A PHOTOGRAPHER from Bradford is creating an exhibition that will document the city’s regeneration.

Shy Burhan will be out and about around the city in the coming weeks snapping “the wider city experience”.

She is keen to show Bradford in a positive light and highlight that Bradford is not just a “retail experience”, featuring the rebirth of the “top end of town”.

“As a Bradfordian and a professional photographer, who is also passionate about Bradford, I am really keen to document the regeneration process and to throw an honest and positive light onto the city centre landscape,” said Shy.

“The potential is huge. It was once a thriving metropolis, I believe it can be again.

“I’m particularly interested in documenting the City Centre Growth Zone Area - i.e. the top end of town.

“Exciting things are unfolding later in 2017. There will be the fantastic ‘Made In Bradford’ markets from the Spring, where artists can sell their work in an outdoor market-type setting.

“The regeneration team have liaised with local traders and made the conversation as collaborative as possible, leading to the idea of offering a wider experience, which makes perfect sense.

“Rather than try and compete with the already bustling Broadway, I do believe the way forward is to offer something different that is not on offer elsewhere.

“Indeed as an artist myself, I am thrilled that social community arts projects like East Street Arts and The Brick Box Ladies are currently making use of the empty units in the city centre.

“The aim at the end of the project is to launch an exhibition this summer in one of the units, as a way of attracting people back into the city centre.”

Shy has previously documented the work of the Real Junk Food Project’s pay-as-you-feel Saltaire Canteen, and an initiative to celebrate survivors of domestic abuse.

She hopes to launch this latest exhibition in either May or June.

“It is organic and it is coming from the heart,” added Shy, who is not being paid for the work. “I know I can document it and document it well. It will probably be the biggest thing I have done so far. I just love the idea of the wider experience in the city centre. Leeds is different pockets of different things - and that is exactly what we should be doing here in Bradford.”

Visit www.shybphotography.com for more details.

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