Initiative to Explore ‘Hidden History’ of Disabled Individuals

A disability organization has received £15,000 for an arts project designed to narrate the “hidden history” of mill workers with learning disabilities, as an element of Bradford City of Culture 2025. Summat Creative, a community interest group situated in Shipley, secured this grant from Historic England through its History in the Making programme. The initiative, named “Through The Mill,” aims to assist young individuals in uncovering previously untold historical narratives. Tim Curtis, who serves as co-director and lead artist, stated: “It focuses on the overlooked history of people with a learning disability in Bradford who worked in its mills, largely in the 1800s and 1900s but all the way up to the present day.” Mr. Curtis indicated that the initiative intends to link young individuals with learning disabilities with academics, researchers, and artists. “I just this week met someone who worked in a mill as late as 1995 who is going to be involved in our project,” Mr Curtis reported. The project is set to involve 15 participants under the age of 25, who will be prompted to develop their own creative interpretations of narratives sourced from Bradford’s archives. Subsequently, their creations will be incorporated into a model of Moorside Mill, currently known as Bradford Industrial Museum. Workshops are scheduled to commence in January, with the final outcomes presented in the autumn. This initiative is among four projects that have received funding. The others include the Manningham Heritage Project, which will delve into narratives of Bangladeshi heritage in Bradford; Shipley Glen Tramway’s accessible place marker scheme; and “Shared Stories,” a musical creation by Allstar Ents. Mr Curtis emphasized the significance of recounting these stories not exclusively for individuals with learning disabilities, but for the broader public. He stated: “It’s not really something that’s obvious in history or in the body of novels, writing, artwork or poetry – it’s just not something that’s represented in our history. So, it’s a hidden history from mainstream people as well.“We feel it’s really important as a place marker to register that people with learning disabilities have been alive all the way through history and this particular period – the span of the industrial revolution.” Summat Creative has engaged in creating work with disabled young people for a period of two and a half years. The organization was established by Mr Curtis and Lucy Dix, both of whom have daughters with Down’s syndrome. Additionally, the organization is developing a Wyke dragon project for Bradford City of Culture 2025, where young participants will design and perform in a carnival parade utilizing adapted tricycles.