Bringing families together for fun and learning on the theme of “All Around the World”
Free events taking place at various locations throughout the district
Cultural and learning teams from various Bradford organisations will be creating and building another huge Family Learning Festival this October half term on the theme of “All Around the World”, bringing families together to take part in fun and educational activities across the district.
Events include A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon family fun at the National Science and Media Museum (26 October to 3 November), where visitors can see the latest movie from Aardman and STUDIOCANAL, plus get behind-the-scenes tips and tricks from Aardman’s experts, including character modelling workshops. Entry to the museum is free, however those wishing to see the movie or have a go at model making can book tickets in advance via the museum’s website (model making workshops £6 per person).
On the 26 October (11am to 3pm), 30 October (12 noon to 3pm) and 2 November (11am to 3pm), Bradford Family Leaning & Adult Skills Service will be holding drop in sessions at the City Library “Crafting Around the World”, where visitors can try a range of creative making activities, including colouring, sticking, cutting and gluing, plus free face painting.
Bradford Libraries will also be taking visitors on voyages of exploration with Julia Donaldson’s books The Snail & The Whale and Jack & The Flum Flum Tree, and Julie Monk’s Marcelo Mouse, as well as a chance to make storytelling wheels at multiple locations. At City Library families can also be part of a round the world retro gaming experience, plus build oodles of Lego and Duplo with Bricks4Kidz, and get hands on to create a giant Globe on the windows of the library.
Cartwright Hall Gallery will be getting spooky on 31 October (11am to 3pm) where visitors can have-a-go at The Big Draw Family Drop In and also join artist Musarat Raza as she makes Halloween hats and masks.
Over at Impressions Gallery families can take part in Bradford and Me! and share their stories of the city in a special sticker and postcard making workshop. Free drop-in sessions from 10.30am to 4pm on the 19 and 23 October.
Artworks Creative Communities is presenting a fantastic film for all the family linking Black History Month with the Family Learning Festival. Kirikou and the Sorceress is an award-winning animation drawing on West African folk tales with original music by Youssou N’Dour. Come along for free from 1pm on 31 October to make you very own mask and stay for the film starting at 2.30pm.
The Peace Museum will be looking at peace around the world on the 30 October, 31 October and 1 November between 10am to 4pm. Explore stories from different countries, create your own badge and have-a-go at colouring.
Cllr Imran Khan, portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said: “The Family Learning Festival is a great way of bringing families together so they can learn whilst having fun. Thanks must go to all the partners who are helping to put on the 12th annual festival, including the National Science and Media Museum, our Library Service and our Family Learning and Adult Skills Service. Booksharing is one great example of family learning and Bradford Libraries will have exciting book sharing activities as well as crafts, interactive performances, Duplo play and retro gaming to celebrate Family Learning Week.”
Suzan McGladdery, Interim Skills for Work Manager, said: “Bradford Council Family Learning & Adult Skills Service continue to fund the 2019 Family Learning Festival. We are now in our 12th successful year of providing free amazing activities fun and learning in venues across Bradford district. Please come and join us in the Bradford Library for a range of craft activities to embrace the diverse community of the Bradford district, by bringing families together from “All Around the World” through learning and play. All our activities are free for parents and children to enjoy, have fun and take part together.”
The festival is produced by teams from around the district, including Bradford Family Learning and Adult Skills Service, which funds marketing for the programme, alongside Bradford Museums and Galleries, Bradford Libraries, Impressions Gallery, Artworks Creative Communities, The Peace Museum, and the National Science and Media Museum.
Vicky Clifton, Head of Learning and Participation at the National Science and Media Museum, added: “For the past 12 years the Family Learning Festival has demonstrated the power partnerships can have for good across Bradford. The festival is a wonderful annual event involving lots of organisations from the district working together to deliver top quality events and activities where families can learn something new together. We’d love to see as many people as possible visiting all the different venues and having an incredible week full of learning and fun.”
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There’s a whole host of spooky events and activities at Bradford Council-run museums and galleries and in local parks and markets across the Bradford district this Halloween.
Bradford Industrial Museum will be holding their annual ‘Ghost in the Machines’ event with a Halloween trail to find ghosts and ghouls lurking in the dark corners of the mill from Saturday 26 October until Sunday 3 November. People can also get creative at a family Halloween drop-in session at the venue on Wednesday 30 October, where they can make their own spooky Halloween puppets.
Bolling Hall Museum is once again running its popular ‘Dark Gatherings’ event on Halloween night (October 31) between 5.30pm and 10pm. As night falls only the bravest visitors will dare to explore the museum for a frightful evening of ghouls, ghosts and goblins where they may be unlucky enough to see the hall’s hauntingly famous Lady in White or the Ghostly Figure in Black. The event is ticketed with time slots and entry is a less than spine chilling £2.50. Waddington’s Family Funfairs will also be on site with spooky family rides and food. Tickets can be purchased from Bolling Hall Museum and Bradford Industrial Museum. Payments can also be made by telephone and tickets posted out for an extra 50p by calling 01274 435858.
There will also be family crafting activities at Bolling Hall on Friday 1 November, where people can make ghoulish Halloween puppets.
Family craft activities are also available at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, on Thursday 31 October, where artist Musarat Raza will be making Halloween hats and masks. Visitors can draw inspiration from the Young Open 2019 exhibition. The event is part of the national Big Draw Festival. Using #DrawnToLife, the festival focuses on the vital role of creativity for health and wellbeing, encouraging people to draw, explore, get out and about and be part of the world's biggest community of drawing enthusiasts.
People will also be able to join the team of Cecil Green Arts on 31 October to make their own lantern ready for the Lister’s Lantern Parade on 1 November. The annual Lister’s Lantern Parade is part of The Museums at Night Festival.
The newly opened Refreshment Rooms will get a spooky makeover with some devilishly delicious treats on offer.
Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley is holding a Halloween event with a difference. People are encouraged to come in fancy dress to an ‘out of this world’ theme Star Party and take part in space themed craft activities and explore the planetarium from 11am to 3pm on Thursday 31 October.
The party continues from 6.30pm in the Cliffe Castle Pavilion Café where there will be star gazing with plenty of telescopes and experts on hand to help people understand what they can see. Brian Jones from Bradford Astronomical Society will present a talk on astronomy and what can be observed in the winter night sky from 7pm to 8pm. Peter Collins will give a talk on astro-photography, which will be illuminated with his own stunning images from 8pm to 9pm. The events are supported by Keighley Astrological Society and Cliffe Castle Support Group.
People wanting something more energetic can take part in a 7 mile circular walk, meeting Barbara Walker at 10.30am on Thursday 31 October at the Leeds Road entrance to Shipley Railway Station for a ‘More Ghostly Goings On’ walk. The Halloween walk begins with a little urban walking, then over Wrose Hill and Idle Hill to the rather haunted village of Idle, followed by a gentle return to Shipley along the canal towpath.
The Leaders of Addingham Scout Group have once again organised the Ilkley Scare Trails at Middleton Wood in Ilkley. This year they are raising money for LS29 Special Needs Group, ASE Kandersteg and Addingham Scouts.
The Ilkley Scare Trail has a Pumpkin Trail on Saturday 26 October from 12 noon to 4pm and on Sunday 27 October from 10am to 2pm. The trail is fun for all the family aimed at children under 11 years old. It’s a free event (with a suggested donation of £1), along a beautiful woodland trail, decorated with over 200 pumpkins, including games, activities and competitions for everyone to get involved in.
There is also a Frightmare Trail on Saturday 26 October from 6.30pm with last entrance at 9.30pm. The trail takes you deep into the woods to the stuff of nightmares. It uses live (and un-dead) actors, special sound and lighting effects and you will walk along and encounter all manner of ghoulish beings. As it’s an altogether scarier prospect, it is only recommended for souls over 13. The suggested donation for tickets is £5.
Those wanting something a little less scary can take part in a self guided Halloween Hunt at the Prince of Wales Park in Bingley between 26 October and 3 November. The hunt organised by the Friends of Prince of Wales Park, is best done at dusk and people are advised to start at the Eldwick entrance to the park.
Bradford Markets are celebrating Halloween with events in their market halls. Jumping Clay Halifax will hold a special Halloween themed clay workshop in event space at the Oastler Market on 26 October from 1pm to 3.30pm, there will be face painting and crafts between 11am and 3pm.
The Oastler Market will also have a special screening of Roald Dahl’s The Witches in the Pup-Up Cinema on 31 October at 10am.
The Kirkgate Market will have face painting on Thursday 31 October from 11am to 3pm. The Joke Shop in the market have extended their stall for Halloween and have great offers on items.
Keighley Market will have a Halloween themed face painting 26 October between 10am and 3pm and a craft workshop making junk model spiders will be delivered by Keighley Creative Space in Unit 68/69/70 in the Market Hall between 12 noon and 3pm.
Residents of the Bradford district are being asked to take part in a survey to help name the new city centre market development, which is set to open in 2022.
The exciting Darley Street development is one of Bradford’s biggest regeneration projects and Bradford Council is asking the general public, city centre businesses, and shoppers to help decide its official name.
The design of the new destination was influenced by various consultation exercises undertaken by the council, which led to planning approval on 20th May 2019. The approved plan will see three trading floors launched, all carefully designed to bring a range of daily fresh food produce, snacks and meals, from around the world.
Those wanting to contribute can have their say by completing an online survey, which highlights the market’s visions and explains more about the two names currently in contention. Both ‘Darley Street Market’ and ‘Bradford Market’ are in the running as the name for the new shopping attraction.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We know people in Bradford put a lot of pride into the name and history of their markets, for instance many people still refer to the Oastler Market as John Street Market after all these years.
“We want to make sure that whatever the new market is called people feel like it’s their market and that it reflects the heritage of our great city.
“It’s important for it to be something everyone can be proud of so we’re really looking forward to asking people what they think about the names we’re considering.
“We hope people take the time to complete the survey and help us to build a market Bradford can be proud of.”
The Bradford markets project is part of a broad package of initiatives designed to boost investment, growth and employment across the Bradford district.
