This workshop is specially devised to engage art and photography students in critical and contextual studies.

How can photographs help us uncover the story of a place? What can family photo albums reveal about the history of a community?

Bring Bradford’s rich history to life for your pupils with this inspiring workshop at Impressions Gallery, using precious family photographs to explore the stories of the city’s diverse communities.

As part of the workshop, pupils will explore the exhibition Make Yourself at Home: Stories from Bradford. Bridging past and present, the exhibition weaves together newly commissioned photography and rich archival material to present a vibrant portrait of life in Bradford.

In the first part of the workshop, pupils will be taken on a guided journey around the exhibition by our Learning Manager. They will then take part in a discussion on culture and identity, exploring themes such as migration, family, home, and belonging.

During the workshop, pupils will also explore the Bradford Family Album, the city’s biggest new digital archive of family photos . Featuring personal photographs from homes and community spaces across Bradford, the archive spans from the 1900s to the 2000s, and shares rich stories of migration, celebration, community spirit, fashion, and family life.

In the final part of the workshop, pupils will undertake an exercise to help them learn how to read images. Using visual literacy worksheets, they will work in small groups and choose one image to study in more detail and report their findings to the rest of the class.

The workshop encourages students to explore ideas about Bradford, culture, and identity, while giving them with the opportunity to work together, share experiences, and develop a deeper understanding of their own and each other’s cultural backgrounds.

Pupils will have the opportunity to:

• Learn about the exhibition.
• Learn how memories are preserved through photography and objects.
• Develop a deeper understanding of the lives, cultures, and experiences of different people and communities.
• Make connections between past and present by exploring old family photographs and newly commissioned photographs of people living in Bradford today.
• Learn how to read and interpret images.
  

Booking details 

We’re excited to offer up to three Bradford schools a free class workshop at Impressions Gallery, with some budget available to help cover coach travel. To find out more, please contact our Learning Manager at jennifersobol@impressions-gallery.com.

• Workshop cost £120 +VAT
• The session time is 2 hours long.
• Workshop available from 15 September to 19 December
• Maximum 35 students per session.
• Where possible, please book at least two weeks in advance.
• Call Jennifer Sobol, Learning Manager on 01274 737843 or email jennifersobol@impressions-gallery.com

Make Yourself at Home: Stories from Bradford is curated and produced by Impressions Gallery and New Focus: Bradford Young Curators. Commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.