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june
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June | 11 am - 4pm The second art trail in Thornton, BD13, Bradford,
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June | 11 am – 4pm
The second art trail in Thornton, BD13, Bradford, West Yorkshire takes place over the weekend of 14-15 June 2025. Visitors will find a huge variety of art and activity 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? (more to be announced soon!)
SATURDAY:
Open Studios // 11am – 4pm
Many of the artists and creators onsite at South Square will have an open door on their studios. Come in, take a look at their work, chat directly to the artists, and see their creative spaces.
Live DJ – Dip Mistry // 2pm – 4pm // Garden
Come and listen to DJ Dipak Mistry in our garden – AKA Mistryllaneous – he says ‘photographer, printmaker, educator, selector (not a dj). One of the DisOriental and No Hands Family: with a love of global beats, electronica, alt pop and beyond. Always got an ear out for new music!’
Kids craft // 11am – 4pm // Courtyard
Join us for some free crafty fun in the courtyard. They’ll be a huge mix of things to do from simple drawing and colouring, to zine making, collaging and more!
Drop in Art Workshop – Weave & Wrap with Wool! // 11am – 4pm // Garden
Come down to the garden to join us in making decorations using wool in a range of different ways. Whether you want to make flower pom poms, a woven word or wrap colourful wool around reclaimed sticks to make a mobile we will have all the materials you need!
Drop in Art Workshop // 11am – 3pm // Community room
Join Artist Allanah Rhodes to unleash your creativity in a photography based workshop. It’s time to get making! Come along for a drop-in session of inspiration and skill building based on the village of Thornton. You can chose between doing a cyanotype workshop, using the images provided, or colouring sheets for the littler ones, or mono printing using oil pastels. Come along and have a go, all free!
SUNDAY:
Birstall Wood Turners // 11am – 4pm // Garden
Join the members of Birstall Wood Turners in the garden who will be doing some live demonstrations on their wood lathe. Birstall Wood Turners are a group of enthusiastic woodturners, of all abilities, who enjoy this wonderful hobby. Started in 1997, they are one of the largest clubs in the country and aim to promote the joys of woodturning.
Kids craft // 11am – 4pm // Courtyard
Zine making – Grab yourself a template from the gallery and get exploring! These templates have prompts to follow, such as ‘draw something red,’, ‘listen for 30 seconds and write what you hear’. The children can explore South Square Centre and by using prompts like below, they’ll draw, write, and study different things to make their own Zine.
Open Studios // 11am – 4pm
Many of the artists and creators onsite at South Square will have an open door on their studios. Come in, take a look at their work, chat directly to the artists, and see their creative spaces.
EXHIBITIONS:
‘Yorkshire Pudding and Pickled Cabbage’ by Alicja Mrozowska // Main Gallery
Alicja Mrozowska’s paintings navigate the layered terrain of identity, memory, and cultural hybridity through bold portraiture and playful abstraction. Yorkshire Pudding and Pickled Cabbage marks the most expansive presentation of Mrozowska’s work to date, bringing together paintings from 2017 through to 2025. Combining large gestural brushstrokes with recurring motifs and symbolic references, her compositions balance between the recognisable and the obscure, inviting viewers into a space where identities blur, overlap, and reform.
‘2025 Beckfoot Thornton Showcase’ // 11am – 4pm // Community room
Students from the year 10 Art and Photography classes at Beckfoot Thornton present their end of year exhibition of work based on three themes ‘Expressionism, Angles, and Property’ which will showcase the hard work and creativity of this cohort. The exhibition will feature a diverse range of artwork, highlighting the skills and knowledge that they have developed throughout the academic year. We invite staff, students, families, and the community to join us in celebrating their achievements.
Helina – Solo exhibition // Plenty at the Square
Helina is an artist who explores the intersection of faith, nature, mental wellbeing and
personal reflection. Working primarily in an impressionistic style with oils, she captures light, movement, and softness to evoke deep emotional resonance. Guided by her Islamic faith, every brushstroke is an act of devotion, aiming to honor the harmony between the natural world and the spiritual unseen.
Her collections — from “Flowers of Faith” to “Sky at Salah” — are offerings of peace,
designed to inspire stillness, nourish the soul, and offer a space of quiet remembrance in a
busy world. You can discover more about Helinas work at www.studiohelina.com.
more
June 14, 2025 11:00 am - june 15, 2025 4:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
South Square Centre
Join us for this Fused Glass Workshop where you can create your own hanging wreath. You will be provided with a clear glass wreath plus frit (crushed glass) and shaped glass
Join us for this Fused Glass Workshop where you can create your own hanging wreath.
You will be provided with a clear glass wreath plus frit (crushed glass) and shaped glass pieces in the shape of flowers, fruit and leaves. You can then arrange these glass items and glue them down to make a beautiful 9cm wreath.
Once finished, the completed wreaths will be taken away to be fired and fused in a kiln and returned to South Square for collection about a week later.
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.
Ticket price includes all materials and equipment usage.
£44 including Eventbrite fees or, you can pop into South Square Centre to pay £40 via cash or card.
Over 18’s only.
The workshop is 1.5 hours long, although please note, depending on your design, some students may finish earlier.
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!
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Saturday 28th June 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Join us at our Still Life Drawing Workshop on Saturday 28th June, 10:30am - 12:30pm. Led by artist
Saturday 28th June
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Join us at our Still Life Drawing Workshop on Saturday 28th June, 10:30am – 12:30pm. Led by artist Zoe Maxwell, this session will focus on flowers and natural forms.
Drawing helps us to slow down and look closely, making us more aware of the world around us. This workshop offers a 2 hour break from distractions, allowing time to focus on the natural beauty of flowers.
The session starts with a few quick drawings to warm up, gradually increasing the time to a 15 or 30 minute sketch. Focusing on process and practice instead of final outcome, at the end of the session you are invited to share your sketches and thoughts with the group.
This workshop is suitable for anyone of any ability, materials will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own also.
If cost is a barrier to engagement with this workshop, please contact [email protected]
CLICK HERE to book on Eventbrite.
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!
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july
No Events
august
Following the success and popularity of the first workshop in April, we have decided to run another! Come along to this marquetry workshop to create your own unique piece to take
Following the success and popularity of the first workshop in April, we have decided to run another!
Come along to this marquetry workshop to create your own unique piece to take home.
In this four-hour workshop (with a 30min break) you will select a wooden base shape (pre cut), and use the materials provided to design a graphic pattern for the front.
Ran by Emily Parkin, she will assist you to use a steel ruler and a craft knife, where you will carefully cut out the sections of the design from a range of coloured wooden veneers, and apply them to the front of your base.
You can make this base into what you wish, as you can decide if this will be a picture holder, or a vase etc. Once decided what you would like your holder to hold, you can drill the correct size holes into the top before applying a wax finish and buffing the whole piece to bring out all the colours and wood grain.
£45 per person – includes all materials and equipment usage.
You can book via Eventbrite, link below, or by popping into the South Square Gallery.
Note – you are welcome to bring your own lunch for the break, but feel free to grab food and drink from the cafe onsite – Plenty at the Square
CLICK HERE to book on Eventbrite.
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
september
No Events
South Square is a collection of 19th Century workers cottages, in the old Yorkshire village of Thornton, famous for its Brontë connections and its impressive 20-arch viaduct.
Renovated as a community arts centre in 1982, South Square Centre is now home to ten studio spaces for a variety of artists, as well as a gallery, community spaces, archive, fine art framers, bar and a cafe.
The centre hosts community events and activities for all ages, including an ongoing workshop programme and provides community spaces available to hire.