The Bradford City FC Community Foundation has opened a new and permanent art exhibition at its City Hub, spotlighting and celebrating photography created by young people in the city.
The Click & Connect exhibit showcases work created by young people who live in Bradford, each with a series of their own photographs displayed on the City Hub’s walls. The exhibition is the result of weeks of workshops delivered by acclaimed local photographer Shy Burhan.
Pavan Sembi, who has overseen the project from conception to creation as part of the Foundation, said: “I am very proud to be able to showcase the fantastic artworks that our young people have produced. Click & Connect has been a fantastic way to bring young people together to do something positive, creative and active. Seeing their growth over their time spent on the course has been a privilege, and now we are able to celebrate them and their work permanently.”
The photography exhibition features a range of works which capture Bradford landmarks, including the University of Bradford Stadium and Oxenhope railway station, alongside personal images which highlight the lived experiences of young people living, studying and working in Bradford.
Image: Kimia Modaressi Chahardehi
Each young person took part in a series of workshops devised and delivered by Shy Burhan. The workshops included explorations of heritage, different shooting styles and genres, symbolism, the use of reflections and shadows, and selfie ideas.
Shy Burhan said: “I have loved getting to know the young people I have worked with on the Click & Connect project. Each one has revealed themselves as a talented photographer throughout the duration of the programme. Photography is for everyone, and I’d like to thank the Foundation and Northern for enabling young people to connect with the artform. Seeing their work exhibited is a massive deal for them, and a huge source of pride for me personally.”
Participants also explored areas of Bradford on a series of inspirational photography walks, which included a look around historic buildings in Manningham, Salts Mill, Bolling Hall, Haworth and a journey on the Worth Valley Steam Train.
Those techniques and those journeys have now come to life in the form of the exhibition, with each young person employing a range of skills in capturing their images.
Iqra Khan, a participant on the course, said: “It is surreal seeing my work exhibited on the walls in the City Hub. I have loved learning, growing and connecting with other people on the course, and Shy has been a fantastic teacher. Being able to express myself as a young person living and working in Bradford, and to share the way I see the city I know and love, is very humbling.”
