An immersive dream-like world, GRUE, captivated visitors at Damart Mill in Bingley during its opening week on 8 February as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
GRUE will host special sessions for local schools, home educators, and community groups from 11-14 February before reopening to the public for February Half Term (15-23 February).
Commissioned by Bradford 2025, GRUE is a magical immersive installation designed by Wintercroft and ARCADE, offering a unique experience for families with pre-school and primary-aged children. Inspired by Bingley’s heritage, audiences will explore fantastical landscapes on an interactive quest through the Mill’s basement, complete with live performers.
The installation itself is a true community effort. The people of Bradford have played a key role in creating the scenery through workshops, including drop-in sessions in libraries. Every element has been built from sustainable and repurposed materials, such as paper and cardboard. Hundreds of community members, including local schools, have contributed to crafting over 1,000 handmade items, including birds, fish, houses, grasses, flowers, and faces.
GRUE is the first event in Bradford 2025’s year-long PLAY programme, a series of events and playful interventions designed to ignite creativity and celebrate the joy of play across the district. With 27.9% of Bradford’s population under 20, the programme aims to inspire children and people of all ages to engage with culture in fun and imaginative ways.
GRUE is the vision of Steve Wintercroft, a Scarborough-based designer and founder of Wintercroft, an environmentally conscious company that encourages creativity through making. The project is produced by ARCADE, a dynamic Yorkshire-based company known for delivering high-quality artistic experiences while engaging and empowering communities.
Rhiannon Hannon, Director of Creative Engagement and Participation at Bradford 2025:
“GRUE is the first of many events in our year-long PLAY programme, which aims to involve children and young people in our UK City of Culture year and encourage them to play. Bradford 2025 is building on an extraordinary history of play in the district, celebrating its universality as a tool for learning about ourselves, others, and the world around us.”
Rach Drew, Co-Artistic Director & CEO of ARCADE:
“GRUE is an incredible experience that inspires people to get creative and sparks the imagination. Being part of Bradford 2025 is a huge moment for us at ARCADE. GRUE has been a much-loved event in Scarborough for three years, growing in ambition, innovation, and quality. We’re thrilled to bring the biggest and most striking version yet to the stunning Damart Mill.”
Jeanette Howard-Jones, Co-Managing Director, Damart UK:
“We are delighted to support Bradford 2025 and welcome everyone visiting Damart Mill to experience GRUE. Damart UK has been part of Bowling Green Mills for nearly 60 years, and our site has a rich textile heritage. This partnership with local schools and families is a wonderful way to bring the community together, and we’re honored to be at the heart of this magical experience.”
GRUE has been created by Wintercroft and ARCADE, commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, and is hosted at Damart Mill.
For more information on Bradford 2025’s PLAY Programme, visit:
https://bradford2025.co.uk/programme/play/
