Big, bold, and proudly Bradford. The People Powered Press are partnering with Bradical Press and writer Nabeela Ahmed to bring a powerful new mural to OUR TURN, celebrating the raw beauty and rebellious spirit of the city.
Created with MAPA Community Centre, Bradical Press Participants and residents from Shipley, this striking letterpress installation uses the world’s largest letterpress proofing press to showcase words and phrases written and designed by local people. Inspired by the theme Bad & Beautiful, the artwork captures Bradford’s unapologetic charm. From horse riders vaping through the streets to bread crates turned cricket wickets. Accompanied by a free zine and a series of smaller prints, the project fuses visual art, poetry and design into a joyful celebration of identity, resistance and place. Equal parts protest, poetry and print, this is Bradford as told by those who live it, unfiltered, unexpected, unforgettable.
About the Creatives
The People Powered Press is a Bradford-based print and design organisation using the world’s largest letterpress to create bold, collaborative artworks. Originating from the design studio Split, they use traditional printing methods in radical, community-led ways, working with over 4,000 participants to date. Their unique Brico type system and mobile approach to mural-making put typography and storytelling directly into the hands of local people. From multi-sheet murals to zines, their practice blurs the boundaries between fine art, public art, and socially engaged design. The People Powered Press is driven by a belief in the power of co-creation, accessibility, and artistic ambition, championing quality and originality in every neighbourhood, not just the gallery. They regularly collaborate with writers, artists, and community groups to amplify diverse voices and celebrate local culture in vivid, unfiltered ways. Their mission is simple: to spread words worth spreading.
Nabeela Ahmed is a writer, multilingual poet and spoken word artist. Her debut poetry collection, From Kashmir to Yorkshire, was launched this year at Bradford Literature Festival via Yaffle Press.
Munaza Kulsoom, founder and editor of a zine project called Bradical Press, was born and raised in Bradford. Bradical Press was created to promote Brown writing, artists and Bradford.