A Bradford artist is giving up-and-coming youngsters a chance by showcasing their work for free in the city.

It was after having her own work on public display that Mo Rahman decided to help other artists. Now she has set up an art gallery at Woolston House in Sunbridge Road, which is a thriving base for artists, musicians, performers and creative industry in Bradford.

Mo is firmly behind Bradford's Capital of Culture bid and wants to see more arts venues in the district.

"Everyone knows that Bradford has a negative image and going for this title is a way of showing that it's not all bad here," she said.

"Bradford isn't always given a chance, but there is a lot of talent right across the district. It's up to us to show it off.

"There are too many meetings and too much talk in Bradford. People come up with ideas but they just get shelved. We need action.

"At Woolston House there are lots of arts groups busy working to promote Bradford's cultural life."

Mo was working for a degree in textile design at Bradford College when she had work displayed in an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Oriental Arts in Bradford.

The exposure helped to get her work known and she was offered the chance to run an art gallery of her own, at Woolston House.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for me to help out other artists," she said. "I want to show the talent in Bradford - that is what the Capital of Culture bid is all about. Unlike some other venues, artists don't pay a fee to exhibit their work here.

"It's very much a 'DIY gallery'. People come along and hang their own work. I leave it up to them, because the artists know their own work best.

"I show 80 per cent Bradford artwork here and 20 per cent from outside. There is a wide variety of mediums and it's not just contemporary art.

"We have exhibitions of textile work and there will be a digital exhibition later this year. Variety is what I'm striving for."

The gallery, which is open to the public, is spacious and holds around four exhibitions a year.

Mo is also planning to introduce artwork to the caf at Woolston House and she plans to help youth centres in Bradford create a mural.

"Art shouldn't just be something that hangs in a gallery. It should be part of people's lives, filling space anywhere it can," she said.

"That's the ethos of Woolston House and it's what the Culture bid means to me.""