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

Wur Bradford on twitter

Wur Bradford on instagram

 

 

The Triumph of Love in Bradford

The Triumph of Love  is an ambitious new art project by people at Wur Bradford.

 

Inspired by the creative energy and collective love that has been springing up in our city over the past few months – from the ‘Bradford Says Everyone Stays’ vigil in July  which people at Wur created banners, posters and placards for, to the successful #LoveBradford world record attempt which created a chain of 2,331 people making the heart-shaped hand gesture, The Triumph of Love is a statement of intent, hope and imagination.

It is a creative celebration of our love and ambition for Bradford,  and will take many forms including artworks, creative interventions, happenings  and discussions, which will be popping up around the city over the coming months.
The Triumph of Love will be a truly collective venture – and we invite people to bring ideas and get involved.  If you have an idea for something we would love to help you make it happen!

We will be springing up in a variety of spaces and events over the coming weeks and months, including at ‘Reflections’ creative event in Lister Park on 15th October part of the Listers Lantern Parade and also at The Wild Woods Bradford  after dark adventure events in Darley Street in October with our friends at Brickbox

To warm us up we will be running some creative workshops at  Wur artspace in Kirkgate Market over the next few weeks:

Saturday 24nd September:
1-3pm
The Triumph of Love: Lantern making
Join theatre designer and  Wur Bradford artist Uzma Kazi to make special ‘3D light zines’  celebrating DIY Bradford creativity, and featuring Bradford places and people we love. These will become part of our Triumph of Love interactive installation space at the Reflections event and will join the Listers Lantern Parade

Thursday 29th September
12-2pm
The Triumph of Love: Make Your Message
Join Wur volunteer Dilwar and artist Jean McEwan in a collage session to make images containing messages, quotes and inspirations of love and hope.  These will become part of our mobile Triumph of Love decorations which we’ll be adding to and taking around the city in  the coming months. Bring your own message or stories or take inspiration from ours!

Thursday 13th October
Triumph of Love: The Big Make-In
12-3pm
Join artists Uzma Kazi, Chemaine Cooke and Jean McEwan in a massive love themed make-in session – to create lanterns, banners, decorations and costumes in readiness for our outings to The Wild Woods and Reflections events in October

All the sessions are free and everyone is welcome! Feel free to come for the whole sessions or to drop in. You can find us at the back of Kirkgate Market, opposite Home From Home Cafe

Saturday 15th October
4 – 6.30pm
‘Reflections’ in Lister Park
Join us at  the Reflections creative event Lister Park in our specially  created Triumph of Love installation space –  a place to feel connected, welcomed and creative.
– Get involved in a making light collages  with an overhead projector with cutout words and images, transparencies and objects
– Be captured in movement through photography and collage yourself  into one of our ‘3D light zines’  along with Bradford places and people and messages to become part of Listers Lantern Parade.
– Come and tell us your own stories about The Triumph of Love

There will also be a host of other creative people, happenings and activities happening, including dance, music and creative workshops , before we all take part in Listers Lantern Parade at 6.30pm.

We look forward to seeing you at the workshops and events! To get in touch with us email wurbradford@gmail.com

Looking back at June and July

We’ve had a packed couple of months, with loads going on – we’ve been involved in lots of different activities both at our base in our stall in Kirkgate Market and at events around the city, some planned and some completely spontaneous and responsive.

We were delighted to be part of Bradford Refugee Week this year, taking part in the Refugee Festival at Bradford University on 4th June, where we ran an instant book workshop, and we met many fantastic, creative kids and young people who made books like these

We also took part in Bradford Refugee Week exhibition, ‘Welcome’, in June and produced a collective zine of the same name, containing reflections, writing and images in response to the theme, which was given out free as part of the exhibition.

We still have a few copies left- they are available via our online shop for  £1 plus postage – all proceeds going to BIASAN ((Bradford Immigration & Asylum Support & Advice Network)

On 11th June we were delighted to help host an event called ‘Rubbish Ideas’  as part of the very first Bradford Open Source Economy Day organised by Bob Thorpe and Richard Dillon from Fairmondo, the UK’s first cooperatively owned ethical marketplace.

We watched a film about upcycling and talked about how we could start to imagine Bradford as a zero waste city. Julie brought in some sewing she is working on, making curtains from upcycled fabrics, and we shared ideas for how we can connect and use our energies and resources.Thanks to Richard and Bob for bringing such a great conversation to the space – these are ideas we will be thinking about and hoping to connect with people on in the future.

In the week running up to the EU referendum, we hosted an informal lunchtime discussion, with Bradford IWW trade union member and friend of Wur Altaf Arif. Many thanks to Altaf, and to our friend Lisa Cumming from Programme For a Peaceful City

co-hosted an event at Bradford University in the weeks before and who were generous enough to share their resources, information and time to help us explore the issues at Wur. It was a really valuable space to talk through our thoughts,  and to try to understand the issues.

On June 25th, we hosted a writing workshop ‘Tales of Transformation’ as part of our Season of Change programme,  with Bradford author Elizabeth Hopkinson.

Elizabeth, primarily a writer of fantasy fiction who has published in both short story and novel form, led us through a wonderful  workshop where we generated ideas of change and transformation through storytelling. It was a very welcome space for us to be able to do explore ideas and thoughts through fiction at such a heightened time as the Brexit result just announced the day before. Many thanks to Elizabeth for facilitating such a sensitive and thoughtful workshop – it was so good.

We put together our second collective zine, on the theme of COMMUNITY, the following week in time for the Printing Communities exhibition event at South Square

 

 

We’re really proud of our zine,  which contains stories and experiences and explorations on ideas of community via writing, drawing and collage, made by members and friends of Wur Bradford. Themes include Ramadan, Bradford City football team, the story of a community garden, reflections on post Brexit racism and strategies for surviving far right popular crises, and the power of smiling to feel connected to others. The zine is dedicated to the late Jo Cox MP,  tragically murdered on 16th June, who said
“We are far more united and have far more in common that things that divide us”

Many thanks to all our friends in Bradford and beyond who took time to contribute. There are still copies available of the zine at our online shop for £1 plus postage.All proceeds go to Bradford Immigration & Asylum Support & Advice Network (BIASAN) 

We were  proud to be part of ‘Bradford Says Everyone Stays’ vigil on 13th July, which was initiated and organised by Bradford theatre maker Javaad Alipoor in response to concerns about post Brexit racism and attacks happening around the country. The vigil brought many people together in solidarity to show that our city of Bradford would not be divided and that we stand together against racism and for love. We hosted several drop in sessions at the stall to make banners and posters for the event.

Being able to be involved in the event gave us hope – we were inspired by the many people came down to help make banners, signs and posters  and so happy to see these being part of the event, which brought 500 people together in a powerful statement of unity and solidarity with all our communities.

We leave July still processing all the tumultuous world and political events of the past months and feeling unsure what is ahead of us, but with an overriding  feeling of pride and hope in our city, and with a sense of purpose to carry on with our part in  it, by connecting people through creativity however and whenever we can.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed in so many different ways over the past couple of months – onwards and upwards!

Wur Bradford is generously supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and  Two28

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.

 

Rubbish Ideas at Wur, Saturday 11th June

Join us at Wur Bradford on Saturday 11th June from 1-3pm 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.

Drop in any time between 1 – 3 pm.
You can find Wur Bradford at the back of Kirkgate Market (above the shopping centre) opposite Home From Home cafe

‘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.

Come join this exciting new initiative to collectively explore ways we can creatively address waste. All are welcome!

Wur Bradford is an art and social space situated in the city’s Kirkgate Market exploring how we can make change through imagination and collective action. The project is supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and Two28

 

 

Sharing ideas

We had a great Open Ideas session today at Wur Bradford, talking about what what people value about the space, and the things we’ve done so far,  and sharing ideas for what we could do in the future.

Inspiring, thoughtful and surprising responses – Bradford folks are amazing. Thanks to all who came to talk and share. We are running another Open Ideas session next Thursday 1st June if you couldn’t make it today – drop in any time between 12-3pm to join the conversation!

 

Open Ideas sessions at Wur Bradford

Over the next couple of weeks, on Thursday 25th May and Thursday 2nd June, we will be running two Open Ideas Sessions at Wur Bradford to share ideas for events, activities and workshops for the coming months.

Our theme for Spring/Summer is Season of Change, looking at how through imagination, creative action and coming together we can make changes we want to see personally, locally in Bradford, and globally in the world.

If you have an idea for something that could happen in our vibrant market stall space, come down anytime between 12-3  on Thursday 26th May or Thursday 2nd June and share it with us. We are open to any and all ideas that explore change in some way – it could be a skill you want to share or learn, a discussion you would like to have, a subject you would like to talk about or find out about, an exhibition, a performance, a project idea or just an opportunity to chat and connect with other people in an inclusive and diverse space open to all.

Together we can talk about your ideas and see if we can make them happen. Everyone is welcome, come along and be a part of a growing  group of  friendly people  exploring imagination, community and change!

The Wur Bradford  stall is at the back of Kirkgate Market, opposite Home From Home Cafe, near the Westgate entrance to the market.

Wur Bradford is  an art and social space situated in a market stall in Bradford’s Kirkgate Market, exploring connections between creativity, community and change. The project is generously supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and  Two28

Food and community workshops with Josie Tothill

Can food and eating together strengthen our communities? Come join Bradford artist Josie Tothill in two upcoming workshops to explore these questions through conversation,  the making of a recipe booklet and the sharing of food.

Free, all are welcome!

Wur Bradford
Kirkgate Market (the stall opposite Home From Home Cafe)
Bradford

Thursday 21st April
12-3pm
What part does food and the cooking of it play in our communities? A drop in chat about everything from your favourite meal, to the politics of who cooks, to the role of food in activism. Bring yourselves and any stories, recipes, and thoughts you wish to share.

Thursday 28th April
12 – 3pm
Come and taste the food of our community. Have a chat and a chana chat.
Does eating together strengthen community? Share your thoughts and stories and leave with a recipe book written by people at Wur Bradford the week before.

Welcome back: Season of Change, starting Thursday 7th April

After a short break,  we are delighted to be back in our stall in Kirkgate Market this week to begin a new Season of Change – events, activities and workshops exploring the changes we want to see locally and globally and and how we can work together creatively to try to make these happen.

We have a few things planned, which include our Bradford Slideshow event on Saturday 9th April  looking at images of Bradford past and present( and thinking about what the future could be).

We will also  be running some  more food growing and foraging based activities with our friends The Plot and Grow Bradford, who we worked with in January, to develop our community map of places in Bradford for abundant wild food and recipes.

We are also plotting the start up of a regular  Wur Bradford zine which will be a collective self-published pamphlet featuring a mix of writing and images, interviews, reviews and recipes by Bradford people. We are lucky enough to have a photocopier in the space thanks our friends at HowDo? so it will be made and copied in-house.

As always, what we do is responsive to what people bring to Wur Bradford space, and we  are always keen support new ideas and activities – so if you have an idea for an event, a workshop, a discussion,  a campaign, or a project you would like to try out, or to see happen in the stall,  that relates to the theme of change in some way, then we would love to hear from you.

Come along this Thursday 7th April  any time between  12 and 3pm to have a chat to see what we are about and/or get involved, and a have free coffee on us from our lovely friends at Home From Home cafe who are at the stall opposite us.

On Thursday from 1-2pm we will also be hosting a discussion and game with local activist Lily McTaggart on the theme of Trident and it’s planned renewal

“What would YOU spend £100 billion of public money on? Come along and discuss the options, how and why you would make the decision in light of the upcoming question of Trident renewal.”

We look forward to seeing you then!

If you want to get involved by can’t make it down, you can email us at Wurbradford@gmail.com.

Best wishes

All at Wur Bradford

Wur Bradford is an art and social space based in Bradford’s Kirkgate Market, supported by Two28, Bradford Council and Bradford Markets. 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming creative workshops

We are delighted to announce a programme of creative workshops at Wur Bradford
for the coming months, supported by Bradford Council and Bradford Markets

All events are free, and suitable for all ages and abilities, so come down and get involved!

You can find us at
Wur Bradford art stall
opposite Home From Home cafe, near the Westgate entrance
Kirkgate Market
(above the shopping centre)
Kirkgate Market website here

Thursday 19th November
Postcards from Bradford 12-3pm
Create your own unique postcard using drawing, collage, photography or mixed media with your own message from or about Bradford

Saturday 21st November
Why DIY? Bradford mini self-publishing fair 12-3pm
Come along to our fun, inclusive event, to find out why people publish their own books, pamphlets, ‘zines (handmade magazines) , comics, music, find out how to do it yourself, and and get involved in a collaborative zine in a day!

Thursday 26th November
Make a concertina book 12-3pm
Learn how to make a simple book in a concertina format, with your own story, memories or messages, using collage, drawing, and printing techniques.

Saturday 28th November
A Birthday Party for Blake 12-3pm
An event celebrating the 258th birthday of Britain’s best loved art-poet-visionary-revolutionary William Blake, author of Jerusalem, and Dongs of Inoncence and Experience – with performances, readings ,creative activities, mini exhibition, a commemorative publication and ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ cake

Thursday 3rd December
Winter exchanges 12-3pm
Come along to a creative day about exchanges, exploring what giving and generosity means through sharing stories and creative activities

Saturday 5th December
Playing with spaces 9.30 – 12.30
Life is a stage.. come along to a creative session to make make sets and model boxes to find out how the spaces around us affect us.

Thursday 10th December:
Bradford midwinter ‘zine 12-3pm
Come and share your seasonal recipes, stories and memories for a special hand-made, self-published magazine celebrating the festive period. Everyone who contributes will receive a free copy!

Saturday 12th December
Digital photography 12-3pm
Bring your camera along and take part in activities aimed at helping you to think differently about your photography. Aimed at folk who never move off auto!

Thursday 17th December
Square Chapatti Club 12-2pm
Come along to share stories of personal change through creativity and dialogue in a friendly environment

Saturday 19th December
Bookbinding workshop 12-3pm
Learn how to make your own book with simple, easy to learn binding techniques.
Perfect for a Christmas gift

Thursday 7th January
Creative diary making session 12-3pm
With the new year upon us , come along and make a special personal development diary exploring new beginnings, goals, actions, hopes, fears for 2016

Thursday 14th January
Pinhole camera workshop 12-3pm
Learn how to make a pinhole camera with an everyday object and take and develop your own photograph in our temporary darkroom created especially for the event

Saturday 16th January
Secret messages and cryptography 12-3pm
Come along to write in invisible ink, make up codeword language, find out about simple encryption and decryption, make paper cup telephones, in a creative session exploring surveillance and spying.

If you have any questions , you can contact us at wurbradford@gmail.com