Century's column

Bradford's Column will stand outside the Yorkshire Craft Centre, a unique venture designed to breathe new life into the region's arts and craft skills.

Alan Smith, head of the college's School of Art, Design and Textiles, is the brains behind the whole project.

"Bradford has a rich heritage in art, design and especially textiles," said Mr Smith. "This will be a centre of excellence for crafts which will build on that history."

"I am certain that because of it, ten years down the line we will be producing some of the finest artists in the country."

The Bradford's Column concept is still in its infancy. But it is hoped the unique 15 metre tall tower will stand outside the centre to mark the dawn of the new Millennium.

It is hoped it will be interactive, enabling people to communicate with other high-tech art works around the world. There will three zones, audio, visual and communication which will enable artists to present work in different formats.

The Yorkshire Arts Centre will be joined to the college's Lister Building. It will house a caf bar and be fully accessible for the disabled.

It will feature state-of-the-art skills training, such as glass blowing, foundry and wrought iron work as well as craft workshops for jewellery making and woodwork. There will also be a range of sophisticated equipment in the form of IT suites.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Bradford College, the centre has been three years in the pipeline and was built thanks mainly to £2.8 million lottery cash, with the remainder coming from the college nd the European Regional Development Fund.

The building will officially be handed over later this year and the first students are expected to start in the spring of the new Millennium.

The centre will also be home to the Bradford textile Archive.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.