A Good Yarn is quite the sight – a humungous 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.

About the Artists

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 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 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.