Artwork celebrates contribution of city's refugees

The banner features the motto from Ken Loach's new film The Old Oak

A Syrian restaurant owner and a Yorkshire textile designer have teamed up to highlight the contribution refugees make to Bradford.

Qusay Amer, who left Syria 10 years ago, and Hayley Mills-Styles brought residents together to share food and create a banner marking the release of Ken Loach's new film The Old Oak.

They said they wanted to celebrate the film's themes of togetherness and community.

The Old Oak tells the story of Syrian refugees arriving in a former pit village.

A disused pub in County Durham was converted into The Old Oak for filming

The banner created at the workshop features the film's motto - "It's not where you're from, it's what you bring".

The Old Oak centres on a pub in County Durham - the only remaining meeting space in a once-thriving mining community.

When refugees arrive in the city, the community is divided and the pub becomes contested territory.

Scarborough-based textile designer Ms Mills-Styles said: "The main focus of the film is 'it's not where you're from, it's what you bring' - and we really wanted that theme to come through in our workshop.

"Bradford is a City of Sanctuary and there are a lot of Syrian refugees here in the city."

Qusay Amer is a Syrian refugee and now runs restaurants in West Yorkshire

Mr Amer, who runs restaurants in Bradford and Leeds and provided food for the workshop, said: "Food plays a major part in representing anyone's culture. It is the nicest way to talk about your culture.

"That makes it interesting for people to start asking questions. You can introduce your country to people in a more authentic way."

The Old Oak is released in cinemas on 29 September, and the banner made in Bradford will be taken to one of the local screenings.