A pioneering project exploring the history and legacy of Bradford’s Somali community has received national recognition at the Future Icons of Culture Knowledge Exchange Awards.
A partnership exploring the history and legacy of Bradford's Somali community has won a prestigious national cultural award.
The Somali Village project was named Cultural Knowledge Exchange Project of the Year at the Future Icons of Culture Knowledge Exchange Awards.
The award recognises projects which successfully transform academic research into meaningful cultural, creative or public outcomes.
Led by Somali Village, the Bradford project was delivered in partnership with Bradford Council's Bradford District Museums and Galleries, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford.
The research explored the experiences of the Somali community who came to Bradford as part of the city's 1904 Great Exhibition, which coincided with the opening of Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.
The Great Exhibition attracted 2.4 million visitors, with one of its most popular attractions being the so-called "Somali Village".
It involved 57 Muslim men, women and children from the Horn of Africa who lived and worked in Lister Park during the exhibition.
Researchers worked alongside Somali historians, elders, creatives and cultural experts to develop a more balanced understanding of the people who lived in the Village and their place in Bradford's history.
The work resulted in an archaeological excavation in Lister Park, a national television feature, a free schools resource pack and an exhibition at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.
The exhibition, which continues until 1 November, includes archaeological discoveries and objects loaned by members of Bradford's Somali community.
Research also found that approximately two-thirds of the profits from the 1904 Great Exhibition, including income generated by the Somali Village, were used to develop and expand Cartwright Hall's civic art collection between 1906 and 1928.
Professor Fozia Bora, Professor of Islamic History at the University of Leeds, said the award recognised "the power and the magic of effective collaboration".
Councillor Ian Walker, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said the project had highlighted an important part of Bradford's history through research, community collaboration and the Cartwright Hall exhibition.
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