Exhibition launched on Bradford City Park through children's eyes (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford University hosts show on landmark city centre site

10:30am Monday 6th June 2011 in Bradford By Emma Clayton

Artwork by hundreds of schoolchildren, created over a three-year project reflecting their perspectives of Bradford’s City Park development, has gone on display.

Drawing the City is the result of a programme developed by Bradford artist Tim Curtis, The Schools Linking Network and Bradford Council, working with more than 400 youngsters at primary and secondary schools to record the development of the £25 million City Park.

The artwork includes a multi-layered pop art-style collage of self portraits and paintings on tiles, representing a 360 degree image of Centenary Square and the City Park taken by photographer John Scurrah, and a ten metre-long shared drawing called Imagine the City Scape, created by schoolchildren, civic leaders, architects and civil engineers, reflecting their interpretations of the city and its future.

Street art-style animation is being played online, as part of the exhibition, and a cityscape frieze includes words about Bradford written by youngsters in a street-art style.

Also on display are children’s drawings which have been displayed on hoardings around the City Park site.

Mr Curtis said he was inspired by the pupils’ positive attitude towards the city centre’s changing landscape.

“Once they saw the site and how it will look they were very enthusiastic,” he said. “Their positivity shows through their artwork. You need a big leap of faith to buy into the regeneration process and children tend to see things from a more open perspective. They really buy into the city.

“They looked at the good points of what’s happening and that focused them into thinking of what opportunities this development offers.”

* Drawing The City by Tim Curtis and the Bradford City Park Ambassadors runs at the Richmond Atrium at the University of Bradford until July 29.

• Read the full story in Monday's T&A