A FORMER city centre department store has been transformed into a woodland for an arts event tonight.

The old Marks & Spencer building on Darley Street is now a "Wild Woods," ready to welcome visitors for the first of four evening events.

The store is now filled with trees and bushes, gazebo "moon" and a huge statue of the Bradford Boar.

Tonight's event will feature live music, poetry readings, DJ sets, an opera singer and art performances, as well as a full bar run by the Sparrow Bier Cafe and food.

There will be conker matches, a "camp fire," the Peace Museum will be displaying some of its rarely seen artefacts and Arts Group WUR Bradford will be holding readings and art projections. 

Earlier this summer East Street Arts took over the store, which has been empty since November, on a year long lease with an eye to transforming it into an arts hub.

The Brick Box is the arts group to make use of the building, and has organised evening events over four Wild Woods nights over the next two months.

The group re-located from London to Bradford earlier this year.

Eleanor Barrett, director of Brick Box, said: "There is a lot of heart that has been put into this.

"Almost everything has been built or provided by local people. It should be a great event."

The event runs from 6pm to 10pm, and will be followed by more Wild Woods openings on October 21, and November 4 and 11. 

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