Event Type Workshops
Event Type
All
Classes
Events
Exhibitions
film
photography
poetry
Tour
Workshops
Customise Your Event
All
Art
babies
Family
Music
Reuse
Spoken Word
may
Event Details
Saturday 23rd May 2026 | From 12pm | Collaboration Event with Fountain Street Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip
Event Details
Saturday 23rd May 2026 | From 12pm | Collaboration Event with Fountain Street Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip
FREE – Everyone is welcome.
Join South Square and our friends at Fountain St Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip for a gathering in our garden featuring mindful activities and music.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment without distraction. It involves learning to pay attention to thoughts, emotions, and sensations in a non-reactive way which can help reduce stress and improve focus.
SCHEDULE:
It Ain’t That Deep: A Meditation Toolkit // Starting at South Square – 12pm
Join Amy Roller (Fountain Street Arts Project) as she shares her journey into mindfulness in a relaxed and accessible format. She’ll discuss what mindfulness means to her, and lead you through a very chilled, non-structured, mindful talk.
Mindful Walk Q&A // Starting approx 1pm
Following a very chill chat, join Amy on a mindful stroll along the Thornton Viaduct, exploring presence and any questions that arrive along the way.
Motanka dolls – dolls made out of fabric or yarn // South Square 3pm – 6pm
Join artist Olha Zhydetska in the garden for this drop-in workshop where you will learn to make your own Motanka Doll. They are one of the most ancient folk toys, symbolising women’s wisdom and serving as family amulets. The name of this type of folk art comes from the concept of “winding,” and the general appearance of such a doll is a figure of a person, typically a woman or a child, crafted from pieces of fabric or yarn. The body parts of such a doll were knotted and wound.
The colours and knots used to create the doll represented specific symbols, forming a code through which the craftswoman conveyed her wishes for the child.
Easy Open Decks // 3pm onward // Garden
How to Speak Hip returns to host another laid-back open decks session in the sunny garden at South Square.
Bring a song along or just enjoy what others are sharing! Dust off your revered LP collection and listen to your playlist outside in the glorious setting under the sun (hopefully). Bring your mellow tempos and laid-back funk for a mindful vibe.
If you want to bring your own vinyls and have a go at DJ-ing, or just bring your own vinyls for the DJ to play – let us know to add you to the list. Email [email protected]
EXHIBITIONS
Where are you from originally? / Main Gallery
Running till Sunday 31st May
‘Where are you from originally?’ takes its title from a question that is often framed as casual curiosity, yet carries the weight of assumption, belonging, and exclusion.
For many, it is a question that refuses a simple answer. The artists in this exhibition respond not by offering fixed origins, but by revealing identity as layered, shifting, and deeply personal. Here, identity is explored through race, religion, language, memory, and lived experience.
Curator Domino Panton-Oakley assembles Yorkshire-based artists of mixed global identities, all of which use identity as a theme in their work. ‘Where are you from originally?’ invites viewers to reflect on how questions of origin are asked, and who is expected to answer them. Who gets to belong without explanation, and who is repeatedly asked to justify their presence? Through textiles, sculpture, photography, moving image, and painting, the artists explore their relationship to this question and its significance to their own identities.
Townscapes by Caroline Rilatt // Plenty at the Square
Running till Sunday 31st May
Caroline is an artist based in Bingley known for her captivating detailed drawings of local townscapes. Inspired by her surroundings, she is drawn to, and loves to draw, the unique architecture and landmarks that shape the places around her. She likes to capture the contrast between old and new buildings that tell a story about a town’s history and its current day life.
more
Time
May 23, 2026 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
Location
South Square Centre
Organizer
Event Details
Tuesday 26th May 2026, 10:30am - 12:30pm FREE Kids Craft Drop-In invites you to come and play and get crafty! We
Event Details
Tuesday 26th May 2026, 10:30am – 12:30pm
FREE Kids Craft Drop-In invites you to come and play and get crafty!
We will set up a craft table full of paper, pencils, scissors, glue, cardboard, strings and more, all for you to build, make and create, and let your imagination run wild!
This is a great way for kids to take some time to play and make. And for the adults? Want a coffee whilst the kids are crafting? No problem! You can grab a cake and coffee from the onsite cafe, Plenty at the Square, which you can have served in the Community Room.
All materials are free. Suitable for all ages.
South Square is a charity, so a suggested donation of £3 helps us continue to offer free events and workshops like this.
Please note – a guardian / adult should be with the children at all times.
Book your free place here
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
Organizer
28may11:00 am12:30 pmKids Clay Portraits WorkshopMake your own portrait clay sculpture!
Event Details
Thursday 28th May 11am - 12:30pm - £16 per ticket Join local artist Jess Swift in this fun, hands-on workshop where children will create their
Event Details
Thursday 28th May
11am – 12:30pm – £16 per ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift in this fun, hands-on workshop where children will create their own air-dry clay portraits inspired by the exhibition “Where are you from originally?”
Using clay, children will design and build their own portrait plaques, adding features, symbols, patterns, and textures that represent who they are. This might include:
- Favourite activities or hobbies
- Cultural patterns or family traditions
- Words, shapes, or objects that feel important to them
We will begin the workshop by having a look around the exhibition, getting inspiration from some of the works. We will then create our own portrait which can be then taken home and decorated at home once dry.
Please come in clothes you don’t mind getting messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
Click here to book – £16 per ticket
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
Organizer
june
Event Details
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2026 The third Thornton Art Trail takes place over the weekend of 6 - 7th
Event Details
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2026
The third Thornton Art Trail takes place over the weekend of 6 – 7th June 2026. Visitors will find a huge variety of art and activities in a range of venues. There’s art in private houses, workshops in galleries, open studios, open-air art demonstrations and much more. The trail can be started at any point. The total distance of a circuit is around a mile.
Find out more about the whole event here: THORNTON ART TRAIL
What are South Square doing at Thornton Art Trail?
Open Studios //
Many of the artists and creators onsite at South Square will have an open doors to their studios. Come in, take a look at their work, chat directly to the artists, and see their creative spaces.
Costing The Earth – Curators Talk with Jane Hiley // Main Gallery
Join curator Jane Hiley in discussing the exhibition in the Main Gallery, Costing The Earth.
12pm – 2pm
Art Doctors // South Square and around Thornton
The Art Doctors think creativity can be good for you. They playfully break down barriers to participation in the arts and explore the positive role of creativity in all our lives.
Through playful conversation and consultation, they prescribe art works and creative activities that might make you feel better, help you to navigate the challenges of creative endeavour, and feel more confident talking about contemporary art.
They’ll be in and around South Square, helping all you patients in need of some art medicine!
Times TBC confirmed
Charlotte Brontë – Senseless Trash tour // Sapgate Gardens to Brontë Birthplace
Join Charlotte Brontë on a phonic field trip over the Yorkshire Moors and listen in to the sounds that shaped the Brontë sisters’ lives. The howling winds at Top Withens, tranquil trickling of nearby waterfalls and the angelic tones of…Beyoncé will accompany you on your journey. Senseless Trash from beginning to end – don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Oh, and keep your wits about you, for there are beasts on those moors…
This event is held in partnership with The Brontë Birthplace.
Age guidance 12+. Audiences use silent disco headphones. Some walking/moving required (around 0.1 mile)
Times: 11am (Book for 11am) and 1:30pm (Book for 1:30pm)
Location: Meet at Sapgate Gardens
Performance by Philip Codd – In The Stone Tree Shadows // Garden
Philip Codd is a filmmaker and composer. As a composer he works with any combination of instruments and electronics, often creating audio works using musique concrète techniques in which short audio samples are edited and manipulated.
In The Stone Tree Shadows uses audio clips created by scanning Patrick Whitehead’s prints of Bradford mills. These clips are then mangled and modified to create a sonic landscape of differing textures, rhythms and sonorities, with elements of the piece suggesting Bradford’s industrial past. The work will be performed using live electronics and fed through a surround sound diffusion speaker system.
Performances are in the garden at the back of South Square at 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30 on Saturday 6th and 12:30 and 14:00 on Sunday 7th June. The piece is 20 minutes in duration.
To visit Philip’s website click here
More details to be shared soon!
more
Time
June 6, 2026 11:00 am - june 7, 2026 4:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
Location
South Square Centre
Organizer
july
Event Details
Thursday 23rd July6pm - 8pm - £25 a ticket Join local artist Jess Swift as she guides you through the technique of coil building with
Event Details
Thursday 23rd July
6pm – 8pm – £25 a ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift as she guides you through the technique of coil building with air dry clay.
In this pottery session, Jess will show you how to create your own decorative bowl or planter using simple coiling techniques. Building up your form layer by layer, you’ll learn how to shape, refine, and personalise your piece, infusing it with your own choice of shapes, patterns, and textures.
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, the bowls or planters will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering three different workshops, all exploring different clay techniques. Find more information about the other workshops on our website.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
Organizer
Event Details
Wednesday 15th July 20261:00 pm - 4:00 pm Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha
Event Details
Wednesday 15th July 2026
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha Yates
This hands on workshop running from 1-4pm introduces the techniques of traditional glass painting used in medieval and historic stained glass. Participants will explore tracing, matting and shading with vitreous paint working directly onto glass.
Work can be fired in the kiln and collection/postage arranged for a later date. The focus is on the process and material understanding giving you the opportunity to develop confidence through making.
Suitable for beginners. All materials and equipment provided . Please note access to the studio is down a flight of steps.
To book your space, click here
more
Organizer
Event Details
Thursday 23rd July 2026 6pm - 8pm - £25 a ticket Join local artist Jess Swift in this pottery and sip session. Spend the evening learning
Event Details
Thursday 23rd July 2026
6pm – 8pm – £25 a ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift in this pottery and sip session. Spend the evening learning the basics of slab building with clay. You’ll roll out clay, cut shapes, and piece them together to create your own wall hanging.
Once the form is made, you will then create decorations using previously learnt pottery building techniques. The freedom is yours to create your own decorations, with Jess on hand to advise and help.
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them at home!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, these vases will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering three different workshops, all exploring different clay techniques. Find more information about the other workshops on our website.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
Organizer
august
20aug6:00 pm8:00 pmClay Workshop, Pinch Pot VasesClay pinch pot workshop with artist Jess Swift
Event Details
Thursday 20th Aug6pm - 9pm - £25 per ticket Join local artist Jess Swift for a relaxed, hands-on workshop exploring the art of pinch potting
Event Details
Thursday 20th Aug
6pm – 9pm – £25 per ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift for a relaxed, hands-on workshop exploring the art of pinch potting using air-dry clay.
In this friendly, sociable pottery session, you’ll learn simple techniques to shape and form your own unique vases by hand. Starting with the basics, Jess will guide you through the process of turning a lump of clay into your own handmade vase!
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, these vases will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering 3 clay workshops all covering different techniques, book one, two or all three! Find more information about the other workshops on our website.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more