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

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

Wur Bradford on facebook

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‘Bridges Not Walls’ Bradford action: planning meeting and banner making sessions

Bradford is joining the Bridges Not Walls national day of action on 20th January the day Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America. http://bridgesnotwalls.uk/
That day, together, people across the UK will drop banners from bridges across the country to send a simple, hopeful and unmistakable message:
” We will build bridges, not walls, to a peaceful and just world, rid of oppression and hatred”
Wur Bradford along  with Racial Justice Network  and other friends are joining to do a Bradford Bridges Not Walls action. We’ll make a banner and drop it from a bridge in Bradford (bridge tbc) on the morning of 20th January.

We invite you to join us to help make this happen! Here’s how you can get involved

1. Come to an informal alanning meeting, Thursday 12th January 2-3pm at Wur Bradford- a chance to chat and plan how we organise the action – all are welcome, no special skills required just your enthusiasm! (this will be a first for many of us but we will do it and learn together)
2. Banner making sessions at Wur Bradford on Saturday 14th January 2-4pm, and Thursday 19th January 2-4pm – join us in creating a banner to drop from a Bradford bridge on the 20th January. No specialist skills needed! You can also make your own posters and signs to hold up on the day
3. Come along to the banner drop on the morning of the 20th January – more details coming soon
4. Help spread the word via social media – follow our Wur Bradford facebook page for updates

 

Wur Bradford art space is situated in a stall in Kirkgate Market, above the shopping centre. You can find us at the back of the market -nearest the Westgate entrance, we are opposite Home From Home cafe

Appeal for Christmas gifts for Bradford asylum seeker and refugee children

We are collecting Christmas gifts for Bradford Refugee Action Children and Families Project who are hoping to give away Christmas presents to 250 local asylum seeking and refugee children this Christmas. Bring us a gift for a child  from 0-15 years old and we will pass it on to Bradford Refugee Action Children and Families Project to distribute to families. Games, lego, play-doh, crafty type things, footballs are all good types of gifts  – small and inexpensive is good! But no toy guns or violent games please.

 

Here’s more about Bradford Refugee Action Children and Families Project  and  their appeal

“All of our families live in Bradford and are and all are asylum seekers or refugees. Refugee and asylum seekers are some of the most vulnerable and isolated people in our society.  Particularly, as people are in the process of waiting for their asylum claim to be determined (which may take between 3 months to many years), they are not allowed to work, are often suffering trauma and under additional considerable stress and have financial restrictions severely limiting what they are able to do.  Many arrive with very little clothing, and no toys for the children to play with.
 Over the last 18 months we have seen a significant increase in newly arrived asylum seekers coming to Bradford. In this last quarter we have worked with 129 families all living in Bradford. For many of these children this will be their first Christmas in England and most of them will be away from extended family or friendship networks.  We will deliver the presents to the families as well as hold a Christmas/Holiday party to celebrate and share this season with the children to help to create some lasting happy memories for them. “

To contribute, drop a gift off to our stall in Kirkgate Market – we are open every Tuesday 12-2pm and Thursday 12-3pm. We are also open Saturday 3rd December between 12-4pm. You can find us opposite Home From Home Cafe, near the Westgate entrance to the market. We will wrap it for you and deliver to Bradford Refugee Action Children and Families Project  in time for Christmas.

 

 

Responding to Regression – Time to tool up!

Responding to Regression – Time to tool up!

Saturday 3rd December

12pm – 4pm
WUR Bradford, Kirkgate Market (Above Kirkgate Shopping Centre opposite Home From Home cafe)

In response to the Trumpifcation of America and Brexit we are in need of solidarity and skills to ensure and overcome the regression taking place cross the world.

Bradical collective  together with Wur Bradford would like you to come along to a day of solidarity and action.

We want you to share your thoughts, ideas and turn them in to action.

Share ideas of how to:

• Combat islamophobia

• How do we talk to people, friends and family who align themselves with proponents of hate.

• Responding to macro and micro aggressions in daily life

• Reporting hate crime

• Self-care – y’know, staying sane and avoid getting blue.

 

We will compile our ideas in to a collective zine which we hope to print on the day so you have copies to take away and share with others afterwards

 

There will be tea and floor cushions, accompanied by snacks, awesome snacks..’cos its winter and we need this!

 

All are warmly welcome, children too!

 

Our banners at The Peace Museum

We are delighted to have donated two banners made at Wur Bradford for last month’s Bradford Says Everyone Stays vigil to The Peace Museum this week to be part of their collection.

Massive thanks to everyone who came to Wur make banners, placards and posters for the event – it was a fantastic collective effort from so many amazing Bradford people, and we are very proud to have been part of it, and to have the banners with the Peace Museum

This Thursday 25th August: #LoveBradford badgemaking and the ‘Lucky Bag’ game

Join us this Thursday any time between 12-3pm when we’ll be doing loads of good stuff
– Make a love themed badge for the upcoming ‪#‎lovebradford‬ upcoming world record attempt in September (more info here https://www.bradford.gov.uk/lovebradford)

Find out and get involved in our Mapping The Market creative project. Join Dilwar in making a 3D model of Kirkgate Market, and take part in our ‘Lucky Bag Game’ with objects bought from the stall in the market. You’re also invited to peruse our research so far and bring your own ideas to the project as it develops.
As always, everyone is welcome!

Mapping the Market with Jean McEwan

Wur Bradford founder, visual artist Jean McEwan has been ‘in residence’ at the Wur Bradford stall in Kirkgate Market over the past few weeks, exploring market stories, histories and communities through research, walking games, mapping activities and conversations with market staff, traders and visitors. Jean is interested in how people experience the unique environment of the market, what people value about the place, and uncovering personal stories and experiences of the people who work and shop there. She is interested in how all of this material could be put together in an artwork, and how a unique ‘guided walk’ could be created from market people and histories.

Wur regulars have been working with Jean, collecting stories and historical research,  interviewing traders and devising maps and walks around the market . The project will be developing over the coming months, and Jean would like to invite you to join her in two open sessions to find out more and to get involved in making it happen

The sessions are

Thursday 11th August  12-3pm (drop in any time)

Wednesday 17th August 12-3pm (drop in any time)

All are welcome!

 

 

Zines about community and welcome

We’ve been busy over the last couple of weeks making collective zines together.Here are some images of our ‘Welcome’ zine which we put together for the Bradford Refugee Festival exhibition which happened this week in a popup shop in John Street.

The zine explored different ideas, thoughts, and experiences on the theme of ‘Welcome’ from members and friends of Wur, expressed in writing, drawings and collage. We are distributing around Bradford as we feel that being welcoming is something that is really important right now. Let us know if you would like a copy, or better still visit us at the stall to get one – we are open every Thursday 12-3pm.

This week we worked on a zine on the theme of ‘Community’ which is being specially made for the Printing Communities event at South Square on Friday 1st July

On the very heightened day of the EU referendum when feelings were running strong and people were feeling anxious, worried, upset, angry –   it felt really good to come together and make pages together about our various experiences of our different communities – and to remind ourselves, in the words of the late Jo Cox  MP who was tragically murdered last week, that
“We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than the things that divide us”

If you would like to contribute to our ‘Community’ zine, there’s still time! You don’t have to be from or based in Bradford. We welcome words, images or a combination of both- responding to any aspect, ideas or experiences of ‘Community’. Contributions could take the form of fiction, poetry, personal experiences or stories, drawing, photography, comic or collage. Contributions can be a few lines, or a few pages. You can contribute anonymously if you like.
The zine will be A5 portrait format (|14.8cm by 21cm) , and will be photocopied in black and white. If you are sending image files please send them in black and white. You can send your contribution either as a text document if you are sending words or as a jpeg if you want to send us an image or a page.

You can either email your contribution to wurbradford@gmail.com or post to 63 Nelson Street, Cross Roads, Keighley BD22 9EA to reach us by Wednesday 29th June.

All contributors will receive a free copy of the zine.

 

 

June events at Wur Bradford

Here’s a list of our June events which has everything from  workshops in creative writing and collective  zinemaking to a day of ‘Rubbish Ideas’ exploring how we can imagine a zero-waste Bradford. These events are all part of our  ‘Season of Change‘ – looking at the changes we want to make in ourselves, our communities, our city and the wider world. Come along and get involved! All of our events are free and open to all

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

Saturday 4th June
Wur  Bradford at Bradford Refugee Festival, University of Bradford
10-3pm

This is a free festival with food, poetry, music, workshops, football tournaments and plenty of stalls to keep the whole family entertained!

Happening at

University of Bradford Union, Student Central, 
Longside Lane
, BD7 1SA

Wur Bradford will be running a drop in creative workshop showing people how to make ‘instant books’  (sometimes also called ‘zines’ – handmade, self published magazines) with collage, drawing and words.

 
Thursday 9th June
12-3pm
Exploring ideas of  WELCOME and EXCHANGE, and RAMADAN

‘Welcome Spell’ from ‘The Bradford Book of Modern Spells’ by friend of Wur, Mike Barrett

We will be making artwork and a collective ‘zine (hand-made magazine) on the theme of ‘Welcome’ for Bradford Refugee Week exhibition which will be taking place at 5 John Street, Bradford (outside Oastler Market) 20th – 25th June. Come join us and get involved!
We will also be looking at the idea of ‘Exchange’  and how we can share support, knowledge, skills and resources –  and asking:
What do you need?
What can you offer?

In the first week of this special month of Ramadan, our regular volunteer Mohammed will also be sharing personal experiences and reflections of fasting and faith.

 

 

Saturday 11th June
“Rubbish Ideas”: looking at waste and how we can remake and reuse things
1pm – 3pm

Join us at for a fun, creative session of sharing and workshopping ideas on how to find new uses for “rubbish” and change the way we value resources.
Activities will include a look at the inspirational Precious Plastic project; mapping Bradford districts’ existing circular economies and developing our own ideas.
‘Rubbish Ideas’ is part of the very first Bradford Open Source Circular Economy day – to  more about this international  movement and events happening elsewhere, at https://oscedays.org/
Before the session there will be a “Don’t Skip Breakfast” meet up at ‘Pay As You Feel’ cafe Saltaire Canteen, from 9 – 10.30am – where OSCE Days Bradford are hosting a drop in breakfast (PAYF) for anyone who wants to find out more and develop our own Bradford district based Open Sourced Circular Economy solutions.There will be talk and toast about all things circular and open sourced! The Canteen is one of the growing number of Real Junk Food cafes dedicated to ending food waste and poverty and is such is brilliant of example of how thinking differently. By combining a Pay As You Feel model with using good food that would otherwise be dumped, Real Junk Food Cafes are demonstrating that different values can operate successfully on the high street and solve problems.

 
Thursday  16th and 23rd June
12-3pm
Exploring ideas of COMMUNITY

Join us in making a collective ‘zine on the theme of ‘Community’ which will be part of  a Wur Bradford  zine stall at the ‘Printing Communities‘ event and exhibition at South Square Gallery  – event on Friday 1st July. (5-8pm, all welcome – posters,zines,  printmaking, workshops and pizza!)

 
Saturday 25th June
Tales of Transformation writing workshop with Bradford writer Elizabeth Hopkinson
1pm – 2.30pm

Join Elizabeth to hear the traditional Breton tale of Bisclavret, a medieval knight with a strange secret – he’s a werewolf!  Then have a go at writing your own tale of transformation, using Bisclavret’s story to help you.  We’ll be thinking about guilty secrets, unpunished crimes, and the changes we all go through in life.This workshop is suitable for all abilities, from beginners to experienced writers.
NB The workshop is free but places must booked in advance – email wurbradford@gmail.com to book your place

Elizabeth Hopkinson is a local writer of over 50 published short stories, many of which are inspired by traditional tales.  She is currently working on a novel series set in a fantasy version of 18th-century Italy

Wur Bradford is a collective,  inclusive arts and social space open to the public and to anyone who wants to connect, explore and imagine how we can make Bradford a better place. Wur Bradford is supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and Two28.