A giant ball of colourful yarn with the Bradford skyline around the edge of it against a blue sky.
Free

27 Jul - 26 Nov 2025

A Good Yarn

Luke Jerram & Bloomin' Buds

Get up close and personal with an extraordinary new artwork – made in BD10 from the fabric of Bradford.

Event Details
Date 27 Jul - 26 Nov 2025
Times Tue-Fri: 10am-4pm
Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Closed on Mondays
Location Bradford Industrial Museum
Ages All ages

A spectacular fabric creation rolls into a new home at the Bradford Industrial Museum.

A Good Yarn is quite the sight – a gigantic yarn ball, three metres high and wide. It was created in May and June by 2,500 residents of BD10, who plaited vast quantities of found and donated fabric into a kilometre-long rope and then wound it into a ball. And following its rolls through the streets of BD10 (on 12 July) and the city centre (on 26 July, part of BD:Festival 2025), the yarn ball is going on display at Bradford Industrial Museum.

This special temporary exhibition features the ball itself – the brainchild of artist Luke Jerram, working in partnership with theatre company Bloomin’ Buds and created with the people of Bradford. Alongside it, you can hear a new soundscape stitched together by the Broken Orchestra that features stories and memories from many of the people and community groups who made the ball – from primary schoolchildren to elderly churchgoers.

One simple piece of fabric can carry a world of meaning. A Good Yarn – both the ball and the soundscape – pay tribute to the deep personal memories that, over time, become woven into simple pieces of cloth.

Listen to the soundscape

Listen along to the soundscape below, created especially for A Good Yarn by The Broken Orchestra.

About the Artists

A photograph of a smartly dressed man stood in front of an image of the surface of the moon
Luke Jerram 

Luke Jerram

Luke Jerram is a UK artist who creates extraordinary sculptures, installations and live art projects around the world, often for public spaces. His previous works include Museum of the Moon, which has been presented in more than 40 countries around the world; First Breath, a light artwork celebrating new life; and Play Me, I’m Yours, street pianos installed in cities from Tokyo to New York.

Bloomin' Buds

Bloomin’ Buds are a Bradford-based theatre company that works to increase access to the arts for working-class communities in the district. Based at Albion Mills in BD10, Bloomin’ Buds are passionate advocates for bringing voice and empowerment to working-class people and communities through the arts.

The Broken Orchestra

The Broken Orchestra are known both for their genre-defying music and for their innovative work in producing work for public space and community arts. Their projects transform public spaces into sonic canvases, using field recordings, spoken word and original compositions to reflect the stories, voices, and textures of local communities.

Credits
Commissioned and produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Supported by Bradford District and Craven Mind and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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