FINAL preparations are underway for an epic projection show which will transform Lister Mills tonight.
The large-scale projection show will illuminate the Italianate mill chimney for three nights, bringing to life stories of Manningham’s past, present and future.
The Mills are Alive in Manningham is a free show taking place tonight, tomorrow and Saturday (March 3, 4 and 5). It's the culmination of a year-long project led by Bradford-based arts company, The Brick Box to capture memories of the diverse communities that have lived and worked in Manningham from before the industrial revolution to the present.
The projections, created with The Projection Studio, will feature music, audio recordings, archive footage, photographs and moving images.
Ross Ashton and Karen Monid of The Projection Studio said: "The combination of the industrial, political and social histories of Manningham reveal, how extraordinary this community is. None of the important advances and social changes Bradford has seen - for example, the artistry and science of developing fantastic fabrics, supporting soldiers during both world wars, or women campaigning for fair wages - could have happened without the community of Manningham, and the wider city, making those changes happen.
“It is an immense privilege to be immersed in discovering this story, we’re excited to be given this opportunity to tell it on the site where so much of it took place."
The Brick Box has been working alongside local communities and creative groups to find out what people from Manningham’s multi-cultural communities including British, Pakistani, Indian and other Eastern European heritage, hope for its future. Community Engagement Officer Mukhtar Rehman grew up in Manningham after his parents moved there from Pakistan.
Said Mukhtar: "I feel like I've lived part of people's journeys through their words, excitement, and energy. It's been a journey with them back in time. From my interviews, people had a really good experience of working in the mill. They were hardworking people and happy to be working. Different people from different walks of life came together and were excited about the future."
The team behind the project have also drawn inspiration from textiles of Bradford District Museums and Galleries’ archives, a ‘Collection of National Significance’ and the most important collection of Worsted textiles in Europe.
The projections will also include photographs from a collaboration between Bradford theatre company Mind The Gap and local photographer Nudrat Afza, exploring the lives of families in Manningham who have family members with learning disabilities. The show will conclude with artworks by children at Lilycroft Primary and Nursery School who have worked with local artist Lou Sumray, depicting their dreams for the future.
The project is funded by Arts Council England, Bradford Council, Historic England and Urban Splash, with Bradford 2025 a key partner. The research gathered will form how the bid team communicates the history of the district in its bid to become UK City of Culture 2025.
* The 20-minute projection, at the chimney on Patent Street, next to Lister Mills, will be on a continual reel with multiple performances each night. The first showing of The Mills Are Alive is at 6.15pm and the last at 8.45pm.
For more information or to submit your memories of Manningham go to themillsarealive.co.uk
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