About us

Wur Bradford (Wur means ‘we are’ or ‘our’  is an independent grassroots arts project which is about exploring how we can make our city and our world better through imagination and collective action.  Run by artists Jean McEwan, Chemaine Cooke and  Uzma Kazi,  Wur work with people to explore how creativity might be used to make empower us and connect us.
Our activities are led by the people who we work with, and have included a wide range of things from  workshops, events, projects, campaigns and discussions. We ran regular weekly sessions in a stall in Kirkgate Market for 2 and a half years from 2015 – 2017,  and we also work in  public spaces and venues throughout the city. We regularly work in partnership with and for other organisations Bradford and have done projects in collaboration with Bradford Council, Impressions Gallery, South Square Gallery, The Brick Box, University of Bradford, Bradford Civic Society, Purple Patch Arts to name but a few.

In 2017 we also ran a year long action research project ‘Power Up Creative Resistance’, exploring creative responses to social and political shifts, in collaboration with University of Bradford’s Peace Studies ‘Thinkspace’ groups, funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

In 2018 we ran a project in Oastler Market called WE ARE HERE, which was celebrating it’s unique history, communities and stories,  working with market traders, members of the public and BCB community radio to tell the stories of the Market and its people through guided walks, printed ‘zines and sound. We shared this work at an exhibition at arts space Kala Sangam after the project.

To get an idea of some of the things we have done ( everything from creative  workshops to bannermaking to art parties to zine-making , self publishing fairs and guided walks) watch the slideshow below, and you can also watch a short video about Wur Bradford, made in late 2015 here at our space in Kirkgate Market.

We are currently looking at how how we can put our respond best to the challenging times we are living in. A new website is coming soon, which we will be updating soon with our plans. In the meantime, take care of yourselves and each other, and stay safe.

With love

Jean, Uzma and Chemaine, July 2020

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We Are Here walk, Oastler Market, Saturday 17th March

Come along to our last walk before our April events at the wonderful Oastler Market.

We will tread old market paths an hear tales of journeys, foods and personal histories from the mouths of the traders.
Meet us at Fountains Cafe at 3pm, situated at the front entrance of the Oastler Centre – free, all are welcome!

This event is 1 hour long.

This is the third of a series of guided walks, part of WE ARE HERE, a a new Wur Bradford project in the city’s Oastler Market celebrating it’s unique history, communities and stories. Chemaine and Jean will working with market traders, members of the public and BCB community radio over the coming months to tell the stories of the Market and its people through guided walks, printed ‘zines and sound. The project will culminate in a free two day event ‘We Are Here’ events on 21st and 28th April, featuring a BCB radio broadcast, alongside poetry readings, live music, art exhibition and print goodies. There will also be an exhibition of the project at Kala Sangam arts centre opening on 19th April.

If you have an story or memory of Oastler (john street) Market we’d love to hear it! Send it to us at Wurbradford@gmail.com or there will be opportunity to speak to Chemaine and Jean after the walk.

WE ARE HERE is supported by Arts Council England, Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and University of Bradford

WE ARE HERE lunchtime art walk at Oastler Market: Thursday 8th February 2018

WE ARE HERE lunchtime Art Walk, Oastler Market, John Street, Bradford

Thursday 8th February 1-2pm

photo by Dipak Mistry

Come and see, walk, wander and explore Oastler Market with Wur Bradford artists Chemaine Cooke & Jean McEwan who will guide you in the Art of Walking.

We’ll tread old market paths to create new experiences, get lost on purpose to make new discoveries and find hidden histories and collect goody bags with market gems along the way.

This is the first of a series of guided walks, part of WE ARE HERE, a a new Wur Bradford project in the city’s Oastler Market celebrating it’s unique history, communities and stories. Chemaine and Jean will working with market traders, members of the public and BCB community radio over the coming months to tell the stories of the Market and its people through guided walks, printed ‘zines and sound. The project will culminate in a free two day event ‘We Are Here Party in the Market’ on 21st and 28th April, featuring a BCB radio broadcast, alongside poetry readings, live music, art exhibition and print goodies. There will also be an exhibition of the project at Kala Sangam arts centre from April to June

There will be opportunity to chat to the artists and market traders about the project and to contribute to the project through collective art-making together.

This event is 1 hour long, designed to fit in your lunch hour.

Meet us at Fountains Cafe at 1pm, situated at the front entrance of the Oastler Centre on John Street

If you have an story or memory of Oastler (john street) Market we’d love to hear it! Send it to us at Wurbradford@gmail.com or there will be opportunity to speak to Chemaine and Jean after the walk at 2pm.

WE ARE HERE is supported by Arts Council England, Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and University of Bradford

Photo credit event image: Dipak Mistry

Announcing WE ARE HERE in Oastler Market

Oastler Market photo by Dipak Mistry

We are delighted to announce WE ARE HERE, a new project in the city’s Oastler Market celebrating it’s unique history, communities and stories. Wur Bradford artists Chemaine Cooke and Jean McEwan will be working with market traders, members of the public and BCB community radio  to tell the stories of the Market and its people through guided walks, printed ‘zines and sound. The project will culminate in a free two day event ‘We Are Here Party in the Market’ in April, featuring a BCB radio broadcast, alongside poetry readings, live music, art exhibition and print goodies. There will also be an exhibition of the project at Kala Sangam arts centre from April to June.

Interested in the project and want to know more or get involved? Got stories or memories about Oastler you want to share? Chemaine and Jean would love to hear from you. You can get in touch with us via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wurbradford or drop us an email at wurbradford@gmail.com

We’ll be announcing details of our first guided walks very soon – watch this space!

WE ARE HERE is supported by Arts Council England, Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and University of Bradford

Utopia News: Saturday 11th November

Dong….Dong….Dong…

Come and join us to tell the alternative news!Our Power Up Creative Resistance project invites you to join us in an afternoon of creative play, make and action animation!

There will be light refreshments and humour on this fine Saturday afternoon!

Saturday 11th Nov, 3pm – 5pm, Wur Bradford art stall, Kirkgate Market (Opposite Home From Home Cafe,near the Westgate entrance)

If you have a piece of alternative news you would like to share, get in touch with Uzma at Power Up/Wur Bradford.Thank you!

Dong….!

Important announcement about our Thursday sessions

Due to our current community funding coming to an end, Wur Bradford regular Thursday sessions will not be running for the time being. We have had 2 and a half years of funding from the fantastic Two28 and this has now come to an end.

We are exploring ways we can continue with our wonderful regulars and also other sources of possible funding but this may take some time.
Wur Bradford continues to be active and involved in lots of creative projects events and collaborations throughout the city- so we are not going anywhere and there are still lots of ways to get involved and do stuff with us.
Please bear with us while we work things out with our regular team and do get in touch if you would like to support or get involved.

Events coming up:

 

Poetry at Fountains Cafe

Sat 4th November

3pm – 4pm

Fountains Café, 17 John Street

Future Bradford – Revolution Bradford

(Collaboration with Freedom Studios and Playbox)

Tues 7th – Fri 10th November

11am – 4pm

in City Park, Bradford

Utopia News: A Telling of the alternative news

Power Up: Creative Resistance

Wur Bradford art space, Kirkgate Market

Sat 11th November

3pm – 5pm

We hope you can join us at these events! Hope to see you soon!

Thank you to everyone who has attended and taken part in the creative goin-on’s at Wur Bradford.

 

Wur Bradford Useful Art Party, Thursday 24th August

Wur Bradford art space, Kirkgate Market (above the shopping centre), opposite Home From Home Cafe

Thursday 24th August

12-3pm

Can/should art be useful? Should it fix or repair problems or issues?
Which ones?
What does useful art look like? What would you think of as a ‘useful’ art project?
What could a ‘useful’ art project be, here and now, where you are?


 

Join us at Wur Bradford for a Useful Art Party to come up ideas for ‘useful art’ projects. Bring along your ideas and generate more ideas with others with old skool party fun, games, activities and food.

We will vote on the best ones which we will take forward to a ‘Useful art Working Party’ on Thursday 31st August to make into proposals for projects, which will become part of the upcoming ‘ Full Scale’ exhibition at Gallery ll, University of Bradford, opening on September 21st.
‘The exhibition will open discussion about art as a tool for social change, the relationship between artists and audiences, and art’s place in a rapidly changing world. What is gained from exhibiting such projects together in a gallery as art? How might they be applied, activated or used otherwise? What would you like to see fixed or improved, and how could art help you to do that? As well as an exhibition space the gallery will be a space in which to collectively address such questions. A parallel programme of events, workshops and talks will be announced.’

http://www.brad.ac.uk/gallery/whats-on/coming-up/

Free! All are welcome!

Bookbinding workshop with Deb Eck, Thursday 10th August

We are delighted to welcome U.S based book artist Deb Eck to Wur Bradford to run a very special bookbinding workshop with us.

Deb is an internationally exhibited book and installation artist who works primarily with paper, text and thread. She is most well known in the book arts community for her translations of historic embroidery designs into functional binding designs. Originally from Essex in the UK, she has lived and worked in upstate New York for over 20 years. Eck received a BFA in painting from the University at Buffalo and an MA in Visual Culture from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle (UK). She teaches as an adjunct at Jamestown Community College and Fredonia State University, and for many other arts and cultural organizations.
She has been the recipient of many grants and awards; most recently she was named the Distinguished Artist for 2017 by Cattaraugus County Arts Council.
http://debraeck.com/

About the workshop

This workshop will cover a series of one, two and three signature bindings, perfect for zine makers, poets and others wanting to make/publish small books. Each technique builds on the one before, to make increasingly complex bindings that can be used on paper or leather covers. The workshop is suitable for those with no previous book binding experience, but experienced binders may find some new ways to approach the simple pamphlet.

Materials are provided, though please feel free to bring anything you would like to use.
The workshop will run from 1pm till 3pm, but please feel free to come at our usual opening time of 12pm, for conversation and a cuppa beforehand. You can find us in Kirkgate Market (above the shopping Centre) opposite Home From Home Cafe.

The workshop is free but we have limited places. Please email us wurbradford@gmail.com to book your place.

Wur Bradford summer opening times

Our opening times are changing over the summer

We will be closed on Thursday 27th July  and Thursday 3rd August

(you can catch up with us at Bradford Festival 29th and 30th July where we will be doing a printing collage and movement workshop (more info here )

We then have a special bookmaking workshop with U.S based book artist Debra Eck on Thursday 10th August – more details to follow

We are closed on Thursday 17th August

On Thursday 24th August and Thursday 31st August we are running two special workshops  exploring ‘Useful Art’ which are part of an upcoming exhibition programme we are involved in with University of Bradford Arts on Campus Gallery ll

Look forward to seeing you at some of the sessions – all sessions are free and are welcome

Young people, join us tonight at Rebooted art space to contribute your ideas and creativity to a Bradford campaign against sexual harassment – and help us design the campaign and decide the slogan.
Workshop 6-8.30pm, informal, hands on and fun, all welcome!

Solidarity and organising session with EU citizens, Thursday 6th July

This Thursday 6th July as well as our usual drop in session of open creativity and conversation,at our space in Kirkgate Market, we’ll also be hosting a sharing/ideas/organising session with our friend and Wur Bradford supporter Vie Clerk Lusandu on the many challenges faced by EU nationals at this time
Vie says
“Following Theresa May’ s ambiguous and chaotic s proposal for EU citizens s rights post Brexit, we feel it is important to meet firstly for a safe space to explore how we feel and secondly to start exploring ideas on how to organise ourselves locally. Everyone welcome – Europeans and supporters ! Join us between 12 and 2.30pm”

Vie will also read her own testimony published ‘In Limbo: Brexit Testimonies From EU Citizens un the UK‘ – a ‘ powerful and moving collection of testimonies by EU citizens in the UK affected by Brexit’ – available to buy here
Come along and find out more about the challenges EU citizens are facing and get involved in building solidarity and support in Bradford!

Drop in any time between 12 – 2.30pm or come for the whole session – all are welcome!

You can find us at the back of Kirkgate Market (above the shopping centre) opposite Home From Home cafe