About

South Square is delighted to be part of the Bradford 2025 Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture.

Here is a list of events we will be holding onsite at South Square on Saturday 20th September.

 

Still Life Drawing Workshop – 10am – 12pm

To celebrate having a selection of paintings from the Methodist Modern Art Collection we are running a Still Life Drawing Workshop responding to the painting in their collection, The Five Thousand, by Eularia Clarke.

Taking inspiration from the picnic style scene, we will set up a dinner table in the centre of the Community Room, where the paintings from the collection will be displayed. The workshop will be led by Zoe Maxwell, a local artist, and she will guide the group through different timed sketches and prompts.

Free - booking required

Mapping Bradford’s History– Talk 1pm – 2pm

Join the Historic Towns Trust to celebrate the city of Bradford through mapping its history.

The talk is about the Historic Towns Trust’s An Historical Map of Bradford publication, which shows the fascinating history of the city centre, and the two conservation areas of Manningham and Little Germany. The map is built on extensive research, drawing information from many archaeological and historical resources, brought together to show the historical development of the city. 

The talk will highlight how we create our maps, how we delivered our Bradford project and share the stories and learnings that the publication has uncovered, which are surprising even its authors in creating a new and more detailed narrative of Bradford’s history. 

As well as the talk, there will be a stall, activities and a small exhibition space, giving more detail about the project, with the opportunity to purchase the publication along with other maps produced by the Historic Towns Trust.

Free, no ticket required

Mary Sykes: The Untold Story of a Bradford Witch – 2:15pm – 3pm

The year is 1649. The aftermath of the Civil War hangs over Bradford. When a child is troubled by terrifying visions, and local livestock are mysteriously killed, suspicion falls on a woman from Bowling: her neighbours are convinced she’s a witch. Join historian, Cat Stiles, as we explore the true story of Mary Sykes to understand more about witch trials in the seventeenth century, and what it really meant to be called a witch.

Cat Stiles (she/her) is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Bristol. Her PhD thesis explores representations of female-presenting monsters in 17th century culture with a focus on gender, sexuality, and the monstrous body. Her work on Mary Sykes forms part of a larger project that will explore the untold stories of accused witches in Yorkshire.

Free – no ticket required