Young voices tell city's forgotten history

Stories of Bradford's past will be told through murals, theatre productions and walks

Young people will bring to life the stories of Bradford's heritage to tie in with the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2025.

Youth organisations have been given Historic England funding to let them decide the best way to celebrate the less well-known tales of the city's past.

Through different art forms such as murals, theatre productions and immersive walks, they will come up with an idea of how best to illustrate the stories.

Rhiannon Hannon, director of creative engagement at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: "Bradford is one of the youngest cities in the UK and young people feeling connected to their city and its history is a really important part of our City of Culture year."

Four projects have been funded, each receiving up to £15,000, as part of the History in the Making programme.

The young people will start work in January with their finished work being unveiled in the autumn.

The project aims to connect young people with local history

Finn White, from Historic England, said those taking part were largely from under-represented backgrounds.

He said: "So it's people who might not necessarily study history at school or be taken around museums by their parents.

"We're really looking to connect with young people who might not see exploring local history as an option for them"

One of the projects, called the Manningham Heritage Project, involves the group exploring the local Bangladeshi heritage.

By working with artists and craftspeople they will create something that incorporate elements of Bangladeshi culture, art, language and traditions.

Another project focuses on the overlooked history of people with learning disabilities who worked in Bradford’s mills in the 19th and early 20th Century.

Ms Hannon said the opportunities offered by the projects were valuable for those youngsters involved.

"They will be marking the places where they live and that's the place they walk through every day of their lives so they'll see themselves physically represented in the streets where they live."

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