A selection of paintings by artist Ananya Megotia will be on display at Plenty at the Square

Crumbs is a quiet exploration of memory, those fleeting, fractured moments we carry with us. Each painting in this exhibition comes from personal recollections, emotional traces, and the soft act of remembering.

Each painting doesn’t try to recreate a specific time or place, but instead reflects the small details and feelings that make up everyday life.

The title ‘Crumbs’ speaks to what we’re left with, the small, scattered fragments that remain after something has passed. Like the last pieces of bread on a plate, these moments might seem unimportant on their own, but together they hold meaning and warmth.

This exhibition also features a special food event on 15th August at Plenty at the Square, a curated four-course dinner inspired by the paintings, created by the café chef in collaboration with the artist. It brings memory, art, and food together in a shared experience. Book your place.

About the artist

Ananya’s oil paintings unfold through intuition, layering, and emotional response, reimagining fragments of childhood and cultural memory. Drifting between abstraction and figuration, her works summon a softened world where bodies flicker, dissolve, and re-emerge. Drawing from internal states, each canvas becomes a suspended terrain — neither fixed nor fully known. Through gesture and texture, Ananya constructs quiet spaces of familiarity and distance, where memory and identity blur into something felt more than seen – a place unmoored from time.

Collection of work from the Methodist Modern Art Collection on display in the Community Room, part of the Everything is Connect Art Trail

Running: Friday 5th September – Sunday 12th October

The Yorkshire West Methodist District of the Methodist Church is bringing an exhibition, Everything is Connected, drawn from the Methodist Modern Art Collection (MMAC) to Bradford this autumn, 5 September – 12 October. As part of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 celebrations, South Square Centre is one of five venues in the Bradford District exhibiting artworks held in the 

The overall exhibition held across the five venues will open across the first week of September and run until Sunday 12th October. Whilst they all will have their own theme, they will all be linked via an Art Trail and the overall theme for the exhibition, “Everything is Connected.”

In the Community Room, we will have on display artworks from the Methodist Modern Art Collection that relates to the legacy of the Brontë’s and women artists. Our theme is “Its Wings Are Almost Free” – this exhibition challenges audiences to reconsider artistic and cultural hierarchies and honours the enduring contributions of women to art and society.

Alongside the work from the collection, we will show responses from community groups we work with closely ESOL group and Champions group. They have made artwork inspired by the collection on display at South Square and drawing from the themes within the work.

We will also be hosting workshops int he Community Room which respond to the exhibition. Including:

Meditation with Art – Saturday 6th September

During this event we will explore art works from the collection and their connections with Bradford. Imogen and Becky will host activities including guided drawing and meditative visualisation and writing in response to the art. This event is open to anyone over 14.

Free to attend – 10:30am – 12pm

Still Life Drawing Workshop – Saturday 20th Sept

To celebrate having a selection of paintings from the Methodist Modern Art Collection we are running a Still Life Drawing Workshop responding to the painting in their collection, The Five Thousand, by Eularia Clarke.

Taking inspiration from the picnic style scene, we will set up a dinner table in the centre of the Community Room, where the paintings from the collection will be displayed. The workshop will be led by Zoe Maxwell, a local artist, and she will guide the group through different timed sketches and prompts.

We welcome you to come and see the exhibition during our opening hours of Tuesday – Saturday and Sunday 12 – 3pm.

A solo exhibition by textile artist Ann Barrans in the Upstairs Gallery, inspired by ancient philosophy, myths, legends and fairy tales.

Running: 1 October – 31 October

In this body of work from Ann Barrans she poses the question: is destiny preordained or determined by the inter-connectivity of circumstance, chance, choices, and morality?

The path of life is never straightforward – both smooth and chaotic, organised and disorganised, and interconnected with others. Every action has consequences.

Weave and stitch seek to capture this interconnectivity and sometimes chaos that fate may or may not have dictated.

Ann’s practices continues to build on the importance of direct haptic interaction with yarns.

A fascinating exploration of the past, present and future of Bradford’s radical art scene.

Opening Night : Fri 10th October | 6pm – 9pm | South Square
Last date to view : Sun 1st February

South Square presents ‘OUR TURN: Our Past, Present and Future’. This exhibition explores the past of South Square and the history of the arts industry in Bradford, and how grassroots, DIY arts organisations led to the opening of the centre. 

It looks into our present – why and how we are organising OUR TURN: Bradford’s first Visual Arts Festival. And we look to the future, showing artworks of emerging Bradford based artists. 

This exhibition is a way for us to reflect on where we have come from, who inspired and helped grow the arts industry in Bradford, how the grass roots visual arts industry grew in Thornton, how that led to the opening of South Square, how we’ve grown as a centre and what we achieve today, and we look to the future, championing the next generation of artists and hopefully inspiring them to continue to develop the local arts scene. 

Artists featured include, Eve Wright, Kennedy Drake, Martha Madden and Zoe Maxwell

The exhibition will also feature new work from a current art student from Bradford College. They will respond to the exhibition, take inspiration from the artwork and the history, and create a new piece that will join the exhibition in January.

This exhibition is part of OUR TURN – OUR TURN expects to be bold, experimental and authentically Bradford. 

OUR TURN takes place between 26th September – 28th January 2026 in venues and unusual spaces across the city. This festival will enable artists to be more ambitious, provide training for a new generation of culture makers and inspire a range of people to be excited by art which is ‘Made IN Bradford’. The festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich counter cultural scene and create an accessible platform which will reach new art goers in Bradford, underserved communities and loyal arts audiences.

The South Square team aims to include in this festival a series of events, commissions, learning opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and more, all across the Bradford district. By working closely with artists in and from Bradford, OUR TURN will be shaped and led by the artists themselves.

Photography exhibition by Nathan McGill
In the Community Room

Running: 18th October – 9th November
Closing event: Friday 7th Nov 5pm – 7pm

Becoming Bradford: Activists of Our Time celebrates Bradford’s rich activist heritage and
spotlights those shaping the fabric of the city today. Through intimate analogue portraits and oral histories, ten activists share their personal stories of activism.

By shining a light on individuals working at the grassroots – visible and invisible, loud and
quiet, celebrated and overlooked – Becoming Bradford redefines the idea of activism,
showing it in everyday actions, community initiatives, and movements led by those who call
Bradford home.

This exhibition is both tribute and magnifying glass – preserving contemporary stories as part of our shared heritage, while asking us to look closer at the inequities that persist. Becoming Bradford is not only about who we are, but who we must still become.

Nathan McGill (b.2000) is an emerging photographer born and bred in Bradford. McGill is
interested in the relationships between people and place, and his participatory art practice
seeks to collaborate with communities by engaging them with the creation of artwork.
McGill was the Recipient of the 2024 Royal Photographic Society Eamonn McCabe Bursary, which recognises talented photographers under 25.

The closing event on the 7th November will tie-in with an opening exhibition in The Gallery Upstairs at South Square, a solo exhibition by artist John Murphy.

Join us for our kids clay workshop led by artist Sophia Matty – £15

Sophia is a Leeds based ceramic artist and has lots of experience teaching from various pottery studios. She uses handbuilding technqiues to make sculptural yet functional works out of clay.

In this workshop you will explore different hand building techniques to create your own work of clay. All materials will be provided, with a variety of tools to help you sculpt away.

Suitable for ages 6 -14 years.

Child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but they are invited to stay in an adjoining room and can grab a drink from the cafe onsite.

BOOK NOW via Eventbrite – £15

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 3LD.

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!

Come and create some stunning art from your juice cartons or Tetra Pak. You’ll be guided through each step of the process by artist Annie Fforde – Just £5 a ticket.

We’ll be drawing into the surface with sharp points (such as pen nibs, pencils etc), inking up with coloured inks and printing in our small presses. You can take your creations home.

A stunning and easy to follow way to make art!

Suitable for ages 6+

Child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but they are invited to stay in an adjoining room and can grab a drink from the cafe onsite.

BOOK NOW via Eventbrite – £5

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 3LD.

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!

A fascinating exploration of the past, present and future of Bradford’s radical art scene.

Opening Night : Fri 10th October | 6pm – 9pm | South Square
Last date to view : Sun 1st February

South Square presents ‘OUR TURN: Our Past, Present and Future’. This exhibition explores the past of South Square and the history of the arts industry in Bradford, and how grassroots, DIY arts organisations led to the opening of the centre. 

It looks into our present – why and how we are organising OUR TURN: Bradford’s first Visual Arts Festival. And we look to the future, showing artworks of emerging Bradford based artists. 

This exhibition is a way for us to reflect on where we have come from, who inspired and helped grow the arts industry in Bradford, how the grass roots visual arts industry grew in Thornton, how that led to the opening of South Square, how we’ve grown as a centre and what we achieve today, and we look to the future, championing the next generation of artists and hopefully inspiring them to continue to develop the local arts scene. 

Artists featured include, Eve Wright, Kennedy Drake, Martha Madden and Zoe Maxwell

The exhibition will also feature new work from a current art student from Bradford College. They will respond to the exhibition, take inspiration from the artwork and the history, and create a new piece that will join the exhibition in January.

This exhibition is part of OUR TURN – OUR TURN expects to be bold, experimental and authentically Bradford. 

OUR TURN takes place between 26th September – 28th January 2026 in venues and unusual spaces across the city. This festival will enable artists to be more ambitious, provide training for a new generation of culture makers and inspire a range of people to be excited by art which is ‘Made IN Bradford’. The festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich counter cultural scene and create an accessible platform which will reach new art goers in Bradford, underserved communities and loyal arts audiences.

The South Square team aims to include in this festival a series of events, commissions, learning opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and more, all across the Bradford district. By working closely with artists in and from Bradford, OUR TURN will be shaped and led by the artists themselves.

Photography exhibition by Nathan McGill
In the Community Room

Running: 18th October – 9th November
Closing event: Friday 7th Nov 5pm – 7pm

Becoming Bradford: Activists of Our Time celebrates Bradford’s rich activist heritage and
spotlights those shaping the fabric of the city today. Through intimate analogue portraits and oral histories, ten activists share their personal stories of activism.

By shining a light on individuals working at the grassroots – visible and invisible, loud and
quiet, celebrated and overlooked – Becoming Bradford redefines the idea of activism,
showing it in everyday actions, community initiatives, and movements led by those who call
Bradford home.

This exhibition is both tribute and magnifying glass – preserving contemporary stories as part of our shared heritage, while asking us to look closer at the inequities that persist. Becoming Bradford is not only about who we are, but who we must still become.

Nathan McGill (b.2000) is an emerging photographer born and bred in Bradford. McGill is
interested in the relationships between people and place, and his participatory art practice
seeks to collaborate with communities by engaging them with the creation of artwork.
McGill was the Recipient of the 2024 Royal Photographic Society Eamonn McCabe Bursary, which recognises talented photographers under 25.

The closing event on the 7th November will tie-in with an opening exhibition in The Gallery Upstairs at South Square, a solo exhibition by artist John Murphy.

Come and create some stunning art from your juice cartons or Tetra Pak. You’ll be guided through each step of the process by artist Annie Fforde – Just £5 a ticket.

We’ll be drawing into the surface with sharp points (such as pen nibs, pencils etc), inking up with coloured inks and printing in our small presses. You can take your creations home.

A stunning and easy to follow way to make art!

Suitable for ages 6+

Child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but they are invited to stay in an adjoining room and can grab a drink from the cafe onsite.

BOOK NOW via Eventbrite – £5

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 3LD.

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!

Saturday 8 November 2025

1:00pm – 3:00pm  

Art Trading Card Social invites audiences to create and exchange miniature works of art. 

Leonie Briggs’ Art Trading Card Social invites audiences to create and exchange miniature works of art. Playful yet reflective, the project turns making into an act of connection, where every traded card carries a fragment of its maker’s imagination—celebrating shared creativity through small, tactile gestures.
About the Artist

Leonie Briggs is a West Yorkshire multimedia artist working across acrylic painting, sculpture, and digital media. Her character-driven practice blends storytelling with reflections on nature, folklore, and neurodivergent experience. Alongside her studio work, Leonie co-leads community art projects and workshops, creating inclusive spaces for connection and creativity.

This is a drop-in event, free, and suitable for all ages.

Brontë Babies 🍼
Tuesday 11th November
0 – walking age welcome
10am – 11am

Join us for Brontë Babies at South Square Centre in Thornton with facilitator Olivia Corbin – Phillip!

Each sessions draws inspiration from the Brontë Parsonage’s collection. Brontë Babies is for babies and their carers, featuring sensory play, song, and an activity.

0 – walking age welcome in this session, we have another session running for walkers to 4yrs.

Your ticket includes a place for one adult and one child. Coffee/tea and cake will be provided.

To book, follow link below 🍼 limited spaces available!

click here to book on now, limited spaces available!

Brontë Babies 🍼
Tuesday 11th November
Walkers – 4 years welcome
11:15 am – 12:15 pm

Join us for Brontë Babies at South Square Centre in Thornton with facilitator Olivia Corbin – Phillip!

Each sessions draws inspiration from the Brontë Parsonage’s collection. Brontë Babies is for babies and their carers, featuring sensory play, song, and an activity.

Walkers – 4 years olds welcome in this session, we have another session running for ages 0 – walking.

Your ticket includes a place for one adult and one child. Coffee/tea and cake will be provided.

To book, follow link below 🍼 limited spaces available!

Click here to book on now, limited spaces available!

Thursday 13th November
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Ever wanted to make a piece of fused glass?  Well come along to this workshop and create a beautiful, unique wreath.

The workshop is 1.5 hours long.  You will be provided with a clear glass wreath plus frit (crushed glass) and shaped glass pieces in the shape of Christmas items such as flowers, snowmen, holly, ivy, even gingerbread men!   You can then arrange these glass items to make a beautiful 9cm wreath. 

This event will be run by Claire Myers of Cherry Tree Glass Studio who is an experienced fused glass artist and will guide you through the process.

Once finished, the completed wreaths will be taken away to be fired in the kiln and returned to South Square for collection about a week later.

For more information and to book you spot via Eventbrite please click here

A fascinating exploration of the past, present and future of Bradford’s radical art scene.

Opening Night : Fri 10th October | 6pm – 9pm | South Square
Last date to view : Sun 1st February

South Square presents ‘OUR TURN: Our Past, Present and Future’. This exhibition explores the past of South Square and the history of the arts industry in Bradford, and how grassroots, DIY arts organisations led to the opening of the centre. 

It looks into our present – why and how we are organising OUR TURN: Bradford’s first Visual Arts Festival. And we look to the future, showing artworks of emerging Bradford based artists. 

This exhibition is a way for us to reflect on where we have come from, who inspired and helped grow the arts industry in Bradford, how the grass roots visual arts industry grew in Thornton, how that led to the opening of South Square, how we’ve grown as a centre and what we achieve today, and we look to the future, championing the next generation of artists and hopefully inspiring them to continue to develop the local arts scene. 

Artists featured include, Eve Wright, Kennedy Drake, Martha Madden and Zoe Maxwell

The exhibition will also feature new work from a current art student from Bradford College. They will respond to the exhibition, take inspiration from the artwork and the history, and create a new piece that will join the exhibition in January.

This exhibition is part of OUR TURN – OUR TURN expects to be bold, experimental and authentically Bradford. 

OUR TURN takes place between 26th September – 28th January 2026 in venues and unusual spaces across the city. This festival will enable artists to be more ambitious, provide training for a new generation of culture makers and inspire a range of people to be excited by art which is ‘Made IN Bradford’. The festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich counter cultural scene and create an accessible platform which will reach new art goers in Bradford, underserved communities and loyal arts audiences.

The South Square team aims to include in this festival a series of events, commissions, learning opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and more, all across the Bradford district. By working closely with artists in and from Bradford, OUR TURN will be shaped and led by the artists themselves.

Brontë Babies 🍼
Tuesday 9th December
0 – walking age welcome
10am – 11am

Join us for Brontë Babies at South Square Centre in Thornton with facilitator Olivia Corbin – Phillip!

Each sessions draws inspiration from the Brontë Parsonage’s collection. Brontë Babies is for babies and their carers, featuring sensory play, song, and an activity.

0 – walking age welcome in this session, we have another session running for walkers to 4yrs.

Your ticket includes a place for one adult and one child. Coffee/tea and cake will be provided.

To book, follow link below 🍼 limited spaces available!

click here to book on now, limited spaces available!

Brontë Babies 🍼
Tuesday 9th December
Walkers – 4 years welcome
11:15 am – 12:15 pm

Join us for Brontë Babies at South Square Centre in Thornton with facilitator Olivia Corbin – Phillip!

Each sessions draws inspiration from the Brontë Parsonage’s collection. Brontë Babies is for babies and their carers, featuring sensory play, song, and an activity.

Walkers – 4 years olds welcome in this session, we have another session running for ages 0 – walking.

Your ticket includes a place for one adult and one child. Coffee/tea and cake will be provided.

To book, follow link below 🍼 limited spaces available!

Click here to book on now, limited spaces available!

A fascinating exploration of the past, present and future of Bradford’s radical art scene.

Opening Night : Fri 10th October | 6pm – 9pm | South Square
Last date to view : Sun 1st February

South Square presents ‘OUR TURN: Our Past, Present and Future’. This exhibition explores the past of South Square and the history of the arts industry in Bradford, and how grassroots, DIY arts organisations led to the opening of the centre. 

It looks into our present – why and how we are organising OUR TURN: Bradford’s first Visual Arts Festival. And we look to the future, showing artworks of emerging Bradford based artists. 

This exhibition is a way for us to reflect on where we have come from, who inspired and helped grow the arts industry in Bradford, how the grass roots visual arts industry grew in Thornton, how that led to the opening of South Square, how we’ve grown as a centre and what we achieve today, and we look to the future, championing the next generation of artists and hopefully inspiring them to continue to develop the local arts scene. 

Artists featured include, Eve Wright, Kennedy Drake, Martha Madden and Zoe Maxwell

The exhibition will also feature new work from a current art student from Bradford College. They will respond to the exhibition, take inspiration from the artwork and the history, and create a new piece that will join the exhibition in January.

This exhibition is part of OUR TURN – OUR TURN expects to be bold, experimental and authentically Bradford. 

OUR TURN takes place between 26th September – 28th January 2026 in venues and unusual spaces across the city. This festival will enable artists to be more ambitious, provide training for a new generation of culture makers and inspire a range of people to be excited by art which is ‘Made IN Bradford’. The festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich counter cultural scene and create an accessible platform which will reach new art goers in Bradford, underserved communities and loyal arts audiences.

The South Square team aims to include in this festival a series of events, commissions, learning opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and more, all across the Bradford district. By working closely with artists in and from Bradford, OUR TURN will be shaped and led by the artists themselves.

A fascinating exploration of the past, present and future of Bradford’s radical art scene.

Opening Night : Fri 10th October | 6pm – 9pm | South Square
Last date to view : Sun 1st February

South Square presents ‘OUR TURN: Our Past, Present and Future’. This exhibition explores the past of South Square and the history of the arts industry in Bradford, and how grassroots, DIY arts organisations led to the opening of the centre. 

It looks into our present – why and how we are organising OUR TURN: Bradford’s first Visual Arts Festival. And we look to the future, showing artworks of emerging Bradford based artists. 

This exhibition is a way for us to reflect on where we have come from, who inspired and helped grow the arts industry in Bradford, how the grass roots visual arts industry grew in Thornton, how that led to the opening of South Square, how we’ve grown as a centre and what we achieve today, and we look to the future, championing the next generation of artists and hopefully inspiring them to continue to develop the local arts scene. 

Artists featured include, Eve Wright, Kennedy Drake, Martha Madden and Zoe Maxwell

The exhibition will also feature new work from a current art student from Bradford College. They will respond to the exhibition, take inspiration from the artwork and the history, and create a new piece that will join the exhibition in January.

This exhibition is part of OUR TURN – OUR TURN expects to be bold, experimental and authentically Bradford. 

OUR TURN takes place between 26th September – 28th January 2026 in venues and unusual spaces across the city. This festival will enable artists to be more ambitious, provide training for a new generation of culture makers and inspire a range of people to be excited by art which is ‘Made IN Bradford’. The festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich counter cultural scene and create an accessible platform which will reach new art goers in Bradford, underserved communities and loyal arts audiences.

The South Square team aims to include in this festival a series of events, commissions, learning opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and more, all across the Bradford district. By working closely with artists in and from Bradford, OUR TURN will be shaped and led by the artists themselves.