24-07-2025
Bradford City of Culture baton finishes district-wide journey
A celebratory baton designed by pupils at a Bradford school is on the final day of a four-week tour of the artwork, commissioned to commemorate the City of Culture year, was created by students at Carlton Bolling and has visited each of the district's 30 electoral journey, which began in the Keighley and Ilkley area, ends in Clayton on Thursday, and has seen hundreds of pairs of hands carry the piece since the start of Boyle, head of art at the school which came up with the design, said: "It's been named the Baton of Cohesion because the whole point of the event is to try and link all the wards together with a single event during the City of Culture year."
Mr Boyle said about 20 pupils had been involved with coming up with the distinctive design which ended up resembling the Olympic torch."We've made 10 all together. Of the first four there's one left that's been taped together and is making its way around."But we've made another six in the last week-and-a-half with the idea that hopefully that will get them to the end," he each ward the baton was carried by someone from the local area, with nominations coming via Bradford Council concluding in a celebratory Boyle said: "The Baton of Cohesion has given some students the opportunity to see other parts of Bradford."And I know that seems strange; why aren't they going to other parts of Bradford? "But for some students that is a challenge."
Thursday's final handover at Clayton Village will be followed by a special family fun day at Odsal Stadium on Thursday, 31 will happen to the remaining batons is still Boyle said: "I know we've got one for our school. And there are six (in total)."It could be that they're distributed to different organisations in Bradford to hold on to on a permanent basis... depending on how many are left, of course."
