The University of Bradford in partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Bradford Black Heritage Arts and Culture Group (BHAC) are delighted to have hosted a panel discussion with photographer Victor Wedderburn and invited guests. The event was inspired by and a response to Wedderburn’s seminal exhibition Frontline 1984/1985, which was first featured at Loading Bay in 2025 as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and continued at the National Science and Media Museum.

This event critically reflected on the unique collection of social-documentary photography – and featured a digital re-presentation of rare colour images that captured African-Caribbean life in Bradford during the 1980s, alongside photographs of an Anti-Apartheid rally in Huddersfield and celebrations at Leeds Carnival. The event used Wedderburn’s photographs to centre a discussion to illuminate the vibrancy, resilience, and cultural pride of communities often marginalised in the media of the time.

At the heart of Wedderburn’s work are portraits of life around Lumb Lane, locally known as “The Frontline.” While the area was frequently associated with racial tension and negative press, Wedderburn’s images reveal a different story, one of friends, families, entrepreneurs, and neighbours building meaningful spaces of joy, belonging, and identity. From the Perseverance Hotel, where West Indian music played late into the night, to the Young Lions Café and Roots Record Shop, his photographs celebrate the businesses and social hubs that cultivated solidarity and cultural expression.

In addition to the digital display of these images, the event offered a panel discussion featuring individuals who have appeared in Wedderburn’s images. Their voices brought personal context and lived experience to the photographs, sharing positive stories of resilience, hard work, and community life during that era. These reflections challenged narrow narratives of struggle by highlighting the strength, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that defined Black Bradford in the 1980s.

By celebrating Frontline 1984/1985 under 2025’s Black History Month theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”, we honoured not only Wedderburn’s artistic achievement and the enduring importance of documenting Black British life; but also reaffirmed our commitment to honouring Black heritage, amplifying underrepresented voices, and inspiring future generations to embrace resilience and cultural pride.

A capsule presentation of Frontline 1984/85 by Victor Wedderburn was on display in the National Science & Media Museum between 12 June – 29 October 2025.