A COLOURFUL patchwork quilt artwork created by 200 schoolchildren, revealing their stories and memories, has gone on display in The Broadway shopping centre.

The quilt is made up of fabric squares created by the youngsters, reflecting ‘hidden gems’ in their lives.

It was commissioned as part of Untold Stories - Hidden Communities, a project supported by Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture bid team. The project was led by pupils at Feversham Primary School, supported by artist and teacher Alisa Yates, who were interested in finding out about the lives of other children in the district.

The youngsters made a video which was sent to every primary school in Bradford inviting pupils to create their own patchwork square in response to a series of questions such as ‘What are your family like?’ and ‘What stories and memories would you like to tell?’

A total of 17 primary schools stepped up and over the last six months more than 200 children have been creating individual pictures telling their stories. The finished patches were hand-stitched together by Alisa and the Feversham students to create a large-scale artwork celebrating the district’s diverse cultures and communities.

A film by Bradford film-maker Jack King captures the making of the quilt and the final work being hung in at The Broadway. The film features pupils showcasing their finished artwork and telling the stories that inspired their personal piece. The film can be viewed at youtu.be/C551eu96sYQ

Said Alisa: “We wanted this project to put a spotlight on the varied experiences of children across the district and weave them together into one narrative piece which reflects what it means to be growing up in Bradford today. The finished quilt is fantastic. I hope people will take a look and think about who made each square and the story each picture is trying to tell.”

The quilt is on display at The Broadway, Bradford - a founding partner for the Bradford 2025 bid - all summer in a space next to the Select shop. Bradford 2025 chair Shanaz Gulzar said: “We want to thank the pupils for working so hard to create this beautiful artwork - I’m sure it will bring a smile to everyone who sees it. We love to celebrate the fact that Bradford is the UK’s youngest city, and we can’t underestimate the impact that winning the UK City of Culture title would have on the lives of young people. We want them to feel proud of being from Bradford and excited about opportunities that winning the title could bring. This project is one of many capturing the voices and experiences of our younger generations.”