Bradford 2025 to present never seen before images documenting the lives of the city’s African-Caribbean communities in the 80s

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture presents Frontline 1984/1985, the debut exhibition of photographer Victor Wedderburn, bringing together over 100 never before seen colour images documenting the lives of Bradford’s African-Caribbean communities 40 years ago.

This exhibition, in the gallery of Loading Bay from 18 April to 11 May 2025, is a snapshot into the lives of friends, families and communities, through Wedderburn’s unique lens.

From Lumb Lane landmarks such as Roots Record Shop and the Perseverance Hotel to sound system parties and anti-apartheid marches, these photographs tell a story that is sometimes written out of Bradford’s history. Through Wedderburn’s rare colour images documenting of the lives of Bradford’s Black communities, audiences are offered an intimate and fleeting portrait of a community connected through adversity, conviviality, entrepreneurial spirit and extraordinary sartorial choices.

Victor Wedderburn is a self-taught photographer who discovered the medium following redundancy in the early 1980s, when he used his pay-off to buy a second-hand camera and film developing kit. Born in Battersea, near Mandeville in the Parish of Manchester Jamaica in 1954, he arrived in the UK in 1971 at the age of 16, joining his Windrush Generation parents in Bradford.

Frontline 1984/1985 vividly showcases and is a snapshot into the lives of African-Caribbean friends, families and communities, through Wedderburn’s unique lens. A soundtrack created by Jerry ‘Red Dred’ Crawford, featuring reggae, roots and dub music from the time will accompany Frontline 1984/1985.

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said: “Frontline 1984/1985 is a powerful reminder of photography’s ability to tell untold stories. This marks Victor Wedderburn’s first ever exhibition—offering an intimate glimpse into Bradford’s vibrant communities during the 1980s. Through his lens, we see moments of pride, resilience, and everyday life from a pivotal era in the city’s social history.

Working closely with Victor, Windrush Generations UK, Checkpoint, and the Dominica Association, this exhibition honours the people behind the photographs and their families. It’s a celebration of culture, memory, and identity—brought to life in our City of Culture year.”

Victor Wedderburn, artist, said: “I have been taking photographs on my camera since the mid-80s back then I was developing them at home, by hand. These photos are my memories, of my life but also the lives of the African- Caribbean community in Bradford.

Being able to work with the Bradford 2025 teams and exhibit my photos for the first time is such a special moment for me and my friends, family and community who feature in my photographs. I have been revisiting the memories and remembering a time that’s often forgotten. I hope people come to my exhibition, see people they recognise, and learn about the history of my community in Bradford.”

A selection of Victor Wedderburn’s photographs will be on display at the National Science & Media Museum from 12 June to 29 October 2025 as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Frontline 1984/1985 is produced and presented by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.