Kirklees Together

We’ve been supporting the University of Huddersfield in collecting amazing stories from across Kirklees.  These stories are all about celebrating and challenging, informing and inspiring change across our district, and in particular how this links in with culture.

Culture isn’t just about where we come from, how we grew up, our religions and beliefs – it’s about art, music and history, how we experience and interact with the world, how we learn and how we share our experiences with others.

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for films and moving images of all lengths and styles, from past and present, from home movies to professional productions.

Have you documented the way your town has changed recently over TikTok?  Do you have a home movie of your grandmother talking about how she grew up in Kirklees?  Or have you been part of a filming project to share local arts and crafts workshops?

All this comes together to show us how change, connection and creativity help shape people’s lives, and will help us share the voices of people whose stories might otherwise be overlooked.

The exhibition will focus on three main topics:

• Learning
  How are people in all stages of life learning through cultural activity?
• Health and wellbeing
  How is engaging in creative and cultural activity helping people to live healthier and happier lives?
• Heritage
  How do diverse voices shape heritage narratives and spaces?

If you have any video content that might fit the bill, the university would love to include it.

How will your videos be used?

Between January and May, the university will be hosting an exhibition to celebrate cultural development in Kirklees, and to prompt more conversation around how this benefits Kirklees and local people.

This exhibition is part of Cultures of Film – a wider collaborative project between lots of different cultural and creative partners across Kirklees.

Why is this important?

Culture is for everyone, and it has incredible power to improve and enrich our lives.  It’s a huge part of how we grow and change, as communities and as places.  It’s also a huge part of our plans for Huddersfield and wider Kirklees through Our Cultural Heart, and through other exciting projects.

That’s why we – along with other organisations including businesses from the Creative Piazza, the Culture Collective, Proper Job Theatre Company and more local professionals – are supporting this initiative from the university’s Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture. and Creative Health Hub.

You can find out more on Creative Kirklees and submit your videos here by Friday 19 December!