Award-winning project brings Bradford’s forgotten Somali Village story into focus
A project exploring how a Somali community was transported to Bradford and placed on public display has received national recognition.
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The Somali Village exhibition at Cartwright Hall traces the story of 57 Muslim men, women and children from the Horn of Africa who were brought to Lister Park in 1904 to live and work as part of the city’s Great Exhibition.
The project has won the Cultural Knowledge Exchange Project of the Year Award at the Future Icons of Culture Knowledge Exchange Awards.
Co-curator Abira Hussein described the award, which includes £1,000 in funding, as a “nice surprise”. The money will support further research and community engagement.
“We’re hoping that some of this can be more permanent and that there’ll be a permanent presence and a way for people who come to Cartwright Hall to be aware of this history,” Hussein said.
“This is a starting point. We’ve had a lot of engagement with workshops, with exhibition tours, and a lot of schools being involved.”
Hussein acknowledged that presenting the history had been difficult, but said it was “necessary” and that visitors had responded positively.
“Initially, I had some concerns and worries. This is not an easy history to tell, particularly what’s been happening politically,” she explained.
“But actually, a lot of people have said it’s important this history has been told.”
The award celebrates projects that turn academic research into cultural, creative or public outcomes, while highlighting partnerships between universities and the arts and culture sectors.
The exhibition is the result of a collaboration involving Bradford Council, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford.
According to Hussein, the project’s partnership between researchers and Bradford’s living Somali community was central to its success.
“I think it’s the way forward with these histories because they affect different communities,” she said.
“The materials are dispersed, so I think the knowledge exchange was essential between the academics, between Somali cultural knowledge with community archives and with creative practice.”
The Somali Village project team is hoping to share the story with new audiences in West Yorkshire and further afield/ Aisha Iqbal/BBC
Research for the exhibition included an archaeological excavation at Lister Park, uncovering evidence of everyday life in the village.
The Bradford Great Exhibition attracted 2.4 million visitors in 1904, and the Somali Village was among its most popular attractions.
While living and working in the park, the villagers were observed carrying out routine activities, cultural rituals and staged battle recreations.
The exhibition remains on display at Cartwright Hall until 1 November.
