Nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Aire Valley and boasting a fascinating industrial past, Bingley provides a unique canvas for artistic expression and community-led arts to flourish.
Following over a year of community groups working together, big plans are afoot for a major community cultural, crafts and arts event. Called Bingley 25, this three-day extravaganza will be held over the May bank holiday weekend.
Saturday May 3 will highlight heritage, with events at Damart Mill and Myrtle Park, including films and storytelling in Myrtle Park Hub. Arts and Crafts will be in the spotlight on Sunday May 4 with workshops, craft displays and community group stalls in and around Bingley Arts Centre and over 30 local artists exhibiting in six venues.
Monday May 5 will highlight outdoors activities and active lifestyles with a Celebration of Walking organised by Bingley Walkers are Welcome. Five walks will start from Market Square including an Arts Walk and a walk to discover the Cottingley Fairies. There will also be opportunities to find out about local sports and activity groups with try-outs, and in Myrtle Park the second edition of Myrtle Mayhem skateboarding jam will take place.
Throughout the long weekend, there will be heritage boats and canal boat traders to draw people to enjoy the beauty of the canal and Bingley’s historic locks.
The event arises from community groups in Bingley coming together under the banner of Bingley Creates! which aims to support the development of creativity and the arts in Bingley so that more people can get involved, with a year-round calendar of events.
Jane Stone of Bingley Creates! says: “My original idea in 2022 was to try to organise a community event, celebrating creativity and we have delivered arts and crafts activities every month on a Saturday in the Damart 1871 Café during 2024, continuing in 2025. This has now developed into a three-day community celebration of local skills and talent. It showcases the amazing creativity around Bingley.”
Says Philippa Gibbons, chair Bingley Town Council: “Bingley is full of creative people and is a great place to live and visit. The Bingley 25 event will showcase so many great things about our town. I’m delighted that the Town Council has been able to support the event, working with so many brilliant local groups to help develop cultural and creative opportunities for everybody in Bingley.”
Grassroots community creativity has been demonstrated by the recent award of several Do Your Thing micro grant awards to community groups to carry out an activity during the district’s year as City of Culture. This Bradford 2025 initiative in partnership with the Creative Lives charity has funded six projects in Bingley and Bingley Rural wards, out of 54 awarded across the Bradford district.
Bingley’s rich heritage features strongly in two of the awards. Bingley Bell Ringers whose bells have resonated in the town’s historic heart since at least 1577 are developing a treasure trail exploring the history of Bingley’s bells, coupled with hands-on activities and ringing demonstrations that will take place on May 3.
Bingley & District Local History Society and Bingley Camera Club have teamed up with Graham West to bring light to a set of photographs taken by Bingley resident Frank West in the 1960s. These photos, revealing how the town has changed but still retains much of its rich built heritage, will be part of an interactive exhibition on May 3rd in Damart Mill along with other local history displays.
Other Do Your Thing awards represent the range of activities supported by community groups. Friends of Myrtle Park will commission a vibrant, graffiti-style mural to transform the skate-ramp, part of a wider ambition using art to complement public spaces. Bingley Ukulele Group will buy ukuleles so that people can try out playing and later in the year will host a day of musical celebration, including beginner sessions and workshops.
In Bingley Rural ward, there were two Do Your Thing awards. The Harden Players will showcase local talent with a theatrical production celebrating the community. Denholme Shared Church will create a poignant symbol of peace with an installation of ‘Peace doves’. This community-led project will transform the church’s exterior into a visual reminder of unity and hope, showing how art can be a powerful tool for social connection.
Cllr Susan Fricker says: “Bradford District’s designation as UK City of Culture has given our community the inspiration and impetus to work together to create a year-round calendar of events by and for our community in Bingley, and to present a great offer to visitors to enjoy our town. Bingley is celebrating arts and culture as central to Bingley and to our whole Bradford District.”
These small awards complement two larger projects: Bingley Arts Centre won one of the £15,000 awards from the Bradford 2025 Give Bradford and Pears Foundation Creative Communities Fund; in the next months the team, led by Josh Breeze and Claire Rookes, will find out what residents want in Bingley and use the May long weekend to kick-start creative opportunities. Another major project was funded by The 1887 Alfred Sharp Memorial Educational Trust, administered by Bradford Council. Bingley Town Council has commissioned local artists to work with schools and residents to build an interactive heritage trail linking five spots in Bingley to tell the story of the town’s history and encourage walking. The project aims to launch the Bingley Heritage Trail for Heritage Week in September.
In addition, it is expected that several Bradford 2025 events and installations will appear in Bingley this year, following the success of Grue at Damart Mill.
* Marcus Rattray is president of Bingley Camera Club and a volunteer with Bingley Creates!
