End of Year Party!

Wur Bradford End of Year Party

Thursday 22nd December
12-3pm
Wur Bradford artspace
Kirkgate Market (Opposite Home From Home Cafe)
Above Kirkgate Shopping Centre

Join us at Wur Bradford to mark the end of the year and to celebrate the festive season with art, music, market treats and seasonal fun, frolics and friendliness

Featuring:

– Our specially made ‘Market Shrine’ – a  celebration of the amazing people and stalls in Bradford Markets,  containing traders in miniature and objects collected from the markets

 – Acoustic live music and singalong with Rob, Clive and others (including a rendition of You Can’t Always Get What You Want and more)

 – Tarot readings with Graham

 – Family friendly creative activities

 – Mini art exhibition: see some of the we have created this year! From zines to wall drawings to posters to cardboard box art

 – Festive food nibbles gathered from Oastler and Kirkgate Markets stalls, from savoury to sweet treats

 – Decorations made by Julie

Plus more surprises!

All are welcome! Bring your loved ones! Drop in any time between 12-3pm
If you can , please bring us a non perishable food donation for our Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank donations

Heartfelt thanks to our supporters Two28, Bradford Council and Bradford Markets this year – without you we couldn’t have had the amazingly creative and productive year we have had!

POWER UP! Sister Corita Art Party, Thursday 24th November

Thursday 24th November
12-3pm
POWER UP! Sister Corita  Art Party

Wur Bradford arts space, Kirkgate Market (opposite Home From Home cafe)

Sister Corita ( 1918 – 1986) was an American artist, teacher and nun who used words phrases and slogans  from billboards and magazines and mixed them with poetry to make them into bold prints banners and installations which she put into everyday places.
Sister Corita believed that art is for everyone, and that we can take words from advertising and the media and subvert and reclaim them back as our own to say what we want to say.  She encouraged the creativity of everyone she met and her work  challenged the political and religious establishment as well as as revolutionising graphic design long before the days of punk.

On the week of what would have been her 98th birthday on 20th November, we celebrate her joyous inspiring art with a creative session which we’ll create our own slogans representing our own truths and hopes and make these into posters.

Drop in any time between 12 and 3pm for a super friendly and fun session
in which we’ll take inspiration from each other and the stuff around us. We’ll use simple printing techniques along with collage and drawing and anything else we can think of and we’ll explore how we get our art out into the world.

As always, the session is free and open to everyone!

PS. If you can, please bring a non-perishable food donation for our Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank collections box. The foodbank, which is run entirely by volunteers, is struggling to meet the demand and are now regularly giving out more than 950 food parcels each month, which is having a huge impact on their resources.They need the help of as many supporters as possible to help them keep up with this level of demand.

Wur Bradford is supported by Bradford Council, Two28 and Bradford Markets. Our thanks to them for their ongoing support

Let’s Talk About.. Street Harassment

Let’s talk about street harassment: A conversation and creative ideas session

Wur Bradford
Kirkgate Market
1-3pm
Thursday 20th October

Some of us are very concerned about street harassment we have been witnessing  in our streets and other public spaces in Bradford. This is a problem which needs to be addressed and we all have a part to play. We want to see an end to this, and we want to explore what we can do to take action –  to educate, raise awareness and change attitudes so that street harassment becomes unacceptable in our city.

What is street harassment?

“Gender-based street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent and is directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.”
Street harassment is a human rights issue because it limits harassed persons’ ability to be in public, especially women’s. Read the United Nations’ stance on the issue.
(From Stop Street Harassment website http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/about/what-is-street-harassment/

This is a informal session to explore and share conversation and creative ideas about how we can tackle street harassment. Everyone is welcome!
We’ll capture the conversation and ideas through the making of a collective zine (a DIY magazine)  and we’ll sharing the knowledge we’ve gained and the distribute the zine at  Bradford Women of the World Festival 4-6th November, at which there will be a panel discussion about street harassment.

We’ll hear from women who have led and worked on campaigns in Bradford to combat street harassment  including Samayya Afzal    previous Women’s and Campaigns Officer at University of Bradford Union of Students, and others who have worked with interfaith groups. We’ll also hear from men who are actively trying to combat the issue and about what they want to do to raise awareness among other men.

We also welcome any other contributions – so if you have a perspective, experience, viewpoint or have information, resources or campaigns you think we should know about we would love to hear from you! Come along to the session, or you can also get in touch with us at wurbradford@gmail.com

Triumph of Love: ‘The Big Make In’ creative workshop, Thursday 13th October

 

Thursday 13th October
Triumph of Love: The Big Make-In
12-3pm

At Wur Bradford artspace, Kirkgate Market (opposite Home From Home cafe)
Join artists Uzma Kazi, Chemaine Cooke and Jean McEwan in a massive love themed make-in session – to create lanterns, collages and decorations in readiness for Wur Bradford Triumph of Love installation at the Reflections event in Lister Park  on 15th  October, where we will be hosting a marquee inviting people to make overhead projector collages, and 3D light zines celebrating Bradford people places and stories.

All are welcome to come and join us at the workshop and at Reflections.

Reflections is family event in Lister Park on Saturday, 15 October,  created by local artists , arts organisations, community groups and Bradford Council’s Cultural Services,involving
lantern making workshops, mask making and other workshops, performances, street theatre, live music and much more. It’s free and everyone is welcome!
The event starts at 12pm and we’ll be there from 4pm. The day will culminate in Lister’s Lantern Parade which starts at 6.45pm

More event information here
https://https://www.facebook.com/events/1779038989014038/

Art in The Market: artist talks with Jean McEwan and Chemaine Cooke, Thursday 29th September

Thursday 29th September
Art in The Market: Artist talks with  Jean McEwan and Chemaine Cooke
Wur Bradford  artspace
Kirkgate Market (opposite Home From Home cafe)
3 – 4pm
Join visual artist Jean McEwan  and dance artist Chemaine Cooke in an informal talk about their recent residencies at  Wur Bradford artspace in which they each responded creatively to the environment, people and history of Kirkgate Market, via mapping and movement,  research, games, interviews, and donated objects from market traders. To see some of Jean’s activities see her blogpost here. Chemaine has been documenting her work with movement and objects via her Twitter feed here

Jean and Chemaine will also talk about their ideas plans to develop new art events and interventions in Kirkgate Market over the coming months.

 

All are welcome, refreshments provided

Wur Bradford is a participatory art project (‘Wur’ means ‘our’ or ‘we are’) based in a a stall in the city’s Kirkgate Market. All are welcome to get involved. It is supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Markets and Two28

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

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!

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.

 

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