Bradford 2025 to host 80th anniversary of the Moomins with new artwork from Basel Zaraa

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture has been selected as one of four partners around the UK to host a brand-new artwork co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts and made possible by the support of Moomin Characters in celebration of 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story.

The Moomins and the Great Flood was originally published in 1945 by the acclaimed Finnish artist, illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. Since their debut, the Moomin books have inspired generations worldwide with their messages of inclusiveness, kindness and belonging. Under the theme “The Door is Always Open” – referring to the door of the Moominhouse, which offers shelter, comfort and security to all who seek it – new and returning fans alike are invited to join in celebrations which will including charitable fundraisers, fan competitions, new books, a film, product launches and much more.

In the UK, the brand is partnering with Counterpoints Arts and Refugee Week to commission four artists to create four public artworks inspired by The Moomins and the Great Flood.

Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. It is run by Counterpoints Arts, a leading national organisation in the field of arts, migration and cultural change which produces a range of programmes in the UK and internationally.

The four artworks have been co-commissioned and will be co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners around the UK: Southbank Centre in London; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Gloucester Guildhall; and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

They have selected:

• Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture: Basel Zaraa
• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead: Henna Asikainen
• Gloucester Guildhall: Dana Olărescu
• Southbank Centre, London: Woodland Tribe with Nabil Amini

The artworks will appear in May and June 2025 and will be supported by a range of community programming, Refugee Week resources and activations.

Bradford is a City of Sanctuary and home to the only Peace Museum in the UK; the city has always been at the centre of change and is a melting pot of diverse cultures and people. Through its UK City of Culture year, Bradford 2025 want to showcase the rich history of the district and reaffirm its heritage. Bradford 2025 will host the Moomins artwork in Bowling Park in June 2025 as part of the UK City of Culture celebrations that will run from January 2025 to December 2025.

James Zambra, Creative Director of Moomin Characters, said: “The shelter, comfort and security that the Moominhouse provides are all universal needs, as relevant today as they were 80 years ago when Tove Jansson penned the first Moomin story. We couldn’t think of a better partner with which to celebrate the importance of a warm welcome and a sense of belonging than Refugee Week.”

Almir Koldzic, Director, Counterpoints Arts, said: “We are so excited to be working with Moomin Characters to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first Moomin book as part of Refugee Week in June 2025. Our vision for refugees and asylum seekers to be able to live safely within inclusive communities aligns perfectly with the life and work of Tove Jansson, and this collaboration will help us reach new audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We look forward to the exciting public art commissions that we are co-producing with our partners in Gloucester, London, Gateshead and Bradford as well as the related programming and the Refugee Week resources that will be available across the UK.”

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: “We’re delighted to be a part of this global project, marking the 80th anniversary of these much-loved characters. Bradford is a City of Sanctuary, a city of Peace and place of refuge for people from across the world. Basel Zaraa’s work, demonstrates that audiences, wherever they are from will be welcome, included and safe at Bradford 2025.”

Other Moomin80 celebrations around will include major exhibitions in Finland, Sweden, Poland, China and South Korea; a raft of new publishing and special anniversary editions; and new product lines across high-end fashion, homeware, gifting and much more. Fans can look forward to director Charlie McDowell’s adaptation of Jansson’s beloved novel The Summer Book, which stars eight-times Academy Award nominee Glenn Close and had its global premiere at BFI London Film Festival earlier this month, and the fourth series of award-winning animation Moominvalley, which will be available on Sky On Demand on 26th October and will launch on the Sky Kids channel from 28th October.

To find out more about the Moomin80 celebrations worldwide please visit moomin.com.

ENDS