The National Science and Media Museum will be temporarily closed to daytime visitors on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 May 2025 as Bradford proudly hosts the Creative Cities Convention (CCC) – a landmark event in the UK’s screen industries calendar.
The Creative Cities Convention is an annual event for professionals working in film, TV and digital industries, focused on amplifying perspectives from outside of London. It aims to bring together diverse voices from across the UK, showcasing opportunities beyond the capital as well as sharing industry insights and celebrating creativity across the country. Key stakeholders include BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Paramount and Pact, with industry leaders travelling to Bradford to take part in this year’s convention.
The two-day closure of the museum supports the city in welcoming top creative professionals from across screen industries, providing a venue for a packed programme of thought-provoking talks, networking opportunities and special screenings. The convention will showcase Bradford as a thriving hub of media and creativity, not only during its year as UK City of Culture but as a growing force in the UK’s cultural landscape for years to come.
While the museum will be closed to visitors during the day, Pictureville Cinema will remain open to the public each evening to host two gala screenings, organised as part of the Creative Cities Convention, in partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. These exclusive preview screenings celebrate regional talent and stories, connecting Bradford’s own cultural story with the future of screen storytelling. They offer an opportunity for local audiences to get involved with the convention, as well as the exclusive opportunity to see these titles on the big screen, ahead of their national television release.
On Tuesday 6 May, Pictureville will be screening upcoming BBC documentary Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire (2025). On the 40th anniversary of the event this May, the story will be remembered and its victims and survivors commemorated in a new documentary for BBC Two and iPlayer. A powerful record of a forgotten tragedy, as told through the compelling personal testimony of those who were there, many of whom speak here for the first time. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, and introduced by Jaimie D’Cruz, Executive Producer, acme TV.
The following evening (Wednesday 7 May), Pictureville will screen The Brontës by Anita Rani: Sisters of Disruption (2025) – a brand-new documentary for Sky Arts exploring the enduring influence of the Brontë sisters on millions of readers across the centuries. The programme, available nationally from 20 May, sees journalist and presenter Anita Rani return to her hometown of Bradford, meeting fellow Bronte fans and experts to discuss their enduring legacy. Anita will also take part in an in-person panel discussion with Shanaz Gulzar after the screening.
The museum will reopen to the public on Friday 9 May, with current exhibitions, galleries and all three cinema screens returning to their usual schedule. Visitors are thanked for their patience and understanding during this brief closure, marking a valuable opportunity for Bradford as it hosts one of the UK’s leading screen industry events.
For more information and to book your tickets to the Creative Cities Convention film screenings, visit Pictureville’s website.
ENDS
For more information please contact Alice Browne, Senior Press Officer at alice.browne@scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk
A media pack of images can be downloaded here.
Screening details
Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire (12A)
Tuesday 6 May, 19.00
About the panellists
- Director, Andy R. Worboys: Andy hails from Doncaster and is a double BAFTA winner with 26 years working in the TV industry. Highlights include Hillsborough, Tell Me Who I Am and, most recently, Sam Mendes’ debut documentary What They Found.
- Producer, George Grafton: George Grafton is a producer based in Leeds, who has worked on high-profile documentaries including the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Leaving Neverland and Sam Mendes’ first documentary What They Found.
- Commissioning Editor for the BBC, Anna Dickeson: Anna is a Leeds-based BBC Documentaries commissioning editor looking after a range of titles such as Ambulance, Paranormal, Saving Lives in Cardiff, and Steve Thompson: Rugby, Dementia and Me as well as commissioning upcoming series and singles.
- Matthew Wildman: Matthew Wildman was a 17-year-old boy when he found himself fleeing the inferno at Bradford City’s football stadium. He was the last surviving member of the public to escape the blaze and was badly burnt in the incident. He has spent much of his life raising awareness and money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in Bradford, following the groundbreaking treatments he received.
The Brontës by Anita Rani: Sisters of Disruption (PG)
Wednesday 7 May, 19.00
Both screenings are part of Bradford: A City of Film, a programme of independent film across the Bradford District. Co-Produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and National Science and Media Museum with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.
About the National Science and Media Museum
The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire, opened in 1983, and has since become one of the most visited UK museums outside London. It draws on more than three million objects from its national collection to explore the science and culture of image and sound technologies, and their impact on our lives.
The museum creates special exhibitions, interactive galleries and activities for families and adults, and is home to Pictureville, Yorkshire’s biggest independent cinema with three screens including Europe’s first IMAX and the only public Cinerama venue in the world.
The National Science and Media Museum reopened on 8 January 2025, following a £6m once in a generation transformation. The museum is open seven days a week, from 10.00–17.00. For more information and to book tickets, please visit our website.
About Creative Cities Convention
Creative Cities Convention is the top annual event for film, TV and digital creators outside London.
Established in 2018, the convention is supported by key stakeholders, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5/Paramount, and Pact, and features high-profile keynote speakers, panel debates and screenings. The event takes place in a different city every year and is committed to promoting practical support and networking opportunities for professionals in the screen sector.
This year, the Convention is hosting an inaugural 2-day Skills Summit targeting mid-career freelancers as well as new entrants to the industry. Sessions include how to develop and promote your personal brand to AI workshops and upskilling advice.
About Bradford 2025
Bradford became the fourth UK City of Culture in January 2025. The district was selected by the UK Government in May 2022 from a record-breaking 20 bids, following Derry~Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021) to take on one of the most prestigious and transformative titles in UK culture.
Bradford 2025 takes place throughout Bradford District, which covers 141 square miles across West Yorkshire. It features performances, exhibitions, events and activities inspired by the extraordinary variety of this landscape, from the city’s historic centre to the breathtaking countryside that surrounds it. It pays homage to Bradford’s potent heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world’s first UNESCO City of Film. Most of all, it celebrates the people of Bradford, from local artists and creative organisations to the diverse communities who call Bradford home.
Bradford 2025 is created for, with and by the people of Bradford, and it has young people at its heart. With more than a quarter of its population aged under 20, Bradford is one of the UK’s youngest cities. Bradford 2025 is proudly reflecting this youth across all aspects of its programme, from education, skills and training projects to new artistic commissions centred on the lives, concerns and ambitions of young people today.
Bradford 2025 is set to spotlight Bradford’s dynamic contemporary arts and culture, from dance and theatre to film, music and even food. At the same time, it will cement Bradford’s reputation as one of the most welcoming places in the UK for artists, producers and creative entrepreneurs, with international exchanges, development programmes and new cultural investment benefiting the entire district.
The impact of UK City of Culture will continue long after the end of 2025. The district’s designation has already brought significant investment to the region, and Bradford 2025 is set to serve as a catalyst for development, regeneration and change—reshaping Bradford for the benefit of future generations.
Creative Cities Convention acknowledges support from Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire is an acme TV production for the BBC.
