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Festival’s community day to showcase making a difference

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The University of Bradford will open its doors to the community as part of a festival celebrating people, projects and research that are making a difference.

children and adults standing behind a table at a university community day

UNIfy Festival 2024, from April 25 and 30, will be highlighted by a community day, featuring fun-filled activities based on the theme ‘What a Difference!’

The community day, on Saturday 27 April from 11:00 to 15:00, will include live entertainment, the chance to test satellites, while Bradford City fans can share their Bantams memories at ‘Stories from Valley Parade’ with their anecdotes brought to life during Bradford 2025. Visitors can also create their own comic book about science superheroes tasked with saving the world.

A group of four children stood behind a table look at a demonstration at a community day

A rowing challenge will see allow if any visitors to see if they could join the university’s ParOARmedics graduates, who are preparing to take on the 3,000-mile, ‘2024 World’s Toughest Row’ from Tenerife to Antigua in December. All activities are free and for anyone aged six and over.

Professor Shirley Congdon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, said: “Our annual UNIfy Festival will showcase some of the university’s outstanding work and exciting projects and the impact they have on the wider community.

“I am excited to welcome people to campus, particularly for the community day, for a festival of fun activities that celebrate the incredible people, research, innovations and projects that are making a difference in our city.”

Meanwhile, a webinar, ‘Menopause in the Workplace’, will see a panel of experts discuss what employers are doing to support females experiencing menopause and what resources are available to them.

Speakers include Sally Leech, Director of Menopause in the Workplace, Professor Udy Archibong, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) at the University of Bradford, Melissa Sookia, Founder of online menopause clinic Livve and Raj Bains, Head of Content at Huddersfield Town Football Club. The event will take place on Tuesday 30 April between 13:00 and 14:30.

A scientist shows off a large glass container which is bubbling over to a group of people in a university room

There will be no such thing as a wrong answer at ‘1 Question: 99 Answers’ on campus on Tuesday 30 April between 18:00 and 19:45. Hosted by broadcaster and writer Nick Ahad, attendees will be asked to answer a series of questions related to the Bradford district such as ‘will culture regenerate our city?’ and ‘what can we do to make Bradford greener?’ The event aims to discover how different voices and perspectives can have varying responses to the same questions and to use the conversation in the university’s future research.

‘Creating work environments for open and honest conversations’, on Thursday 25 April between 12:00 and 13:30, is an online panel discussion seminar which will discuss how workplaces can have a psychological safe space to help the wellbeing of employees. 

The funny side of 'difference' and 'intersectionality' in Bradford will be explored at a comedy night, with ‘Theatre in the Mill presents….You’re Having a Laugh!’, which will see women, who have taken part in the university’s Women’s Comedy Workshops, take to the stage.

The event, at the university’s Theatre in the Mill on Friday 26 April between 19:00 and 21:30, is sold out but people can still register for a waiting list for any available tickets.

All the events are free to attend. Go to bradford.ac.uk/events/unify/ for more information.