A partnership between the University of Leeds, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Yorkshire Contemporary will support the education programme of the Turner Prize 2025.
This new collaboration aims to offer opportunities for students in the region to ensure long-term educational and cultural benefits in West Yorkshire.
This year’s Turner Prize, produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and delivered in partnership with Tate, Bradford District Museums & Galleries and Yorkshire Contemporary, will be held at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery from 27 September 2025 to 22 February 2026 as a highlight in the district’s Bradford 2025 celebrations.
One of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is named after the radical painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) and is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work.
As an academic partner, the University’s School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies and the Libraries’ Cultural Collections & Galleries will work closely with Leeds-based Yorkshire Contemporary and Bradford 2025 to support the prize’s public engagement and education programme.
The partnership will provide University of Leeds students with real-world cultural sector experience through live briefs and creative industry talks, and offer public events with artists, researchers and cultural professionals.
We’re particularly excited to see Zadie Xa recognised as her work was featured in Contested Bodies, a recent exhibition at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery.
News of the academic partnership follows the recent announcement that artists Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa have been shortlisted for the prize, with the winner to be announced on 9 December.
Professor Joanne Crawford, Head of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at University of Leeds, said: “All four artists shortlisted for this year’s Turner Prize exemplify distinct and diverse approaches to contemporary art, spanning varied media and modes of engagements. They actively represent contemporary art in a complex, compelling and often difficult world.
“We’re particularly excited to see Zadie Xa recognised as her work was featured in Contested Bodies, a recent exhibition at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery.
“Also Nnena Kalu, resident artist at ActionSpace - an official partner working with our University colleague Dr Jade French as part of her UKRI funded project ‘Inclusive Art for Wicked Problems’.
“We are really looking forward to engaging with the work of the shortlisted Turner Prize artists, as part of our work with Bradford 2025 and Yorkshire Contemporary, in ways which will encourage creative and meaningful engagement across multiple communities.”
The University of Leeds is working closely with the Educational Engagement team on widening participation and increasing arts engagement.
Leeds’ position as an academic partner further cements the University’s ongoing relationship with Bradford 2025 as a Major Supporter and regular partnership with Yorkshire Contemporary, demonstrating its commitment to creativity, learning, knowledge exchange, and public engagement across the region.
Professor Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leeds, said: “The cultural sector plays an enormously important part in our lives and has huge societal and economic benefits.
“Leeds has long demonstrated its commitment to the sector, from our many creative partnerships on regional and national levels to our art galleries, Cultural Collections and public art trail on campus, which includes works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.
“Our role as an academic partner on this year’s Turner Prize is incredibly exciting and is another demonstration of the quality and expertise in teaching and research at the University of Leeds.”
John McMahon, Bradford 2025’s Director of Skills, Volunteering & Wellbeing, said: “This partnership is a wonderful example of how the UK City of Culture designation can truly enrich education, open up access, and help build a brighter cultural future for not only those in the Bradford district, but also West Yorkshire.
“We're really excited to create more opportunities for people to get involved in the arts — especially young people in our region who face additional barriers and are underrepresented in the creative arts workforce.”
Hayley Dixon, Director, Yorkshire Contemporary, said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with University of Leeds on the public programme for the Turner Prize.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to generate new dialogues around the incredible practices of the four nominated artists, and expand the reach of their work to audiences and students from across the region and beyond. We are excited to see the impact this will make to practitioners in West Yorkshire.”
Further Information
Turner Prize 2025 is produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Delivered in partnership with Tate, Bradford District Museums & Galleries and Yorkshire Contemporary.
Turner Prize 2025 is supported by The John Browne Charitable Trust and The Uggla Family Foundation.
Top image credit: Charles Duprat. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac gallery.
About Yorkshire Contemporary
Yorkshire Contemporary is an arts organisation based in Leeds. We work across the region creating exciting opportunities for people to experience ambitious and inspiring contemporary art for free, through exhibitions, commissions and public programmes. Artist-centred in all we do, we provide professional development activities for early career artists, creating national and international networks. We champion art and play, supporting our communities to be creative.
Between 2013 and 2023 we were known as The Tetley, where we supported over 1200 artists including co-commissioning Tai Shani’s Turner Prize winning exhibition Semiramis.
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025) runs from January 2025 to December 2025 and is a celebration of Bradford city and district, taking place across its city, towns, villages and greenspaces. It will showcase the rich history of the area and spotlight its dynamic contemporary culture in all forms; dance and theatre, music and film, visual arts and crafts, food and sport.
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.
The City of Culture designation has already brought significant investment to the region and been a catalyst for development. It is set to have a lifelong impact through its reshaping of the local curriculum, skills and training programmes, investment in existing and new creative spaces, and open up opportunities for cultural participation.
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture is delivered by Bradford Culture Company, a charity supported by public investment from HM Government, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and through National Lottery funding from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, Spirit of 2012, British Film Institute and a number of trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors.