Just recently I’ve been invited to a few events that have showcased young talent in my area.

Manningham Housing Association held an event to celebrate Bradford’s diverse culture and community. There were many local people from different backgrounds in one place all enjoying each others company and the evenings entertainment. There was food from all the different cultures for people to taste. Performers ranging from about 11 years upwards entertained us. Some rapped while others either sang or danced.

There were groups of young dancers and I was impressed by how expertly they executed their moves. I could quite easily see any of them in a Missy Elliott or Beyonce style music video because they really were that good. Amongst the singers there was a range of vocal styles I heard from kids of all ages. They really sang there hearts out and all of them had stage presence. It was truly amazing to see.

The organisers erected a marquee in the middle of the park near Bradford’s Cartwright Hall for the event. Cartwright Hall is now a museum and art gallery but the grounds used to be owned by the famous mill owner Samuel Lister. It’s named after Dr Edmund Cartwright, who invented the first wool-combing machine. Coincidentally, Cartwright Hall is the place we shot the ‘real’ footage that we used in the Sedan video that we made available recently.

Today Bradford is a melting pot of people from all over the world. You only have to look around and you’ll see an array of interracial couples like Africans with Chinese, Indians with Europeans and all with the most beautiful looking children. It’s a real multicultural ethnic mix.

The whole evening felt like a massive swirl of rainbow colours which was a warm experience for the senses and the soul.

At another event, 10 girls from a school in my neighbourhood organised a fund raising concert for the ‘Make A Wish Foundation’. I was invited to make a surprise appearance and present them with flowers and cards to congratulate them for their efforts. It just so happens it was the 21st anniversary of the ‘Make A Wish Foundation’ who help grant wishes to children living with life-threatening medical conditions.Please update Flash Player to view this video.

The girls put on an amazing evening of dance, singing and entertainment and all the choreography was great. They seemed to be having loads of fun on the stage and there was a tremendous atmosphere in the hall. All of their friends whooped and hollered.

How impressive that these girls did everything themselves from start to finish… They booked the hall, they sold the tickets and programmes and sorted out all the costumes. At the very end we were all moved to hear a mother pay tribute to the girls for helping children like her own daughter living with a life threatening illness. It’s so fantastic that the girls managed to raise £700 over the two day event so I thought I’d share a short clip of that evening with you.

I was also invited to the final of the Bradfactor talent contest which took place at Bradford’s Priestly Theatre. Wow!! what a great evening’s entertainment that was. I was there to help present awards to all of the young winners on the night. I was amused to see that it was set up in the style of the Xfactor show and they even had a Simon Cowell impersonator doing the judging. Thankfully, unlike the real Simon Cowell this guy was far more amenable towards the acts.. He and the two judges were very complimentary about them all as they really did perform excellently. Every dancer, rapper and singer had talent and so anyone would have been hard pressed to pick a winner in each of the heats.

Bradford has got real talent out there and it was great to hear the organisers say that all of the winners will be given help to progress and develop their talent.