Bringing Awareness on Poverty, Depression and Growth within

Bradford.

a campaign

by MICHAEL BALL

This is the idea – its simple. I aim to bring AWARENESS on poverty, depression and growth within Bradford; this will be aimed at a mass audience, the UK and its government. How we are going to create this awareness will be through all mediums of art, music, dance, you name it. We are a youth populated city, and the only way we can make our mark is by inspiring each other to do things within the city.

This is my proposal of ideas that will show how I aim to show this awareness. I have coloured the areas of buildings and locations where it would be possible for the ideas to work.

CONTENTS

The Ideas . . .

Black & White

Young & Old

Voices & Heritage

Community & Spor t F i lm & The Ar ts

Sc iences & Educat ion

Employment & Aspirat ion’s

Crime & Change

Food & Night l i fe

Youth Culture & Inspirat ion

The In format ion . . .

Proposa l

Help!

BLACK & WHITE

Promoting the diversity of the city, with so many cultures being part of the fabric of the modern city of Bradford, this must be used as an advantage to help forget memories like the riots of 2001. 50 people will be part of this; an image will be spread across a wall showing all cultures of the city as one population, one united city.

The idea is to have this situated as a banner hanging down in front of the beautiful, but derelict ‘Odeon’, taking the “Meanwhile Use” used by Fabric, a local arts development agency that have created the BUG (Bradford Urban Garden) situated at the end of Market Street.

Old Odeon BuildingGodwin Street

YOUNG & OLD

Mixing people of all ages, showing positive views on the city, but the view would be the same line/paragraph, which will overall be ‘one voice’ of the city. This could be shown as a continuous film/podcast on the side of a wall, building etc. by using a secured projector/speaker, also using another 50 people.

End of Market Street

VOICES & HERITAGE

Advertise ‘All About Bradford’ and other companies etc. Showing the history of Bradford and its roots, everything from the famous Boar of Bradford to the Wool Industry. This would be shown as a documentary film, a collection of video clips, which would show the history and roots of Bradford, and the voices of old Bradfordian’s telling stories about the city in its prime; a ‘Localizer Sound Dome’ or speaker that would be situated near the film, or another location.

Above ‘The In Plaice’ on Sunbridge Road.

End of Market Street,Other side of building aiming towards Bradford Urban Garden.

COMMUNITY & SPORTS

Aimed towards the many communities of Bradford, from religious communities to local sports clubs, but the identity of all these represent Bradford, so a huge mural of many people from different communities from around the city all together with some inspiring text – about being a proud Bradfordian.

The piece will be inspired by The Beatles, Sgt. Peppers album cover, but involving people who have contributed greatly to the communitys of Bradford, such as Priestley, the Bronte Sisters, Bradford Jesus Man, Dynamo, all kinds of people.

Above an un-used furniture store onGodwin Street

FILM & THE ARTS

The city’s recent achievement of becoming the first UNESCO city of Film, and with the history of the rich film industry within Bradford, maybe it’s about time, this is showcased around the city of film. To create several areas where constant films are being played, brightening the buildings up with film, many famous modern artists would be attracted to such a cultured city. Several art & craft stalls could be formed as part of a weekly/monthly market located somewhere with rich market history in Bradford.

Un-used offices on Piccadilly, behind Darley Street.

Old police station on Godwin Street overlooking the city park.

SCIENCES & EDUCATION

Promoting the university for its expertise’s in sciences and towards the education system in Bradford and modern school’s such as Bradford Academy etc. and emphasizing how education is a major role within everyone’s life within the city and it should be looked upon as fun instead of boring. A huge wall mural dedicated around the theme would be a good start at making this visible, and use the city park to form educational events for the people of the city to interact with.

Old police station on Godwin Street overlooking the city park.

‘The Sun’ pub on Sunbridge Roadfacing towards the city centre.

EMPLOYMENT & ASPIRATION’S

Encouraging people to form independent businesses within the city, bringing economy and life back to the streets of the city centre, this would be an amazing opportunity to form small markets within the city park, market street, Kirkgate etc. Also why not a moving market, travelling to each village/ area of Bradford to advertise the city centre as a whole. If the market is succesful, a new plan of the market layout would be created, involving a food court and local brewerys to provide the drink.

Archways between Cheapside and Forster Square Station.

CRIME & CHANGE

Fighting crime will be one of the hardest of challenges, in any city, but using strong imagery and visuals, this can teach and warn younger generations of the outcome for crime. Showing prisoners and an overall dark theme to set the mood. Changing the crime rates are only something we can do together. So a huge interactive board would be situated within the city centre, and people can show their own opinion on the crime within the city and how it can change and why it must be changed. Influence taken from the Peckham Peace Wall.

Un-used bar between the Kirkgate and Market Street.

FOOD & NIGHTLIFE

Famous for its curry Bradford should be advertising and using this to more of an advantage, again market stalls with the Asian restaurants of the city showing off their foods and street food. The nightlife in Bradford would be individually dealt with, as certain companies may be more interactive than others, but my initial idea was to open the city park as a venue for the nightlife events and companies to hire out. Using the space to its full potential.

The city park.

YOUTH CULTURE’S & INSPIRATION

Inspiring the youth is what should be the overall aim of the campaign, the future lays in the hands of those who young parents, young students, young labourers and just young people of Bradford. Several social experiments to get the youth involved would be created constantly, to keep the public inspired. This would be done via several options; first would be to create most of the ideas already mentioned. Plus, involving schools and communities to create and be apart of events and pieces of artwork that would continuously run in all areas of Bradford.

Spreading the artwork from the city centre to other areas of the Bradford district, promoting the city centre. This will involve everybody, people who are beyond Bradford’s boarders, people who live in far away areas such as Bingley and Keighley town centres. Many opportunities would be available in many areas.

PROPOSAL

Decline isn’t about depression, poverty and sadness, it’s about the City of Bradford showing that even in poverty, there is still culture and life within the city centre, this just need’s to flourish. The city’s recent award for becoming the first ever City of Film must be promoted, and this must be used as an advantage to put Bradford back on the map as a beautiful city and a place to visit. This will surely bring awareness towards a city that has been forgotten and abandoned, drawing crowds of tourists and media from all over the world will positively increase economy, employment, crime and many more figures creating an overall boost within the city.

Decline can only work with support from everybody. The full proposal is my portfolio of ideas, which can change to work around people’s new ideas and costing funds. More and more events and artworks could be displayed around the city’s other areas.

How it worksHow it works is simple, I have my proposal, and other people have power and money to make this happen, so my proposal is aimed at people who can:Provide Funding for ideasAllow use of property for ideasHelp create the ideas And the people of Bradford.

My roleMy role is simply organizing what happens within the locations chosen from, who does them, and the theme of the piece but I’m open to ideas, as I will also be working with other people to create new ideas that will continue the campaign. I will also meet with politicians, journalists and other media’s, communities/companies and my peers to promote the campaign and hopefully gain more funding and people willing to help out. If the campaign becomes a success and more people are needed to help me run it, then that will be organized.

The Meanwhile UseThe “Meanwhile Use” will be used for many of the ideas, but these ideas can also be situated on any other buildings within the city centre that are not in use and can be granted permission for use by owner. For anyone unaware of the “Meanwhile Use” it is already a part of the city centre, the Bradford Urban Garden was created with this power. Here is a link to back this up –

https://www.gov.uk/meanwhile-use-lease-and-guidance-notes-for-landlords

HELP!

There is something called the ‘bystander effect’ which my friend told me about, it is a social experiment to show weather people would by stand someone who is in need of help. This was shown in public places such as Liverpool street station, London, and the result was astounding, people just ignored and some didn’t even acknowledge the person crying out for help. Showing lack of human nature, until someone actually helped them. This is how I see Bradford within the UK. We must cry out for help by using our advantages, to be picked up off the ground and become a vibrant city once again.

But, I cannot promise a change within the city, I cannot promise the government will care, what I can promise is that if we all change Bradford, these things take care of themselves.

I believe this can happen. Can you help make it happen?

Visit the current homepage on

https://www.facebook.com/helpbradford

or e-mail

mbally@hotmail.co.uk

Thank you.

“The most influential diverse culture in the UK can be Bradford. The youth cultures have been and always will be the future of the city, and they will

determine how the future generations after, experience and live in our city and amongst its cultures, so whether the public like it or not, we have to

make this city an inspiration for the future.”