Cathedral loom to weave tapestry of city's story

The loom was about "preserving history" and "bringing people together", a spokesperson said

Visitors to Bradford Cathedral are to get the chance to use a loom to help weave a tapestry celebrating the city's textile heritage.

The tapestry will be created for the Weaving Stories project, which is part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Anyone "regardless of skill or experience" could have a go on the loom and there would be guidance in several languages about how to weave, a spokesperson for the project said.

They added that it was "about more than preserving history, it's about bringing people together".

The Rev Canon Ned Lunn, canon for intercultural mission and the arts at Bradford Cathedral, said it was "really important as this year's UK City of Culture to place ourselves as the storytellers of the city, to be able to remind people of the length of the story, not just the industry.

"One of the major things of the UK's City of Culture is to look for legacy, and we are wanting to create a legacy piece, a tapestry which is made by the people of Bradford for the people of Bradford."

The project would help celebrate Bradford's rich textile history, organisers said

The more intricate parts of the tapestry were expected to be completed by a small group of volunteers with experience in embroidery, stitching or textile work, the spokesperson for the project explained.

Meanwhile, members of the West Riding Stone Carving Association would create stone weights to help support the completed tapestry, each carved with words and phrases taken from the stories which had been shared.

The project would be run in partnership with Haworth Scouring and the Bradford Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, who had sourced and spun the wool that would be used to create the tapestry, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, individuals and community groups were also invited to contribute to a "sound tapestry" which would form a collection of recorded voices and stories.

Rev Canon Lunn said: "By taking part, you will help safeguard an at-risk heritage craft, learn new skills, and build lasting connections with one of Bradford's most significant cultural spaces."

The tapestry project is expected to get under way at Bradford Cathedral on 10 May, and the finished piece will go on display there next February.

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