Young Ambassadors Lead Creative Textile Workshop

Bradford Museums’ Young Ambassadors Engage Community in Textile Art Project

Bradford District Museums and Galleries (BDMG) recently saw an inspiring initiative led by its Young Ambassadors, who organised and co-produced the DNA Tiny Tapestries workshop at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley. The event, which attracted 43 participants, was a hands-on creative session focused on textile art, resulting in the creation of 58 individual pieces.

Community Participation and Artistic Collaboration

The workshop was held in collaboration with artist Donna Templeman, who helped guide attendees in making their own looms and contributing to the collective tapestry. Participants came from various local postcodes, reflecting a broad community engagement with the project.

Following the workshop, all the individual tapestry pieces will be assembled into a large, beautiful tapestry. This will be showcased alongside a 3D DNA structure and a mini museum exhibition at the Bradford Industrial Museum.

Exhibition Details

• Location: Bradford Industrial Museum
• Dates: 5 December 2026 to 21 February 2027

Visitors are encouraged to attend the exhibition to see the collective work of the community and the Young Ambassadors, celebrating creativity and local heritage.

Young Ambassador’s Insight into Museum Collections

Khadijah Ali, the Lead Museum Young Ambassador for BDMG, shared her experience volunteering with the Collections and Curatorial team over the summer. Her work involved auditing and documenting stored collections at the museum’s external stores, contributing to the ongoing efforts to improve the condition, documentation, and accessibility of Bradford’s museum collections.

During the audit, Khadijah encountered many fascinating objects, including a commemorative ribbon from Bradford Hospital’s “Lady of the Lamp Day.” This hands-on experience provided her with valuable training in collections management and a deeper understanding of the city’s rich history as preserved by the museums.

Learn More and Get Involved

The DNA Tiny Tapestries workshop and the ongoing work of the Young Ambassadors highlight the important role young people play in Bradford’s cultural scene. To find out more about this project and other museum activities, readers are encouraged to visit the original blog post by Khadijah Ali on the Bradford Museums website.

Source: Bradford Museums blog