THE world’s biggest printing press of its type is moving to the District - and will open in a new creative venue next month.

The People Powered Press. built by JKN Oiltools in Batley, is recognised by Guinness as the biggest letterpress printing press, and will be moving to Salts Works - a new venue in Saltaire.

The not-for-profit company says its move comes at an “incredibly exciting time” as the District bids to become City of Culture for 2025.

Salts Works is a new creative hub opening at 202 Saltaire Road - a building that was built several years ago but has never been used.

The building will now be used as office and exhibition space as well as the base for the press.

It is being opened by design studio Split - which is relocating from Leeds to Saltaire.

The People Powered Press works in collaboration with printers, designers, artists, poets and creative writers to make large-scale letterpress works. They often collaborate with community groups.

Since its creation in 2018, the People Powered Press team has worked with groups across the north of England to create artworks for indoor and outdoor public display in non-traditional exhibition spaces.

Two separate applications for convenience stores in Saltaire

The artworks are composed and printed by the group members themselves and often exhibited in the heart of the community where the group members live, work or study.

Oli Bentley, who was behind the creation of of the People Powered Press, says, “We’re moving to Bradford at an incredibly exciting time, as the city launches its bid to become City of Culture. We’re making partnerships with organisations across the district, and finding groups of people to work with who’ll represent the rich diversity of Bradford’s population.”

Poet in Residence and Co-Director of the Press, Antony Dunn, adds, “We’re really looking forward to getting to know them, hearing their stories, and seeing them tell those stories through poetry, prose and print.”

Bradford Council this week granted permission to create a fenced off garden space next to the building in an area previously allocated as parking space. It will be used to display artwork created at the site.

The group said the site would be used for local events such as Saltaire Festival and the Saltaire Arts Trail. The application added: “Some of our planned work will be with organisations such as Bradford Libraries, Bradford 2025 and the Bradford Council’s ‘Our Street Gallery’ project which we’ve been involved in designing — alongside other charities and community organisations and local schools.”

Planning officers said the work be a “suitable treatment for the external areas serving this contemporary building.”

The People Powered Press is also offering a programme of public workshops in a range of art forms, including calligraphy, sign writing, bookbinding, creative writing and various types of print-making. The programme will be launched on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July with an open weekend.

The People Powered Press’ ground-floor workshop will also host creative organisations such as Saltaire Art School. The upstairs will be a co-working space on a full- or part-time basis.