THREE women from an artists collective created colourful street art in preparation for Bradford's 2025 City of Culture bid.

With Bradford being shortlisted for the 2025 City of Culture, as part of this, a local group of artists called the Armchair Artists Collective were commissioned to paint three bollards near the Post Office at Windhill near Shipley.

Three women from the collective took on this task on International Women’s Day last week.

Angel Kershaw, one of the artists, said: “The community of Windhill includes people with various social and financial challenges.

"We noticed how people in the community support each other, in many ways and we wanted to do something in return.

"We were so pleased to receive the commission to paint these bollards, and create some bright, colourful art in the area.

"As Bradford publicises it’s bid for the City of Culture 2025, we felt it was important to include areas like this outside the centre of The City of Bradford.

“We were particularly pleased to be undertaking what was physically, as well as creatively, challenging work on International Women’s Day.

"Recognition for women artists has certainly improved over recent years, but there’s a long way to go.

"It’s time we women in the arts weren’t just seen as decorative, but should be recognized for our talent, skills and sheer hard work, as well.”

The response from the public has been very encouraging and positive, before, during and after the work was completed.

Sand Rennie, the artist who founded the Armchair Artists Collective, said: "All of the reactions we received are so heart-warming.

"A grandmother, picking up her granddaughter from nursery, told us she made a special trip to show them to her.

"A local businessman offered us refreshments and took photos for his family back home.

"A passing schoolboy stopped and watched the painting and said how much he hoped these were going to be permanent.

"Other passers-by stopped to watch and said how fascinated they were to see the process as the pictures were painted."

The work was photographed and filmed by professional filmmaker Bruna Martini and the film will be shortly available Youtube.

The commission was supported by the 2014 to 2020 European Regional Development Fund Programme.

The Armchair Artists’ Collective was created in 2020 after Sand started a Facebook group to enable people to share their art work with creatives during the first lockdown.