509 Arts

29/11/2024

Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions Learning Zone is where you can explore life in Bradford’s textile industry from 1970 onwards. Find out about places, people and their stories of work and play.

Over 80 hours of recordings tell of the working day, lifelong friendships and the skills needed to produce Bradford’s famous textiles. There are stories of romance, accidents, arguments, industrial disputes, food and fun, laughter and tears.

We've worked in collaboration with the wonderful BCB Radio to bring stories to life in the most wonderful way. It's a rich and fascinating resource for all and we'd love you to explore. Stay tuned over the next month as we take you through step by step
or you can jump right in over on our website 🔗 509arts.co.uk/project/lost-mills-ghost-mansions

📸 Photo by Cath Muldowney of Barkerend Mill

BCB Radio Visit Bradford Bradford Museums and Galleries Bradford 2025

27/11/2024

BIG NEWS 📢 The Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions Learning Zone is now live!

After months of hard work, we can't wait for you to explore Bradford's textile history through our new website. From showcasing incredible contributor stories to never-before-seen photographs, this site is all about celebrating the rich heritage of the former Wool Capital of the World.

The Learning Zone includes an Archive page to listen to full versions of all the interviews and radio programmes created in this project, a media wall with contributor photographs and project documentaries, plus the Lost Mills Map for you to explore your local area in a brand new way! As there is so much to explore, we recommend using a tablet or laptop when viewing. Grab a cuppa and join us in learning something new about our local history!

🔗 509arts.co.uk/project/lost-mills-ghost-mansions

BCB Radio

28/09/2024

Layering Cultures by

The Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions work by Alison is now on display at the Industrial Museum in Bradford. This is your opportunity to explore this beautiful textile piece created for our project. A textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

Bradford Museums and Galleries

26/09/2024

🎙️ Tune in to Episode 2 of Lost Mills Radio Show! 🎙️

In this episode, hosts Marie Millward and Izzie Smith dive deep into the rich cultural history of Bradford's textile industry. 🌍🧶 Joining them are the talented Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions textile artists: Hannah Robson, Hannah Lamb, and Alison Welsh, along with the brilliant The Colour Foundry – creators of UNSPUN at the Saltaire Inspired 🎨✨

But that's not all! Team member Nabeela Ahmed pops into the studio to share her favourite moments from these fascinating interviews. 📻 Recorded and broadcast on BCB Radio, expertly edited by Gene Wilkinson.

Don’t miss this creative and inspiring conversation about the art, history, and future of Bradford’s iconic textile scene! 🎧

https://soundcloud.com/509arts/lost-mills-radio-show-episode-two-culture

Bradford Museums and Galleries

15/09/2024

😀Thanks Bradford Museums and Galleries, if people missed it and want to find out more about our Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project, you can visit Bradford Industrial Museum today or head to our website 509arts.co.uk

10/09/2024

Exciting news 🥳 Episode one of the Lost Mills Radio Show is over on our Soundcloud account.

This episode focuses on the history of Bradford's textile industry between 1960s-90s. It features soundbites from Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions interviews and music from the period, plus former mill owner, Richard Smith of E&S Smith's, joins hosts Marie Millward and Izzie Smith in the studio to share his experiences.

🎧Recorded and broadcast on BCB Radio at 106.6FM and edited by Gene Millward.

https://soundcloud.com/509arts/lost-mills-radio-show-episode-one-history?

Episode One of the Lost Mills Radio Show focuses on the history of Bradford's textile industry between 1960s-90s. It features soundbites from Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions interviews and music from th

20/07/2024

Supported by BCB's producer and education lead Jo Kenyon , three schools have made programmes all about Bradford’s lost mills - Beckfoot Heaton Primary School & Nursery, Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy and The Academy of St James. Two shows have already been broadcast and one is still to come.

Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy's programme includes a tour of Bradford Industrial Museum and interviews with textile demonstrators Diane Scott and Phillipa Pemberton from Bradford & District Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers. The show finishes with a studio interview with former mill worker Paul Meer. You can listen to the full broadcast https://soundcloud.com/509arts/lost-mills-bcb-rainbow-school-jan-2024

BCB Radio

19/07/2024

Memories of Lost Mills 🏭

509 Arts and Bradford Community Broadcasting are building an online archive of stories, interviews, activities and learning materials that will tell the fascinating story of the last decades of Bradford’s great textile history. If you, a family member, a friend, colleague or neighbour has a story to tell of those times- no matter how small – or a picture to share, we’d love to find out more from you.

To find out more about what we are up to head to 509arts.co.uk

19/07/2024

18/07/2024

NOW available on catch up 🎙

Hear from the talented Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions textile artists plus UNSPUN over on BCB Radio

📅 Sunday 7th July recording features Nabeela and the textile artists

📅 Sunday 14th July recording features Julie Fearn and the UNSPUN event

Listen in here >> https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/player/ ( look for Lost Mills in the title)

Here's a reminder of the works when we were resident at Salts Mill
👉🏻 A Cloth for the Lost Mills by Hannah Lamb textile artist and Hannah Robson, a large-scale unique woven and printed cloth inspired by site visits to lost textile mills. The cloth combines motifs from mill buildings with archive imagery and features photography from Carolyn Mendelsohn of the fabric ‘on tour’ at lost mill sites.

👉🏻 Layering Cultures by Alison Welsh, a textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

👉🏻 UNSPUN from The Colour Foundry
Fabric Lenny, Bec Smith and Nick Lewis use archival footage, found audio, repurposed content and a musical score to create a rich and immersive environment with live brass instrumentation, digital looping and spoken word recordings.

Made possible by Council England The National Lottery Heritage Fund Bradford Museums and Galleries and BCB Radio

06/07/2024

Tune in at midday tomorrow (Sunday 7th) for our second Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions show on BCB Radio which includes interviews with the artists 509 Arts worked with to create three specially commissioned artworks inspired by the stories we have collected from people working in Bradford’s textile mills from the 60s up to the present day.

We also hear from Nabeela Ahmed who is part of the Lost Mills Ghost Mansions project team as she introduces clips from many recorded conversations with textile workers.

Plus we will take you back in time as we hear music suggested by people who worked in the mills 🎶

01/07/2024

We've been a bit quiet on here 🫣 and that's because we've been super busy in the background 🙂 Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions is in full swing and you can hear all about it for the next two Sundays on BCB Radio 🎙

Tune in to hear from the talented textile artists plus UNSPUN

📅 Sunday 7th July at midday featuring Nabeela and the textile artists

📅 Sunday 14th July at midday featuring Julie Fearn and the UNSPUN event

Listen live here >> https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/player/ or on 106.6FM

Here's a reminder of the works when we were resident at Salts Mill

👉🏻 A Cloth for the Lost Mills by Hannah Lamb textile artist and Hannah Robson, a large-scale unique woven and printed cloth inspired by site visits to lost textile mills. The cloth combines motifs from mill buildings with archive imagery and features photography from Carolyn Mendelsohn Photographer of the fabric ‘on tour’ at lost mill sites.

👉🏻 Layering Cultures by Alison Welsh, a textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

👉🏻 UNSPUN from The Colour Foundry
Fabric Lenny, Bec Smith and Nick Lewis use archival footage, found audio, repurposed content and a musical score to create a rich and immersive environment with live brass instrumentation, digital looping and spoken word recordings.

Set a reminder and tune in for both shows >> https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/player/ or on 106.6FM

Made possible by Arts Council England The National Lottery Heritage Fund Bradford Museums and Galleries BCB Radio

24/05/2024

We're back at Salts Mill for the bank Holiday Weekend 😀

Join us and explore stories and memories of Bradford’s mill workers with our creative commissions from our Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project, just head to the roof space at Salts Mill .

11am - 4pm on all 3 days with free admission.

This is the last weekend to view the beautiful textiles at Salts Mill, they really are exceptional, we are delighted to have such talented artists working with us, don't miss out!

👉🏻A Cloth for the Lost Mills by and .hannah_robson features a large-scale unique woven and printed cloth inspired by site visits to lost textile mills. The cloth combines motifs from mill buildings with archive imagery and features photography from of the fabric ‘on tour’ at lost mill sites.

👉🏻Layering Cultures by , a textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

All made possible with Funding from Arts Council England The National Lottery Heritage Fund 🤗

Bradford Museums and Galleries BCB Radio
Saltaire Inspired Bradford 2025

24/05/2024

23/05/2024

Izzie and Marie have been recording more Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions content today at BCB Radio 😃

You can catch up on some of our recent interviews at > https://listenagain.canstream.co.uk/bcb/index.php?

And you can find out more about our Lost Mills project where we are collecting stories and memories of Bradford’s textile industry from the 1970s onwards at 509arts.co.uk

22/05/2024

UNSPUN 2024 - and 509 Arts - Thanks to audiences who left their words in the comments book. It’s lovely to read such amazing feedback.

Thank you 😃

“We have lived this story! Visually beautiful, and sonically too”

“Simply stunning”

“Fabulous, I loved the interaction between the artwork and space”

“Deeply moving”

11/05/2024

WEEKEND ACTION 😀

Join us as we draw upon stories and memories of Bradford’s mill workers with our three creative commissions from our Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project, head to the roof space at Salts Mill
11am - 4pm both days at , free admission.

👉🏻A Cloth for the Lost Mills by Hannah Lamb textile artist and .hannah_robson features a large-scale unique woven and printed cloth inspired by site visits to lost textile mills. The cloth combines motifs from mill buildings with archive imagery and features photography from of the fabric ‘on tour’ at lost mill sites.

👉🏻Layering Cultures by , a textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

All made possible with Funding from 🤗 .6fm .acts

06/05/2024

Join us as we draw upon stories and memories of Bradford’s mill workers from 1970 onwards. See three creative commissions from our Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project at Saltaire Inspired, we’re in the roof space at Salts Mill 11am-4pm today plus
Sat 11 & Sun 12 May, 11am - 4pm; Sat 18 & Sun 19 May, 11am - 4pm; Sat 25 & Sun 26 May, 11am - 4pm

👉🏻A Cloth for the Lost Mills by Hannah Lamb textile artist and .hannah_robson features a large-scale unique woven and printed cloth inspired by site visits to lost textile mills. The cloth combines motifs from mill buildings with archive imagery and features photography from of the fabric ‘on tour’ at lost mill sites.

👉🏻Layering Cultures by , a textile artwork that brings together sections of garments, text and referenced photographs of millworkers. Hand sewing and machine stitching are used to form a cloth that embodies the personal memories and life experiences of Bradford’s diverse communities and industrial legacy.

👉🏻 UNSPUN from The Colour Foundry
, Bec Smith and Nick Lewis use archival footage, found audio, repurposed content and a musical score to create a rich and immersive environment with live brass instrumentation, digital looping and spoken word recordings.
UNSPUN will feature a free 30 minute live performance today at 1:30pm and 3:00pm. Today is the last day so to avoid disappointment reserve a ticket here: https://buytickets.at/509artsltd/1231189

Funding by 🤗