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The black form of a figure interrupts projected faces on pieces of fabric hanging from the ceiling.
Free

26 – 30 Mar 2025

Loading Bay

Unspun Stories

509 Arts

An immersive installation that explored Bradford's textile heritage.

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We explored the district’s late 20th century textile heritage through this immersive installation created by 509 Arts and the Colour Foundry in partnership with The Space.

Unspun Stories was an immersive digital journey into Bradford’s late 20th century textile heritage, created by 509 Arts and the Colour Foundry for Bradford 2025. 

Bradford’s textile industry dates back more than 700 years, but its history isn’t only ancient. Unspun Stories looked at life in the mills during the last decades of the 20th century, when people travelled to Bradford from around the world to work in an industry that played a central role in the economy of the district. 

This immersive installation lasted around 20 minutes, blending archive film footage, projections and soundscapes with audio recordings from those who worked in the mills during the ’70s, ’80s and 90s. Produced by 509 Arts as part of their Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project, the result was an evocative journey back to a pivotal moment in Bradford’s recent history. 

A musical addition

On Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th, parts of the Unspun Stories soundtrack were performed live in the installation. Two brass musicians from the City of Bradford Brass Band and the composer, Nick Lewis, brought an added musical dimension to the immersive experience of Unspun Stories.

Credits
Funded by Arts Council England, The Space and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
A projection of archive footage is projected onto fabric, suspended from the roof. It shows buildings and architecture on the projection
© Tim Smith
A figure looks at the projections - colourful blurs light up the image.
© Bec Smith
A projection of archive footage is projected onto fabric, suspended from the roof. It shows a woman handling a large amount of cloth

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