New Focus

New Focus is our award-winning young people's collective for 18 to 25 year olds from Bradford.

New Focus: Bradford Young Curators

Bradford Young Curators is part of our award-winning New Focus programme, and the ten young people taking part are already benefiting from workshops and mentoring from some of the UK’s leading photography experts and creative professionals.

At the heart of this 18-month programme is the handover of curatorial control from Impressions Gallery to the group, who are commissioning new work by five cutting-edge photographers from Bradford and beyond for a new exhibition opening September 2025. The collective will also go out into communities around the District to unearth Bradford’s cherished family photos and preserve the stories behind them, creating an online family album that will serve as a powerful tribute to the people and communities of Bradford.

In partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Bradford 2025

Past projects

Usmaan

I am an alumni of New Focus, I was involved with the production of films and funding videos for future projects. New Focus is a great way to meet other like-minded people who have creative ideas from different backgrounds. New Focus is ideal for you if you’re interested in trying something new whilst having fun along the way with some friendly faces. Being on New Focus has given me vast experience of making films and I am currently working on a project for the BBC.
Ione

New Focus has given me a new focus in life, being part of New Focus has been paramount in the growth of my confidence, and I’ve gradually felt more able to put myself into situations I otherwise wouldn’t have considered. New Focus allowed me to express myself outside of school and I’ve suddenly realised I have many more skills and qualities than I thought I had.
Nazish

I joined New Focus because I wanted to try something new and do activities outside of my comfort zone. I have met some amazing people. I have learnt loads about photography and the experiences of women during the First World War. I now understand the story of the First World War through the eyes of women, and got the chance to work in a team to create an amazing book exploring this!