the
Bradford Review
ISSUE 46 Feb | Mar 2020 FREE
BODY TALK New Exhibition at Kala Sangam Celebrates Body Positivity
BRADFORD’S WHAT’S ON GUIDE Distributed to over 400 venues in Bradford every two months
ARPITA SHAH - DEAD FREEDOM - INKERWOVEN - AUSTIN MITCHELL
HHHHH
Mail on Sunday
HHHHH
Sunday Express
Dance Consortium presents
Acosta Danza Evolution HHHH
“generous of spirit, explosive, full of charisma� Evening Standard
Fri 13 - Sat 14 March 2020 7.30pm 01274 432000 bradford-theatres.co.uk Bkg fees apply
carlos acosta flyer A5 with overprints new quotes.indd 1
22/01/2020 11:33
VISIT BRADFORD HAWORTH | ILKLEY | SALTAIRE
Visit Bradford and enjoy the perfect combination of incredible architecture, stunning scenery, magical museums and a packed calendar of cultural events.
#VISITBRAD FORD SHARE THE EXPERIENC E! www.visitbra dford.com For more info rmation follow us
CASINO . RESTAURANT . BAR
2020 TRIBUTE NIGHTS FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY QUEEN FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY ROBBIE WILLIAMS FRIDAY 27TH MARCH SINGCERE
FRIDAY 24TH APRIL FRANKIE MACK SWING & RATPACK SHOWMAN FRIDAY 29TH MAY DOLLY
O N LY
£30 PER PERSON
D R I N K O N* AR R I VA L
4 CO U R S E ME A L
£ 5 GAMING CHIP *
£5 F REE P L AY bet *
N A P O L E O N S C A S I N O & R E S TA U R A N T 3 7 B O LTO N ROAD B RAD F ORD B D 1 4 D R 0 1 2 74 3 9 1 8 2 0 B R A D F O R D @ N A P O L E O N S - C A S I N O S .C O.U K
*T’s & C’s apply. Free play valid on electronic roulette.
w w w. n a p o l e o n s - c a s i n o s . c o . u k / B R A D F O R D
18+
Contents Distribution We print 5,000 copies of The Bradford Review, which we distribute to over 300 high-footfall public venues including shops, cafes, bars, offices and cultural destinations in Bradford, Idle, Thackley, Thornton,Shipley, Bingley & Keighley. Over 20,000 people read each edition of the magazine.
12
Inkerwoven
Advertise Back Page: £350* Page 3 / Inside Front: £225* Full Page: £150* Quarter Page: £50* *All prices plus VAT, discounts available for block bookings. For more information on how to
14
Kehilla Submissions If you would like to contribute to the Bradford Review email enquiries@festivalpublications. co.uk We’re always delighted to hear from writers, photographers and anyone involved in a local group or activity.
Disclaimer
24
Austin Mitchell
This magazine is published by Festival Publications Ltd. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content we accept no liability for any resulting loss or damage. Views expressed by contributors are their own and not those of the publisher. ©Festival Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction or copying without permission.
30
Hollywood in Bradford
At a Glance A round up of key events in and around Bradford in December and January.
2 February Bradford based photographer Nudrat Afza launches her exhibition Kehillah: documentary photographs of the city’s synagogue, built in 1880 in an unnusual Moorish style.
4 - 8 February Bill Kenwright’s superb production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat comes to the Alhambra Theatre.
5 - 9 February Yorkshire Games Festival at the National Science and Media Museum is five-day extravaganza celebrating games culture, design and production, with special guests, workshops, master classes, and a fun-packed weekend for gamers of all ages.
13 - 16 February Theatre in the Mill and New Queers on the Block present an explosion of spectacular queer performance over four days. Right Queer Right Now includes a talented lineup of queer poets, comedians, theatre-makers and more from right here in Bradford as well as across the UK. 6
15 - 23 February
20 - 22 February
National Science & Media Museum are teaming up with CBBC this February half term to celebrate the world of videogames. There’ll be play zones previewing the latest CBBC game releases, a coding gameshow and loads of activities.
Bradford Beer Festival is returning in February to Victoria Hall in Saltaire. Enjoy a choice of 130+ real ales, keg and international beers, real ciders and perries, with food and fantastic entertainment.
21 February Dean McPhee headlines the second Quet Night event at Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. An imersive event featuring top quality northern artisits and musicians.
13 - 14 March International ballet superstar Carlos Acosta and his critically acclaimed Cuban company Acosta Danza perform a programme of new and existing works. at Alhambra Theatre.
15 March Epilepsy Action’s very own 10K, city centre road race through the heart of Bradford. Starting and finishing in Centenary Square.
28 March Saltaire Vintage Home & Fashion Fair at Victoria Hall featuring 40+ stalls of genuine vintage loveliness for you and your home.
7
Will your Fence weather the next storm?
With Winter upon us – it’s the perfect time to start preparing your garden for the weather. At the point the fence blows down or rots and falls it becomes a real headache and an urgent problem to fix in order to keep your garden secure. Many customers install ColourFence for the peace of mind that storms won’t leave them the bill, and hassle involved in getting urgent repairs done. ColourFence stands up to the British weather, resisting rusting and rotting in the rain, cracking, warping or shrinking in the sun and fallen panels when the wind blows.
entire length of the 25-year guarantee.* Don’t wait for your fence to blow down this winter, our revolutionary metal garden fencing is the cost effective, low maintenance alternative to traditional fencing, call now for a free, no-obligation site survey and quote today.
ColourFence is available in 4 different colours that can be mixed and matched to create stylish designs that would take hours of painting and there’s no need to paint your new fence for the “Brilliant product and excellent staff. My whole garden is now beautifully furnished with this metal garden fencing! No more painting for me and no more worries about windy weather. So pleased!” Anne Brown, Cornwall
BEFORE
AFTER * Terms and conditions apply, hose down several times per year.
Don’t wait for your fence to fall this Winter, call now for a FREE no-obligation quote on
01274 956 316 colourfencebradford.co.uk
GREEN
BLUE
BROWN
CREAM
Mix & match 4 colours
SHOP YOUR WAY
WATCH
YOUR WAY YOUR WAY
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
9am - 7pm 9am - 7pm 9am - 7pm 9am - 8pm 9am - 7pm 9am - 7pm 11am - 5pm
Hall Ings, Bradford West Yorkshire, BD1 1JR broadwaybradford.com
Body Talk
New exhibition at Kala Sangam celebrates body positivity
For many women, talking publicly about their body is a radical act, especially if they are talking positively, but a new exhibition at Kala Sangam, featuring the work of two Bradford based artists, will challenge this. Body Talk features photography by Shy Burhan and poetry from Sharena Lee Satti that celebrates body positivity. Women from diverse backgrounds were invited to submit three words describing what they love about their bodies before being photographed by Shy. Sharena has written work inspired by those photographs. The images and poems celebrate the stories and beauty of the women featured, but also challenge the viewer to think and talk more positively about their own body. Shy Burhan said, “Body Talk is a synthesis of photography and poetry interfaced to create a truly spectacular celebration of female body positivity and empowerment. It is a first time collaboration for me with an artist from any creative genre, and I am thrilled that I am working with someone like Sharena who understands the challenges that the creative and personal process requires.”
Sharena Lee Satti Said, “This has been a beautiful collaboration between Shy and myself. It has been really empowering and a inspiring project to work on. It has sparked many emotions and I’m really looking forward to sharing my poetic piece that has been born though this project.” Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam said, “I’m delighted to be kicking off Kala Sangam’s Spring season with the launch of Shy and Sharena’s fantastic exhibition. It’s been great to be able to support two inspiring, female, South Asian artists to create an exhibition that I think is going to be powerful both for the women who have taken part, and for everyone that sees it here at Kala Sangam.” Join Kala Sangam on Thursday 30 January at 7pm for the launch of the exhibition or stop by to soak up Body Talk anytime until Thursday 02 April. Shy and Sharena will also be taking part in a panel discussion event on body image and the media on Thursday 5 March.
Kala Sangam launches its spring season Kala Sangam has launched its spring season, featuring a wide range of dance, theatre and music performances from across the world. From a performance showcasing the talents of autistic and learning disabled dance artists to an Indian twist on a string quartet and the story of one man’s quest for joy, there is something for everyone in what has been described as ‘one of the best ever presented’ at Kala Sangam. Tickets for Kala Sangam’s Spring Season are now on sale, to book a ticket, or to find out more about the new classes, visit www.kalasangam.org or call 01274 303340.
10
Image by Shy Burhan
Inkerwoven A collaboration of contemporary printmakers
Iinkerwoven Print and Textiles Project is a year long creative collaboration between Inkers contemporary printmaking group and Bradford College Textile Archive, involving research and development, workshops, exhibitions and events, and finally a major show of new works in print celebrating Bradford’s rich textile heritage at Bradford’s Dye House Gallery. Inkers is a group of independent contemporary printmakers based in West Yorkshire, who have been working and exhibiting together since 2000. We each have very different artistic interests, but we are united by a fascination with the potential of printmaking to explore and realise our ideas. As a group, we enjoy working with gallery and museum collections, and there have already been two popular exhibitions of our work in Bradford, at the Industrial Museum in 2016 and at Cliffe Castle in 2017. Inkerwoven, responding to the unique collections of the Bradford College Textile Archive, is our next step. The Textile Archive is Bradford College’s cultural heritage study centre and maps the history of the industry that made the city great. Since Bradford emerged as a global pioneer of the textile industry in the 19th century, and was affectionately named ‘Worstopolis’, the College played a key role in the education of those who created and maintained its fame and wealth. The school, which opened in 1892, was the first purpose-built technical school in the country and its reputation was global. The Textile Archive holds an extraordinary range of early student designs going back to 12
those earliest days, and its industry collections offer a fascinating glimpse into the fashions of the past: tiny calico prints of the 1780s; large bright designs of 1850s crinoline fabrics; new developments in synthetic dyes and fibres; beautiful figured gauzes of the 1900s and kitsch designs of the 1950s. It’s a treasure trove for anyone with an interest in textiles, in fashion or in the history of Bradford. Throughout 2020, working with curator Helen Farrar, Inkers artists will visit the Textile Archive to explore its treasures and develop new artwork in response. As we work towards our final show, we’ll share our creative thinking and the techniques we use through a series of printmaking workshops run by experienced artist printmakers, not just in Bradford, but also across West Yorkshire. They’ll cover a wide range of techniques, including etching, drypoint, collagraph, monotype and monoprint, relief and mixed media, and focus how printmaking can be used to develop new ideas. Thanks to support from Arts Council England, we’re able to make these workshops affordable and accessible to the public, and we hope that people will take the opportunity to kick start existing art skills, learn new ones, or just find out what makes printmakers tick. We’ll also document our progress though Work in Progress Exhibitions at Yorkshire locations chosen for their connections with textiles, printmaking or both. Look out for us at the Colne Valley Museum in April, Globe Arts Slaithwaite in May and Bradford’s own South Square in June. We’ll be at Saltaire Arts Trail too, with
a whole day of free drop-in printmaking on Saturday 23rd May. Finally, the new work we’ve made will be shown at a major exhibition at the Dye House Gallery at Bradford School of Art and Textiles, curated by Sonja Kielty of Bradford Museums & Galleries. The final exhibition will run from October 2020 to March 2021, and will reveal new works of print exhibited alongside the items from the Textile Archive, which inspired them. The exhibition will be accompanied by indepth workshops in the Bradford College Print Department. We’re delighted to have been granted almost £10K Arts Council funding for the project. The Textile Archive really is a hidden gem, and we were so inspired by it that we were determined to go ahead with the exhibition on a shoestring, but this will make our project truly special. We’ll
be able to properly showcase the treasures of Bradford’s creative and industrial history that the Archive holds, promote the lovely Dye House Gallery and involve the public in our creative journey. Thanks must also go to Bradford Council, who’ve provided match funding, and to all our wonderful venue partners. The full programme of events is available at www.inkers-printmakers.co.uk. If you’d like to visit the Textile Archive for yourself, the collections can be accessed by appointment with curator Helen Farrar who is always keen to welcome interested visitors. Find out more at www.textilearchive.bradfordcollege.ac.uk Email: h.farrar@bradfordcollege.ac.uk Tel: 01274 088355
13
Kehillah
Exhibition of photographs from Bradford’s last synagogue
An exhibition of extraordinary photographs documenting worshipers at Bradford’s last synagogue is going on display at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. The black and white photographs were all taken by local photographer Nudrat Afza and will go on show alongside artefacts from the local synagogue from 1 February until 3 May 2020. Nudrat’s exhibition entitled ‘Kehillah’ which means congregation or community in Hebrew is a poignant collection of images capturing the modern and traditional elements of services at the synagogue. The city’s remaining synagogue was built in 1880 for German Jewish merchants and their families in an unusual Moorish style and is a Grade II* listed building. It is Yorkshire’s oldest purpose built synagogue, but it almost had to close in 2013 as they were unable to afford the repairs needed to the roof, that was until the local community, including Muslims from the nearby mosque, helped to raise funds to cover the costs. The photographer is part of the friends of group for the synagogue and is friends with Rudi Leavor BEM, the synagogue’s 93 year old chairman. Rudi, who is a Jewish community leader in Bradford and President and Chairman of the Bradford Reform Synagogue, left Nazi Germany for Bradford with his family in 1937 when he was 11. The exhibition at the Bradford Council-run venue will be officially launched on Sunday 2 February at an event at Cartwright Hall where Rudi will be a special guest.
Photographer Nudrat, who is a sole carer for her grown up disabled daughter, came to Bradford from Pakistan as a teenager in the late 1960s. She is a self taught documentary photographer who has spent the past 30 years recording the lives of everyday people in the diverse communities in West Yorkshire. She has held several critically acclaimed exhibitions including City Girls which documents the women who follow the local football team Bradford City. It was for this exhibition that she was ‘lent’ a camera by the Keighley-born Oscarwinning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy who wrote Slumdog Millionaire and The Full Monty. Nudrat said, “There are fewer and fewer Jewish people left in Bradford. It’s this declining population and disappearing culture that I wanted to document. Jewish people are such an important part of Bradford’s history. I’ve spent the past year with the congregation at the city’s last active synagogue in Bowland Street, gaining their trust and watching as they try to keep their place of worship alive. “Their commitment has inspired me, as has the coming together of the many different communities to raise funds for the upkeep of this extraordinary Grade II* building. This place matters to us all.” Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy has previously said about Nudrat’s work: “Everyone with a phone can take a photograph. But not everybody is a photographer. In the colourful noise of a billion images, a few people stand out. Nudrat is one of them. Like all the best art, the images reflect the artist: watchful, politely enquiring, melancholic with the hint of a smile.”
For more information about the exhibition visit www.bradfordmuseums.org 14
Images by Nudrat Afza 15
Keep on riding on Interview with Johnny Bedford aka ‘Dead Freedom’
Dead Freedom is is a singer songwriter from Bradford known for his gruff vocals and solo acoustic guitar work. He was recently chosen by HMV as one of their featured local artiusts for National Album Day and releases his music on his own record label. Claudia Anderson caught up with him to find out more.
First of all, tell me where your distinctive gruff voice comes from! I sold my soul to the devil… nah, I used to sing quite high when younger but then I developed this gravely, whiskey-soaked voice, however it takes regular maintenance and vocal warm ups to keep it in good condition.
16
When did you first pick up a guitar? My big brother played the drums and my uncle Jonathan was in The Shakes, a rock band who played the circuit with New Model Army, so I was always fascinated by music, but whenever I tried to play drums it sounded like a raccoon rifling through trash cans! Instead, my mum got me an acoustic guitar for Christmas, but I didn’t properly get the hang of it till I was 17. How would you describe your music? I tend to flit between country, blues and rock styles as they speak to me the most. Lynyrd Skynyrd, White Buffalo and Creedence Clearwater Revival are huge inspirations for me- they fuse genres together to create a strong, honest message with raw passion that resonates with me.
You’re notorious for not doing covers- why? I’d tried playing other peoples’ songs in the early days, but then one day I wrote my own song about a girl and I’ve never looked back. Playing is something you have to feel, and if no-one says no to this culture of playing covers we will never hear new, fresh music. You have been compared to artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and Joe Cocker? It honestly blows me away when people compare me to these guys! Being recently compared to Springsteen by HMV is an incredible compliment. What influences you? My family, my partner, even my old dog! I generally write about things I’ve faced such as love, loss, heartbreak, but I’ve also written songs about riding motorbikes, political ideals and world issues. I firmly believe that if you want something in life you should go for it- something I’ve always taught my daughter. Wilson, Shawn James and 3Milehigh have also influenced methe latter I roadied for as a teen, which made me realise I wanted to get into gigging. You wrote a song specifically for the TV show, ‘The Walking Dead’? A lot of my songs have themes of not giving in and being determined. I’m a huge fan of the show and imagined what it would be like to be in that sort of world, clinging onto the things that keep us human. Music’s always been there for me, wherever I’ve been in life and whatever I’ve faced. So, I wrote this song about a zombie apocalypse, which I recorded with Entheos Media and submitted to AMC. It would be amazing to have my tune playing on the show at some point, so keep your fingers crossed! What’s your biggest achievement so far? I played at Sheffield’s O2 Academy in April 2019 which was huge- I’d dreamed about playing in a venue like that since I was 17. It felt very surreal! Then I was to be privileged enough to be chosen by HMV to play in-store
alongside Tom Lillywhite and Apollo Junction for National Album Day in October 2019, where I commercially released my album ‘Standing Tall’more excitingly, it’s opened up other doors! As well as being a musician, you’re also a chef and a biker? Riding means I’m free to go wherever, whenever I want- this massively feeds my creativity. I’ve had many chef jobs and dream of one day owning my own place and writing my own recipe book. I currently work at a bikers café out in the sticks on the A59, which is perfect as I have met so many genuine people and also get to look at beautiful machines all day long- what’s not to love? It’s no surprise then that my latest song ‘59 Bound’ is about how these people became family. You should join the Hairy Bikers as their third member! Sign me up- that would be epic! Touring the USA with my music and learning different cooking styles is on my bucket list! I recently lopped off my hair to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund, but despite how hard I try, I can’t seem to grow one of those awesomely long beards… You’re so busy, and a full-time student too? I’m doing a Music degree at Bradford College and I’ve met some fantastic people. It’s really helping me develop as an artist with my playing style and expanding my theory knowledge. Staff have been massively supportive as I’m dyslexicgoing above and beyond. Any messages to your loyal fans? I can’t put into words how grateful I am to anyone that supports my music. I’m very fortunate to do what I do and your support keeps me going: the likes/shares, coming to gigs, streaming my music, buying CDs and merchandise, it all makes a huge difference. So from the very pit of my soul, thank you! www.facebook.com/officialdeadfreedom www.deadfreedom.com
17
Bradford Brontë Rotary Club Rotary...isn’t that just for wealthy businessmen and the professions? It’s true that when Rotary was first set up, over one hundred years ago, it was a club for businessmen and professionals. Today Rotary is open to people from all walks of life. Our membership includes artists, teachers, police officers, plumbers, university lecturers, charity workers, event planners, managers and retirees, as well as the more traditional professions and local business leaders.
I want to put something back into my local community but haven’t much time – can I still join Rotary? Of course – we all lead very busy lives and family and work commitments must always come first. Volunteering can take many forms – you can take part in one of our projects, use your professional or personal skills to help the wider community or help the club with our many social activities. There are no ‘rules’ – a willingness to join in is all that is needed.
Aren’t you a bit like the Freemasons? No – our meetings are open to everyone, you don’t have to be invited! Rotary is a non-political and non-religious organisation that is open to all, irrespective of faith, gender or political persuasion. What unites us is a shared desire to ‘do good in the world’ and put something back into our local community.
What’s in it for me? Rotary is all about having fun whilst putting something back into the community – locally, nationally and internationally. As well as volunteering together, members enjoy a wide range of social activities such as music and theatre trips, walks and visits to places of interest. Friendships made through Rotary can last a lifetime and as a member of Rotary you will become part of a network of 1.2 million members worldwide all dedicated to the service of humanity. What’s more you will be made welcome at any Rotary club anywhere in the world!
Don’t I see you rattling buckets at supermarkets for charity? On occasion you may see Rotary Club members helping charities with their collections. However, we do so much more than just fundraising. Collecting surplus food, planting and building community gardens. Helping local health workers with blood pressure testing, packing school supplies for children overseas, running youth clubs and mentoring young people. We support homeless young people and provide opportunities for others to take part in schemes to encourage leadership. We have a Young Chef award and can provide funding for others to participate in world wide activities. These are just some of the activities we are involved with.
18
What are your meetings like? Our meetings are informal and full of laughter! We meet at The Midland Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast at 7.15 am (yes we know it’s early!) and finish at 8.30 am to allow plenty of time to get to work. Guest speakers are invited to talk on a very wide range of topics from local regeneration issues to crime writing, adventuring, bee keeping and everything in between.
I’d like to join Rotary but I’m worried about the cost – is it expensive? No – full membership is just over £2 per week. However, we offer Free Associate Membership for the first year – so you just pay for coffee or breakfast at the hotel when attending a meeting, whichever you prefer. What else do you do? Through our own charity, Rotary is at the forefront of the global drive to eradicate the crippling disease of polio. Since Rotary started the campaign in 1985 when there were over 1000 cases of polio per day in 125 countries, polio has now been contained to just a handful of cases in two countries. Rotary is also heavily involved with international development, peace building and equality, access to education and disaster response, both locally and aboard. The Rotary Club of Bradford Brontë works in partnership with InnChurches to organise the Bradford Community Soup (Bradfordsoup.org. uk) which takes place four times a year at The
Storehouse on Caledonia Street, Bradford. To date, the ‘Soup’ events have provided seed funding, as well as vital networking opportunities, to a number of local organisations dedicated to improving Bradford. Over 40 community groups have been helped – just a few mentioned here – Friends of Littlemoor Park, Bradford Fringe Festival, ECCY men’s group, Herby Hedgehog Sanctuary, Riding for the Disabled, Bradford Nightstop, Bloomin’ Buds Theatre, Transmission. What is Associate Membership? It’s an opportunity to come along and try us out for free for up to a year. How do I join/find out more about you? Come along for breakfast on any Thursday morning. www.facebook.com/Bronterotary Twitter: @BradfordBronte Email: brontebradfordrotary@gmail.com
19
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FUTURE POSTGRADUATE OPEN DAY
Master’s, research and CPD courses Significantly increase your earning potential Unlock new skills and career paths Study around your current commitments FUNDING, LOANS AND DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE BOOK YOUR PLACE: www.bradford.ac.uk/opendaypg
TUESDAY
3
MARCH 16:00 – 19:00
Bradford’s wooly heritage Remembering Bishop Blaise, Bradford’s forgotten saint
If you ask most people what saint February is famous for? the answer is St Valentine; but if you ask Bradford poet and ‘character’ Glyn Watkins his answer will be “It should be Bishop Blaise!”. It seems Blaise at one time was the only Saint in this wool town. Now Glyn is trying to get Bradford to remember him again after a couple of centuries of forgetfulness.
The Bring Back Blaise Festival will probably be over when you read this, seeing it runs from Friday 31st Jan to Monday 3rd of Feb., but the story of how it came about is still worth telling, especially as it has given rise to the Bradford Woolly Heritage Community Interest Company, an organisation that aims to get people engaged with the history and culture of both Bradford and wool; as well as make the Blaise Festival self generating, City wide and nationally and internationally linked by 2025, the 200th anniversary of the last time Bishop Blaise was properly celebrated here. Blaise was an Armenian Bishop who was martyred around 317 A.D. by having his head chopped off, after being ‘tortured’ with iron combs. He is mostly remembered as the Patron of throat troubles, thanks to saving a child from choking on a fish bone, but the use of iron combs in his death also made him the Patron of wool-combers. Wool-combing was a highly skilled trade, and
22
a vital part of the making of worsted cloth; and by the early 19th Century Bradford was already on the way to becoming the centre of the whole world’s worsted trade. Wool-combers in all wool towns celebrated Blaise’s day with a procession, but Bradford’s was the biggest and best in Yorkshire, possibly the country. The 1825 celebration had around a thousand folk from all parts of the wool trade processing around Bradford. Unfortunately the wool-combers went on strike with the handloom weavers soon afterwards. After 11 weeks the woolcombers were broken; and Bishop Blaise’s day become a memory. As far as he can remember, Glyn first read about the Bishop Blaise procession soon after he moved to Bradford in the late 70’s, and it fascinated him. Glyn always seems to clearly remember the history of everything he is talking at you about, about apart from his own; so his best guess as to when he actually started to try and revive the Blaise festival is “about a decade ago”. He started with guided walks on 3rd Feb. along the route of the 1825 procession. He then added a homemade bishop’s hat and wool-comb. He more or less pottered along with that for a few years until he linked up with Samantha Wass, who helped get things properly organised. Together they succeeded in setting up a ‘Bring Back Blaise Day’ at Bradford Industrial Museum
in 2017 and Glyn arranged for Hall Royd Brass Band and Bradford Voices Community Choir to perform. the day brought a record number of visitors for a February Sunday to the Museum. In 2019 Glyn and the Industrial Museum made the Blaise Festival even bigger by having Bradford’s first every wool fair (there has been one in Ilkley, but Glyn doesn’t count that as Bradford). The band and choir were both delighted to come back ,and the previous attendance record was broken again. The Museum has now committed to have a Blaise Wool Fair on the first Sunday of February; and Glyn’s contribution is now under the aegis of the Bradford Woolly Heritage C.I.C. created by Glyn,, Dan Horsman, landlord of the Jacobs Well pub, and old friend Julia Armstrong, educator and art director. It was launched at City Hall on the 9th Jan. to a near capacity audience, who gave the effort universal and unstinting
praise. Napoleons Casino and the Sparrow Bar have already committed to sponsorship of the Company and event; and Sunbeam Brewery will be brewing a Bishop Blaise Armenian Ale, which will be launched at the Museum in Pop-up Bishop Blaise Bar. The Lord Mayor of Bradford will also be attending. So it looks like walking around dressed as a fluorescent Bishop might be a way to success, although we would not recommend trying it ourselves. News about Bradford Woolly Heritage and future events can be found at www.bradwan.com or from Jacobs Well.
23
Austin Mitchell By James Collingwood
Baildon born Austin Mitchell was one of the most familiar faces in Yorkshire throughout the 1970’s. As one of the prominent personalities at the new Yorkshire TV and a regular presenter on Calendar he was a household name on a station that brought Yorkshire programmes to Yorkshire people. He was also one of the people that set up Pennine Radio, Bradford’s pioneering radio station. Austin was later an MP for Grimsby and his famous interview with Don Revie and Brian Clough in 1974 (on the night Clough was sacked from Leeds Utd after 44 days) was immortalised in the film and book the Damned United. Now living in Sowerby Bridge I talked to Austin about his life and future plans.
Pennine Radio (which later became the Pulse) was set up in 1975 as a genuine community radio station. I asked Austin about its early days. “It was really Steve Harris and Steve Whittaker that set it up” said Austin. “It was a great idea. We had the idea of a Bradford community radio station - involving people and paying a dividend to community groups that took part. That didn’t quite work out because you’ve got to raise the capital for various interested parties. We did raise the money though and we got lots of people to take part in it.” Austin was Programme Controller at Pennine and a presenter of various programmes such as Tops and Noils (about Yorkshire dialect and customs) and the Folk Show (for which he believes he annoyed a lot of folkies by just playing Bob Dylan and Joan Baez!) He was still presenting Calendar whilst at Pennine and in the 24
early days was a bit restricted due to “buggering his back” after doing a parachute jump on Calendar. The station itself had to eventually go more commercial and later became the “radio jukebox” the Pulse. The early days had interesting programming and presenters such as Peter Levy (who now does Hull Look North), Dorothy Box (originally Austin’s secretary at Calendar) and Julius K Scragg as well as later the impressionist Jon Culshaw and the radio bigwig Roger Mosey. “Things like the phone in’s - they worked very well” said Austin. “We had one with Arthur Scargill…. Also, I remember one time we couldn’t get in the studio because of protestors. I can’t remember what they were protesting about!” Austin joined Calendar in 1968 about two weeks after it went on air. After university he had gone to New Zealand as an academic and became a broadcaster whilst over there. He watched the first two weeks output then became a Calendar presenter. The station and the programme were at first mostly staffed by people from the South but eventually developed local Yorkshire talent such as Sid Waddell and Barry Cockcroft. Presenting along with fellow Baildon lad Richard Whiteley Austin became a household name. He was also involved with other programmes such as the political programme Yorkshire Matters which among other things Austin believes “made” regular participant Arthur Scargill. The political big hitters at the time – people like Harold Wilson and Dennis Healey were from Yorkshire so they could get access to them. For Austin it is sad that Yorkshire television is
no more. At the time there were great local documentaries and programmes such as Sid Waddell’s Indoor League and Barry Cockcroft’s (who eventually did the Hannah Hauxwell documentaries) local films. Austin believes Calendar itself was genuinely presenting local stories to Yorkshire and making it fun. He later left to become an MP but believes he could be “more influential on Calendar. In politics you’re a cog in a machine.” I asked Austin about the famous Revie Clough interview immortalised in the Damned United. In 1974 Brian Clough had taken over as manager of Leeds Utd after Revie had left and had famously lasted just 44 days in the job. This electric interview that Austin did with the two managers happened on the night of the sacking. Austin says it is a myth that Brian Clough didn’t know Revie was also appearing on the programme. “The programme was set up by Kevin Sim and John Wilford. Everyone else was down at Elland Road. Clough and Revie were kept apart in separate rooms and were haggling about their fees.” Austin had previously chaired a Q & A programme with journalists when Clough took over. He didn’t know much about football but was one of the people available that night. Clough and Revie famously didn’t like each other. “I just had to sit there and ask a few questions. The interview then took off.”
Another interview Austin is proud of is one he did for Yorkshire TV in November 1975 with the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson about Wilson’s “Life, career and hopes.” Later in 1975 Wilson resigned as PM. The interview was then repeated on the ITV network on the day of the resignation. “It was as if he’d given a resignation speech to us. It summed up everything about him.” Austin has fond memories of being brought up in Baildon. “ I grew up in a world of mills…I can remember Salts Mill when it was working and have a film I took of 1000s of people coming out of it” He remembers the mills in Baildon (Richard Whiteley’s family owned a mill on the bank above where Austin lived) as compact little industries working together. A golden age which has now disappeared. Austin is currently preparing a couple of books on J B Priestley. The first is a collection of Priestley’s radio wartime speeches that were broadcast to America to encourage them to join the war. It’s planned to be published this year by Great Northern. The second is a book on Priestley’s Yorkshire. There are also plans with the Priestley Society to develop a Bradford tour to connect with the bid for Bradford being City of Culture in 2025.
25
Sporting Lunchtime Lectures A pre-match dose of obscure football history at the Record Cafe
‘When I came to Bradford I didn’t expect to end up eating Serrano ham and listening to a bloke talking about Hungarian brutalist architecture before the match’. A quote from a Newport County fan who wandered into The Record Cafe and was met by the odd mix of education, entertainment and the outright eccentric, that is the monthly sporting lunchtime lectures. I doubt there is anything like it anywhere else in the country. We’ve managed to both bemuse and delight fans from Peterborough, Oxford, Rochdale and Walsall to name but a few. You can image the conversations when they return home. ‘How was your trip to Bradford?’ ‘Well, there was this bloke talking about philosophy and football in Ljubljana’. For the uninitiated, the talks are free events, staged at the popular Record Cafe on North Parade. They commence at noon on selected match days and finish by around 1pm. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, the ethos being quality, but accessible history. That history is, of course, sporting, but we have often strayed into art, archaeology and even architecture.
26
In the first year we’ve heard about: archaeological geophysics and the ghost pitch at Bradford (Park Avenue); the politics of football street art in the former Yugoslavia; how tramways facilitated the Bradford Cricket League; the global spread of football and why we have different codes in Europe, America, Canada and Ireland; shaping the supporter culture of Bradford City; the invincible Australian Rugby League team of 1982 and how they changed the face of a sport. And quite a bit more as well. In 2020 we will range from Manningham Mills to Minnesota and the Ukraine to Undercliffe. There might even be an all day event, complete with film, art and Subbuteo. That’s something in the planning, keep your eyes peeled for that one! Come along and join us, for the price of a pint (or two), you may learn something new, you will definitely be entertained.
Peter Chymera, Football and the Ukraine Saturday 29 February Peter’s grandparents came to Bradford from the Ukraine in the wake of the Second World War. Like many second and third generation Ukrainians he actively supports Bradford City and the Ukrainian national team. We will hear about a dual identity and how each overlaps the other. There will also be a kind of Ukrainian tap takeover on the bar. So come along to hear and taste the Ukraine.
Andy Tyne, Football and World War One Saturday 14 March Five years ago fans of the Bantams and the O’s held a joint event to highlight the losses both clubs endured during the Great War. Andy Tyne, well-know organiser of the Corn Dolly Travel buses, is a volunteer at Undercliffe Cemetery and annual visitor to the battlefields of the Great War. Andy will reflect on how City fans commemorated the centenary of the Great War and the players killed in the conflict and what the legacy is likely to be.
Dr Chris Stride, Sporting Statues Saturday 21 March Pele has eleven, though one has had its arms cut off. Sheffield United have three; Sheffield Wednesday have none. Sven Goran Eriksson has one in his local swimming pool. China’s 2002 World Cup squad have one each, even though they lost all three matches! Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of football statues. Monuments which tell us as much about the nations, clubs and fans who erect them as they do their subjects.
Margaret Kilyon, El Dorado, The Columbian Football League 1949-54 Saturday 4 April When the Columbian Football Association was suspended by FIFA in 1948, it ironically led to a golden age of Columbian domestic football. Margaret Kilyon tells a tale of striking Argentinian footballers, Alfredo Di Stéfano and several English players from Everton, Manchester United and Stoke City. Will the bar stock Columbian beer? Well, you never know! 27
Arpita Shah: Nalini Spanning India, East Africa and the UK, Nalini explores the connected histories of Arpita Shah’s mother, her grandmother and herself. The exhibition reveals ancestral intimacies across space and time, and how their histories, memories and bodies are intertwined. Nalini is a personal journey for Arpita Shah, which has allowed her to reconnect with the past through her maternal lineage and explore how migration, distance and loss have shaped their lives. The artist herself was born in India, grew up in Saudi Arabia and Ireland, and now lives in Scotland. Shah says, “My grandmother was born in India but grew up in Kenya for 12 years before moving back to India. Although I visit my grandmother every couple of years in India, I have realised how little I really know about what she was like as a young woman, her memories, experiences and what her relationships were like with her own mother and her daughter.”
Shah’s photographic journey led to discoveries of old forgotten family photographs, shared and individual memories of objects, places, and family stories. The portraits physically connect the artist to her mother and grandmother, allowing her to visually explore how connected their lives really are. Her contemplative approach to portraiture reveals telling details: strands of silver hair caught in a lilac plastic comb; the skin of her grandmother’s legs, scarred when her sari caught fire. The exhibition is titled after Shah’s grandmother,
28
Nalini, a name which has a double meaning. ‘Nalini’ comes from the ancient Sanskrit word meaning ‘lotus’. This iconic plant symbolises purity, femininity and fertility in Hindu culture. The artist performs floral offerings to her mother and grandmother, and some of her images feature symbolically significant flowers adorning old photographs from family albums. A passport photo of Shah’s great-grandmother is decorated by bougainvillea, a plant introduced to India during the British Empire. The exhibition also includes family heirlooms, such as a sari from East Africa, and a well-travelled suitcase passed between generations. A 1950s image of the Taj Mahal, taken from a battered sweets tin, has been transformed and presented in the gallery as a large mural allowing visitors to imagine themselves in another time and place. Arpita Shah says, “Nalini explores the intimacy, distance and tensions between the generations of women in my family. I hope that viewers, whatever their background and wherever they come from, will find parallels with their own family story.”
Nalini by Arpita Shah is on view at Impressions Gallery from 17 January to 27 March 2020. A Street Level Photoworks touring exhibition supported by Creative Scotland and Hope Scott Trust. Editions.
Š Arpita Shah / courtesy Impressions Gallery
29
Hollywood in Bradford (again) by David Wilson
So what do the following names have in common? Helen Mirren, Kit Harrington, Rupert Grint, Adrian Brody, Cillian Murphy, Kiera Knightly, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Akshay Kumar, Matt Smith and Maxine Peake…They have all been working on major film and TV projects filmed in Bradford recently. January 2020 certainly got off to a flying start when filming commenced in Bradford for a new feature film called The Duke. The Duke starring Academy Award winners Jim Broadbent (Iris) and Helen Mirren (The Queen) and featuring Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) and Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game) is based on a remarkable true story of one man’s attempt to make a better world, is directed by BAFTA award winner Roger Michell (My Cousin Rachel, Notting Hill). In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history.
Below: Dame Helen Mirren’s Bradford adventures...
30
Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly - he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage - how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale. The Duke is a Pathé, Ingenious Media and Screen Yorkshire presentation of a Neon Films Production. Bradford scenes were shot at City Hall, Piccadilly, Cartwright Hall, Little Germany and Cannon Mills with further scenes in Leeds. Dame Helen Mirren took to Instagram with an evocative photo of Carroll Street in Bradford with the tag line; the one and only Bradford with its own magic. Dame Helen also went to see the Pantomime at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford
and followed it with a curry at the Mumtaz restaurant. Again, all was captured on her Instagram and was reported in several national newspapers. All excellent PR for Bradford. In addition to hosting the star talent the film has a dedicated crew of approximately 70 people who all stayed in city centre hotels. The film’s producer and other members of the crew were spotted at the Imax cinema at National Science and Media Museum on a rare night off catching up on the Sam Mendes film 1917.
The feedback from this production and others reflects a real positive affection for Bradford, its architecture, the support from the Bradford Film Office and other organisations and ultimately the warmth of the welcome from members of the Bradford public. With film and TV production in the UK predicted to grow even more in the next decade Bradford is in a brilliant position to further take advantage of its film friendly credentials for the wider benefit of the city and the UK.
In addition to the economic impact of such projects several students from the University of Bradford were able to gain valuable experience on set and hair and make up students supported the unit base and the 80 extras all in 1960’s attire.
31
PRINTMAKING WORKSHOPS 2020
assembly bradford is expanding! 6 new office spaces available Dedicated event space for hire Improved co-working facilities Available March 2020 Offices from £250pcm Co-working from £30pcm Contact us today to arrange a viewing 20 North Parade, Bradford. BD1 3HT 07981 364958 hello@assemblybd.com assemblybd.com
No experience required, open to all. A chance to kickstart your art practice, or try something new. Monotype Printing | Artworks, Halifax: 17 February Embossing | The Dye House Gallery: 29 February Drypoint etching | Leeds Industrial Museum: 4 April Pattern block relief printing Globe Arts, Slaithwaite: 9 May Experimental drawing South Square, Thornton: 5 June Monoprint and mixed media Artworks, Halifax: 6 & 20 July Print and Collage Cartwright Hall, Bradford: 20 September All workshops are just £10 and bookable online at:
inkers-printmakers.co.uk Places are limited, so book your place now!
The only museum in the UK dedicated to uncovering the untold stories of peace, peacemakers and social reform.
Exhibitions
Our new exhibition
Eye as Witness: Recording the Holocaust The new exhibition The Eye as Witness: Recording the Holocaust, from National Holocaust Centre and Museum and University of Nottingham, examines the photographs taken during the Holocaust and asks the question; through whose eyes are we seeing the past?
Coming up
Faith and Peace We’re exploring the themes of Faith and Peace through the lens of gender. Local women share their perspectives of faith and peace creatively, through textiles, printing and painting in our new exhibition, funded by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship and led by Peace Educator, Liz Firth.
Faith and Peace opens Thursday 2nd April
Catch the exhibition until 27th March at The Peace Museum Photo: Henryk Ross © Art Gallery of Ontario, gift from Archive of Modern Conflict, 2007
Visit Us: The Peace Museum, 10 Piece Hall Yard, Bradford, BD1 1PJ. (Off Hustlergate, opposite the Wool Exchange Building) We’re open Wednesday – Friday, 10am – 4pm T: 01274 780241 E: info@peacemuseum.org.uk www.peacemuseum.org.uk Twitter: @PeaceMuseumUK Facebook: /PeaceMuseumBradford
A CBBC Games Half Term National Science and Media Museum explores the world of CBBC’s online games
This February half term the National Science and Media Museum will be exploring the world of CBBC’s online games. Visitors can discover how their most loved CBBC characters come to life in online games, including fan favourites Danger Mouse, The Worst Witch, Operation Ouch, and The Dumping Ground. A play zone will be open daily with opportunities to have a go at popular CBBC games with the CBBC Own It team on hand showing cool tips and tricks to help youngsters’ boss their online life. There will also be a chance for families to show off their coding skills in the A-mazeing Code activity. In these hands-on sessions kids can make a LEGO maze and use their coding knowhow to work their way through it, before challenging their grown-ups to test it. For aspiring games designers there are also exciting Games Design 2.0 workshops on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 February. Using Scratch programming attendees will learn how to create a basic game with
experts from the world of videogaming. There will also be an opportunity to see the CBeebies Playtime Island set up close before the brand-new online version launches. The museum’s popular interactive gallery, Wonderlab, will also be open to explore, with a chance to join museum explainers for STEM focused experiments, surprising science and fun activities. For those wanting to learn more about the treasures in the museum’s collection there will also be bookable curator led insight tours and regular object handling drop-in sessions throughout half term. CBBC Games Half Term, 15 – 23 February 2019, National Science and Media Museum, Bradford. Free entry, however booking may be required for some activities. For further information visit www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/ whats-on/cbbc-games-half-term
EST 2014
The Record Café Independent vinyl record shop, real ale, craft beer & charcuterie
Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Season Autumn 2015 Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017 Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year runner up 2018 Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year 2019 Shortlist Pints + Pistachios Yorkshire Post Pub of the Week
01274723143 45-47 North Parade, Bradford, BD1 3JH @therecordcafe
/therecordcafe
therecordcafe.co.uk
Bradford Allsorts
A reet good mix of unrelated events in and around Bradford this February and March
Right Queer, Right Now Weekender
Bradford Beer Festival
12 - 15 February, Theatre at the Mill
20 - 22 February, Victoria Hall
The Right Queer Right Now Weekender is the product of an exciting collaboration between the theatre and New Queers on the Block, a Marlborough Theatre initiative. A partnership spanning over two years so far to produce, commission and present local and internationally renowned queer artists. The carefully curated four day event will be held from 12th -15th February across various Theatre in the Mill venues as well as other well-known locations around the city such as Bread + Roses. The explosion of activity will give attendees the chance to mingle and get involved in workshops and communal dinners happening around the shows. You can expect unapologetically bold, joyous and thought provoking performances including comedy, spoken word and theatre. A witty and bold alternative Valentine’s weekend. For more information visit www.theatreinthemill.com/rightqueerrightnow
Bradford Beer Festival returns to Saltaire, in February for a three day celebration of real ale, craft beer and cider. Approximately 130 real ales, from around Yorkshire and this years guest guest area of North-East England, plus 20 real ciders and perries, international beer, craft keg beers, country wines and soft drinks. Hot and cold food and snacks will be on offer at all sessions with live entertainment in the Main Hall for all sessions except Friday afternoon. Advance tickets are available for all sessions except Friday afternoon which is “pay on the door” only. For more information visit bradfordbeerfestival.co.uk or bradfordcamra.org.uk.
36
Ten x 9 storytelling 7 February & 6 March A monthly community event in Bradford is tapping into our love for stories. At ‘Ten x 9’, nine people have up to ten minutes to tell a real life tale. Themes vary each month, recent examples including light and magic. Each evening includes time to socialise, with simple refreshments and new members are very welcome. Ten x 9 meet from 7pm on the first Friday of every month, with stories starting at 7.30pm. Batches of three stories are interspersed with short breaks. So, if you have a real life story to tell, that’s meaningful to you and fits the theme (interpreted however you wish) – this is the event for you. Listeners are equally welcome and valued. The group recently featured in a BBC Radio 4 documentary about Bradford’s spoken word culture, called Out Loud, presented and produced by Kirran Shah. The documentary is abvailable on BBC Sounds. Upcoming themes 7th February Other at Millside Centre 131 Grattan Rd 6th March Sister, venue TBC. Contact: bradfordstorytellers@gmail.com, 07540 977950, Facebook: Tenx9 Bradford, Twitter:@Tenx9Bradfor
Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k 15 March, City Park
Runners will once again be warming up and taking to the streets of Bradford on Sunday 15 March. Now in its 13th year, the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k marks a major date in Yorkshire’s athletics calendar. This popular run raises vital funds for the 600,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK. Following a third successive sell-out in 2019, the national Leeds-based charity has increased the number of places from 3,000 to 3,500 – making this year’s Bradford 10k the biggest yet. The Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k began in 2008. Since then, runners have raised over £500,000 for the charity, with almost 15,000 runners crossing the finish line. Starting and finishing in Centenary Square, the fast and flat 10k route is suitable for first-time runners seeking a challenge, as well as those with more experience.
37
Bradford Allsorts
A reet good mix of unrelated events in and around Bradford this February and March
Crafty Minds Jean McEwan Collage Special 7 March, Bread + Roses
Join artist Jean McEwan for a friendly, informal collage making session on the final day of her photo collage exhibition taking place at Bread and Roses. Head along and ’alter’ a postcard, or a book or magazine page using the materials Jean brings, or bring along your own materials to make your own creation. Scissors and glue and a ton of lovely stuff to cut out will be provided.
Cabaret Saltaire 20 March, Caroline Street Social Club
The most common question that gets asked of the Cabaret Saltaire team at the Caroline Club is ‘How do I get a ticket?’ From the outside the quarterly event looks like a closed shop, you can only get membership once you’re in, and you can only get in if you’re a member. This is far from the truth. Yes, membership is available once you’re in, but in reality public tickets go on sale online six weeks before every show. It’s just that they’re the hottest tickets in town and are snapped up instantly! Reports have it that tickets for December’s cabaret sold out within eight hours of going on sale, and it’s easy to see why. Now in its tenth year, the team have forged a successful show splashed with comedy, music, dancing, raffles, singalongs, all glued together with a nostalgic working men’s club theme, but it’s the Saltaire community audience who are the true stars of the show, with their warmth, familiarity and their minds set on going for a right good night out. Tickets for March 20th available at wegottickets. com
Skipton Road, Steeton, West Yorkshire BD20 6PE
Luxury retirement living from £125,000
Situated in over four acres of attractively landscaped gardens and with easy access to the wider open countryside of the beautiful Aire Valley, Currergate Mews offers the ideal choice of a secure and luxurious concept for retirement living.
shared ownership and rental opportunities available
This exclusive modern development, particularly suited to the retired, consists of fourteen, each being finished in traditional Yorkshire Stone and specified to the highest quality standard.
Designed with your changing needs in mind, we can provide:
Currergate Mews lies within the grounds of Currergate Nursing Home, which is a Jacobean style Grade II listed building providing an oasis of peace and Snooker room Clubhouse, Fairmount tranquility. ThePark mews properties are ideally situated and within easy reach of
• Meals delivered in your own home or enjoy them in our restaurant at Currergate Nursing Home
the rail and road networks, close to Skipton and Ilkley and more commercial centres and cities of Leeds and Bradford.
• Cleaning services • Day-care within Currergate Nursing Home • Care services up to 24 hrs a day if required • Maintenance, window cleaning, gardening and small repairs with our onsite team
High specification living • Fully fitted kitchen with dining area • En-suite master bedroom • NHBC warranty • 2 guest rooms • Lounge • Cloak and utility rooms • House bathroom
As featured in the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Top 10 New-build Retirement Schemes’
To arrange a viewing call 01274 599564 email enq@currergatemews.co.uk or visit www.currergatemews.co.uk
Theatre Highlights Möbius Dance 13 March, Kala Sangam
Leeds based Möbius Dance return to Kala Sangam on 13 March for the world premiere of two new works, Vibrant Matter and Within Each-Other.
Beautiful - The Carole King Musical 3 - 7 March, The Alhambra Theatre Beautiful is the untold story of Carole King’s journey from schoolgirl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin to her remarkable rise to stardom.
Keira Martin & Sioda Adams 19 March, Kala Sangam
Keira Martin and her sister Sioda Adams will be perform Good Blood their show exploring family connections on 19 March.
Acosta Danza Evolution 13 - 14 March, The Alhambra Theatre International ballet superstar Carlos Acosta and his critically acclaimed Cuban company Acosta Danza perform a programme of new and existing works.
40
Music Highlights
Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer 13 February, The Merchant Bar With their unique onstage-chemistry and their widely praised harmonies, the Anglo-German duo Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer entertain and engage their audiences “in a likable, humorous style”. Combining their own beautifully written songs with a fine choice of folk favourites.
Bronwynne Brent 15 March, Caroline Street Social Club Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, American roots song- writer Bronwynne Brent has the kind of stop-in-your-tracks voice that sounds like Southern sunshine. Bronwynne Brent unites all the best elements of Southern American roots music, and ties these many different influences into a sound that’s comforting and refreshing.
Working Mens Club 27 February, Salt Beer Factory Working Men’s Club put the groove first, unafraid to rear the wise heads on their younger shoulders. Influences from godfathers of early Techno, Thelonious Monk’s jazzy piano riffs, LCD Soundsystem and Delta 5. Aspiring to the lyrical greats John Cooper Clarke, Lou Reed, Ian Curtis, Glen Campbell and Townes Van Zandt. They look set for big things in 2020.
42
Romeo’s Daughter 21 February, Nightrain With a fan base that never quit – even during their 16 year break, from 1993-2009 – Romeo’s Daughter returned to worldwide praise with the release of their album Rapture in 2012 receiving an appropriately rapturous reception. One of Britain’s finest rock bands, Romeo’s Daughter consistently perform to sellout audiences and are back better than ever.
Northern Live: Do I Love You 20 March, St George’s Hall One of the world’s most authentic northern soul shows, Northern Live – Do I Love You, will be providing classic sounds from the underground of soul via an electric 11-piece band. Expect to hear over 30 original hits, including those from Dobie Gray, R Dean Taylor, Frank Wilson, Dean Parrish and many more.
The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band 29 February, Black Dyke Mills The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band is a high energy folk, roots and rock-n-roll combo, best described as a cross between The Pogues and The Oyster Band, with a bit of The Waterboys, The Saw Doctors and the Bruce Springsteen Seeger Sessions Band thrown in.
Issimo 28 February, The Underground Issimo will return to The Underground Bradford, to raise funds for local charity Down Syndrome Training and Support and to release their latest single ‘Lets Just Wait’ Issimo is an upbeat ensemble of brass, drums, bass, guitars and vocals, providing a unique blend of exotic sounds.
43
New Music Events People Poems 5 February, The Sparrow Renowned singer-songwriter Katie Spencer presents a brand new acoustic music evening at The Sparrow Bier Cafe, welcoming singersongwriters and musicians from all backgrounds and genres. The first event on 5 February will feature People Poems, the beautiful alt-folk solo project of Leeds-based musician Harry Orme. Under the People Poems name Harry has toured the UK and Europe, and has supported artists across the folk/ indie spectrum including Big Thief, Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Tiny Ruins, Ciaran Lavery and Emily Portman.
Quiet Night 21 February & 27 March, Kirkgate Centre, Shipley Inspired by Brian Eno, Olafur Arnulds, Arvo Part, Max Richter and the extraordinary variety of music on Radio 3’s Late Junction, Quiet Night organisers are putting on an ambitious series of events at Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. The Friday night events will feature artists and musicians working together to offer an immersive experience. The musicians are loosely linked through their interest in making textured soundscapes, layers of music in which seemingly not much happens but which is compelling and powerful through its minimalist qualities. On February 21 Bingley based guitar legend Dean McPhee is joined by Finlay Mactaggart – a young pianist and composer who has just released his first e.p. Then on March 27 Sophie Cooper, a Todmorden musician and artist is joined by Andy Abbott playing a solo baritone guitar set and Gerard Bell Fife, one of the finest songwriters of his generation.
44
Download the app - The Live Room at Saltaire for more details and buy tickets!
The Live Room @Caroline Club
'The best all round roots music club in West Yorkshire'
FRI 28 FEB ALAW (WAL)
SUN 08 MAR CHRIS WOOD
SUN 15 MAR BRONWYNNE BRENT (USA)
SUN 22 MAR OLCAY BAYIR
FRI 27 MAR THE MAGPIES
FRI 3 APRIL SEAN TAYLOR AND KATIE SPENCER
THUR 09 APRIL THE WAY DOWN WANDERERS (USA)
FRI 17 APRIL LYNNE HANSON & THE GOOD INTENTIONS (CAN)
Join our Chorus @theliveroom.info and receive all the benefits including £2 off every gig!
www.theliveroom.info t: 07791 596671 | 07855164182
broken ring
BRW They were warned...They are doomed... And on Friday the 13th, nothing will save them.
th
Friday the 13 of MARCH ST GEORGES HALL, DOORS 6.30PM
BOX OFFICE: 01274 432000 WWW.BRADFORD-THEATRES.CO.UK CHILD: £10 ADULT: £12 VIP RINGSIDE/STAGE: £15 My
Card subject to change
DF O RDBE E R F ES T I VAL 20
#B B F 2020
BRADFORDBEERFESTIVAL.CO.UK BRADFORDCAMRA.ORG.UK BFDCAMRA @BRADFORDCAMRA @BFDCAMRA
B RA P R E S E N T S
20
20 - 22 FEBRUARY 2020 VICTORIA HALL, SALTAIRE
130+ Real Ales // Ciders & Perries // Country Wines International Beers // Great Food // Live Music Tickets available by post, online and from the following pubs: Bulls Head (Baildon) // Cap & Collar (Saltaire) Chip ‘n’ Ern (Bingley) // Corn Dolly (Bradford) Fighting Cock (Bradford) // The Fox (Shipley) Salt Cellar (Saltaire) S e e T y k e Ta v e r n e r o r W h a t ’s B r e w i n g f o r m o r e d e t a i l s Keep checking the website for up-to-date information