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Free

19 – 22 Jun 2025

The Beacon - Bowling Park

The Big Blue Bradford House

Stand and Be Counted

We joined Stand & Be Counted, the UK’s first theatre company of sanctuary, to mark Refugee Week and celebrate Moomins 80

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Bradford 2025 and Stand & Be Counted, the UK’s first Theatre Company of Sanctuary, built a house in Bowling Park!

The Big Blue Bradford House was a celebration of the most welcoming places in Bradford District – built from cardboard by our community! It was part of Refugee Week 2025, the world’s largest festival celebrating refugees and people seeking sanctuary, and with its theme: ‘Community as a Superpower’, simple acts of generosity that together become an unstoppable force. 

We welcomed Bradfordians in Bowling Park at The Beacon, Bradford 2025’s touring venue, to help us build a Moomin-inspired big blue house from cardboard to celebrate the wonderful places across Bradford where we find a warm welcome.

Refugee Week in Bowling Park

The Big Blue Bradford House was part of our programme at The Beacon in Bowling to mark Refugee Week 2025 – including What Will We Do Without Exile?, a new artwork co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts with the support of Moomin Characters to celebrate of 80 years of the Moomins.

Credits
The Big Blue Bradford House and Happy Baby! were co-produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Stand & Be Counted, the Associate Company of Welcome and Sanctuary.

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