the city, spark collaboration among communities, services and cultural providers, transforming how the creative contributions of SEND communities are seen and celebrated.
The vision for this festival is ambitious and joyful: to bring a vibrant and diverse programme of arts-based activity into every corner of Bradford, enabling communities, health and social care professionals, educators, families, and young people to connect around the values of inclusivity, expression, and visibility. It is an invitation to come together in celebration of SEND creativity—not only as participants but as co-creators and leaders of cultural change.
SENDiVERSE Festival is being co-developed and delivered in collaboration with a wide network of local stakeholders. These include award-winning organisations with SEND-specific focus, local SEND providers such as NHS and Bradford Council services, SENDIAS, and community-led groups like Aware, Play and Thrive, Bradford Stronger Together and SEND Salaam. Partnerships are also being sought with special schools such as Delius and Phoenix, as well as with cultural organisations who have experience delivering inclusive and socially engaged practice. Advocacy groups and disabled artists will also play a central role in shaping the programme. Participating partners will be invited to co-create events, share resources, and promote the festival within their networks. Opportunities to host events during the week will (where needed) be supported through micro-commissions, and collaborative planning sessions will be held with SEND networks to map a district-wide calendar of events. Every event delivery partner will help ensure the festival is grounded in real community experience and genuinely co-produced with SEND families and young people.
We warmly invite you to participate in making SENDiVERSE Festival 2025 a success. Whether by proposing an event, joining our planning discussions, promoting the festival, or hosting a creative activity during the week, your partnership can make a meaningful difference. Together, we can build something transformational—where SEND children, young people, and their families are seen, heard, and celebrated at the heart of Bradford Districts cultural life.
The Leap are hosting a number of sessions so that you can find out more about how your organisation can be involved.
If you have any queries about the sessions please get in touch with us: info@the-leap.org.uk
There are a choice of of dates and times: - to book please click here
Thursday 14th August, 1.30pm to 2.30pm online or at Bradford College, BD7 1AY
Thursday 14th August, 6.00pm to 7.00pm online
Friday 15th August, 10.00am to 11.00am online
Monday 18th August, 10.00am to 11.00am online
Monday 18th August, 6.00pm to 7.00pm online
Friday 22nd August, 10.30am to 11.30am online