Make an Enquiry
a
M
Make an Enquiry

Check Out Our Previous Projects

‘Response#1’ – May 2020

This project was the start of something beautiful! United Art Project | The Peace Museum (rit.org.uk) Bradford United Art project connects painters young and old | Bradford Telegraph and Argus (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk)

Whilst the world was experiencing a lock down, the Bradford Council opened up a RESPONSE fund to get creative, and so we did!

All qualifying households comprised of those isolating alone, or in households of 5 persons max (due to funding). The husbands and wives, the mums, the dads, the sons and daughters, the grandmas and grandads: the NHS staff, the fiancées, the furloughed, the self-employed; the whole community of Bradford and the borders were involved. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that at some point on the ‘paint day’ another family, in another household were painting at the same time…they were not alone!

All 120 participants agreed to be available on the same date (Tuesday 26th May 2020) where the mass 24-hour, midnight-to-midnight painting session commenced.

The project included a handful of 4-5yr olds and a 93yr old gentleman who found our advertisement in the Telegraph and Argus! From this project he was featured in the local T&A himself AND appeared on the ‘Not Just Hockney’ website – how fantastic!

We see Project 1 as a monumental piece of history to be revered for years to come, and a definite asset for Bradford’s ‘City of Culture 2025’ bid.

Enjoy the Masterpieces – created by a group of modern-day Picasso’s.

‘Summer Unlocked’ – August 2021

In August 2021 – Over a year from Project 1 – The United Art Project won a SECOND bid with the Bradford Council for the Summer holidays.

For Six weeks – the project took to the beautiful Bradford outdoors and nestled itself in one of the biggest Estates in West Yorkshire – Holmewood!

A plethora of children and young person, adult only, older people, and family Picasso paint sessions were designed and developed for the local and wider communities to really feel like a Picasso! Easels were set up, and paint stations laid out.

Picnic paints, sunrise paints, woodland paints saw families UNITING from different areas of Bradford! Their excitement and their energy combined made for some pretty unique and spectacular paint sessions.

A Paint-day takeaway kit – inspired from Project 1- was also offered to those members who did not wish to physically join in the outdoor session due to shielding, and practical matters. Here the members picked up their ‘Takeaway’ and designed their very own Picasso Paint session- much like the sessions in May 2020.

The masterpieces were photographed by Sarah and a small weekly, fun ‘Picasso Competition’ saw members win a mug, T-shirt, bag, or key ring with their winning masterpiece on the front! 

‘Paint on the Parade’ – March 2022

‘Paint on the Parade’ was funded by the Bradford council and a host of other partnerships. Together as a team: The United Art Project and OutLOUD Ltd combined their skills, expertise and creative vision to manage a great street art project that would benefit the Holmewood community. Several creative workshops made sure that we saw the vision of the estate so we could give the people what they wanted. With the fantastic talent of street artists @cortisolkid and @rotaone – the bottom parade of shops on the Holmewood estate has been transformed into a quirky and vibrant hub. All the residents using the local amenities were thrilled at our efforts and we thank those who showered us with praise, motivation and cups of coffee for the two weeks we were on site; we even had the Telegraph and Argus feature us in the newspaper!

Incredible new look for shop shutters in Holme Wood | Bradford Telegraph and Argus (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk)

If you venture down to the bottom parade – make sure you take a selfie with the Dino – Holmewood’s very own ‘selfie’ dinosaur!

 ‘Jubilee Paint’ – June 2022

This project had members of Victoria Park in Oakenshaw come and experience one of our Picasso paint opportunities – to celebrate the Queens Jubilee. Both children and adults sat on the grass or at an easel and painted their Masterpiece!

‘Pop Up’ Exhibition – September 2022

This project was funded by the Bradford Council. It was the end to a fantastically long await! After two years of storing the 120 canvases – The United Art Project FINALLY received the necessary support and funding to stage its very own Pop Up Exhibition. The 120 canvases painted in Project 1 were now going to be exhibited across three Bradford locations – Wibsey Community Garden, Trapezium Art Galley and Bradford Cathedral. We saw lots of new potential Picassos come to look at the masterpieces and offer some feedback on what they saw, and on project 1 itself. We also had some original Picasso members come to look at their masterpieces and meet – 2 years later- other Picasso members! It was a wonderful emotional weekend, seeing the 2020 vision playing out is such quirky and awe-striking environments.

‘The Holmewood Collective’ Part 1 – 2022

Funded by The LEAP and ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND. This 10 month project saw The United Art project team up with OutLOUD and The Sutton centre in the BD4 area of Bradford. We introduced a Creative Cash award into the area and local residents applied to receive between £50 – £200 to either continue, or start up a creative endeavour. These ranged from Guitar lessons, fairy door making, prop design materials and wellbeing craft sessions. The United Art Project worked with several community members in face paint and set design workshops and this Art group went on to create and design parts of the very first Holmewood Collective Holmewood Christmas Festival where over 500 local residents attended. A fantastic all round community experience!

‘The HE.ARTists Collective’ – Feb 2023- Jan 2024

This was a big bold and wonderful Pioneering project funded by The LEAP. The aim was to bring artistic opportunities to a small group of College age Artists to help them decipher if they see the Art scene as an avenue to pursue. The 4 girls chosen to complete the project were exposed to research methods of artistic inquiry, live action art experiences with the United Art Project, engaging in new creative experiences never before encountered as well as having the responsibility of steering their final art exhibition for all the district to see. Part of the HE.ARTists project was to create a web page for these young and budding artists to exhibit their work and gain confidence in selling their work and offering their new found experience to workshop facilitation and commissions. Head over to ………. To take a look.

‘Holmewood Christmas Festival’ – 2023

We only went and did It again! This year we were funded by the Bradford Council to design and develop the Holmewood Christmas Festival 2023. This time the Holmewood Collective used the learnings from 2022 and strategically crafted a month of events that would invite BD4 residents to join in many different creative Arts events to sing along to panto, become one of Santas Creative Elves, enjoy a Rudolph Rave, pay respect to those we love and the big one – the HWD Christmas Market.

Horton Housing – Jan – Aug 2023

Referral process – A commissioned piece of work that has organically grown from one small, serendipitous meeting in Victoria Park in 2022! We were commissioned to work with a group of Afghan young people displaced by war. We had a certain amount of weeks to explore themes of uncertainty, safety, health and home, coupled with learning basic art techniques. The teens were then presented with a blank canvas and supported in designing and planning the layout of their artistic choices. July 2023 came and the evictions notices from Government policy ensued, although our work came to an abrupt end and we missed a few goodbyes to some of our group; we were still able to offer a ‘good enough’ painty ending for those who were still in situ.

‘HWD:Fest’ The Highlights – July 2023 

Funded by Bradford Council- The Holmewood Collective struck again! This time bigger, balshy with epic vision and creative mastery. Imagine a festival aimed at engaging a particular community – the BD4 community. Rap, spoken word, cheer dance, live spray art and fine art, food and drink, real size busses, Mascots, cardboard forts, facepainting balloon modelling, DJ sets, horses and theatre were all packed into Knowles Park for a day! A total partnership of working of all the community orgs that programme on the Holmewood estate!

Queenie and the Pooka Art – Spin Arts – This was such a great project to be a part of! Ever painted on fabric canvas? We have! This wee commission tested us to the max and gave many learning opportunities along the way. The brief involved designing, planning and painting a bespoke back drop and custom prop painting. We were able to use our imaginations and paint away … It was lovely to see our masterpiece join the Pop Up tour with the cast and crew!

Click here to view our highlight video!

‘Knife Angel Project’ – Bradford – April 2023

The United Art Project were invited by Bradford Youth Justice Service to support the month-long event for the Knife Angel taking residency in Centenary Square. We offered three different Picasso Paint events across the month. Picasso Paint one was held on the day of the Knife Angel unveiling where we were interviewed by the radio and featured (ever so briefly) on TV. We were met with wonderful Picassos eager to paint their rendition of the statue. Picasso Paint 2 saw us ‘Pop Up’ on a lovely rainy Wednesday as we invited those who were in town (in the school holidays) and viewing the statue to show us their responses to the Knife Angel and its message. Picasso Paint three had us setting up several different paint stations in line with the scout memorial parade that started in Bradford Cathedral and ended at the Knife Angel in centenary square – Scouts, cubs, police cadets and others all collaborated in designing three large Painted statues of the Angel using their fingers and thumbs! A great team effort!

‘The Wall Says it All’ – Feb – May 2023

This is pretty much it – the wall says it all – if you’ve seen it! This mammoth task was a culmination of community design and imagination. With funding from the @Bradfordcouncil; The UAP spent 2 weeks meeting the local groups at the TFD centre and asking them – if they could re-design the wall in the TFD Centre – what would it include! Sparks flew – Imaginations went riot! We had to enlist the help of @Cortisol Kid to harness the sheer imaginative energy and turn it in to a structured and formatted image that we could paint. Along the months of trials and tribulations we enlisted the help of our volunteers, The HE.ARTists and the other young people who attended their weekly sessions to help us paint the 50 metre canvas! Enjoy the images – we just love to see Magic Ice creams and tigers in Caves!

‘Connect To Create’ – April – July 2024 

Funded by the VCS Alliance – A small invite only project that seeks to unite young people seeking sanctuary in Bradford. They will spend time creating Masterpieces that celebrate their identity and offer a space to communicate through image. The end will culminate in a trip to Fell Edge Farm where the young people will go ‘full Picasso’ and take to the country side to explore their uniqueness further.

‘At Home to Paint’ – April – July 2024

In partnership with Horton Housing – commissioned – Several 6-week projects working closely with our young teens who are seeking sanctuary in Bradford and who currently live in residencies. Creating art for their communal areas was the aim and boy did they deliver! Its amazing what such a non-verbal process such as Art making can have on a group of individuals of whom some cannot speak English. Rather connecting through image and art!

‘Messy Mondays’ – Jan – March 2024

In partnership with Bierley Community Centre – Funded by VCS Alliance – Working on a school provision with the local Traveller community children and families!

 Better Place Bfd and Cecil Green Arts Lantern Parade – Feb 2024

In partnership with Better Place Bradford – We were invited to join in with the nighttime fun at Cecil Green Arts winter parade. We took our neon lights out and enthralled the young ones with the magic of light. Neon teddy bears came alive under the cloak of night! 

Bradford Children and Foster Services – Jan 2024

Referral process – A lovely weekend where we were invited to facilitate a ‘Picasso Paint’ in the grounds of the magnificent Cartwright Hall – what a place! It was here that several young Picassos took to their easels to design from their fingertips thee most mind moving of Masterpieces.

‘Flow State Create’ – Dec 2023 – March 2024

JS – commission – in partnership with The Youth Justice Service and @rapforgood aka. Wilko Wilkes. This 2-taster 10-week project stole our hearts as we worked closely with a group of young people who each week ventured through the roadworks of Bradford to get to us for some creative expression and vocal mastery. The project culminated in a rather grand exhibition where they showed their wordsmithery and penchant for colour and flare on the canvas. The young people discussed topics such as homelife, friendships, relationships, faith and religion, marriage, anger, and we were blown away by their attention to detail on their final masterpieces and raps. They had paid attention, they had practised and refined their technique. They had statements to make and creations to share. What a wonderful adventure we all had, sharing Barneys Pizza and and …well, flowing! Thank you to the Bradford Youth Justice Service staff for making us feel literally a part of the team!

‘One in a Million Charity’ 

Commission – We have been working with the young Picassos who attend OIAM sessions on a weekly basis. It was lovely to join them for a small 6-week project and one of their half term Taster sessions. We are already planning our return!…

‘Neon the Night’ – Oct – Nov 2023

Funded by the LEAP – What a Night that was! The team spent 6 weeks preparing for this spectacle that was to be celebrated under the darkness of the November sky. An eruption of colour, of illuminous and fluorescent imagery lit the bowling green with flurrys of pink, blue, yellow, green, purples, reds, organges. Ongoing weekly community workshops saw toddler and older people come together to design vibrant artwork ready for the main event. Check out the neon tent that we painted!

Bradford College 14-16yo Provision – 2023-24

Commission – referral process –  a school academic year working collaboratively with students from around the district who either understand, (or learnt along the way) the benefits of art expression with trusting adults in a warm and welcoming creative environment. In these sessions themes of teen life were explored and discussed. Relationships were built and personalities blossomed.

‘Go Arty’ – 2023- 24

Bradford College – commission – Ongoing monthly opportunities for the students of Bradford to come together, take a moment and process their heavy workloads through creativity. A chance to pause and process, to use the space and time to try something totally different, getting out of the head and into the body!

Ravenscliffe Summer Paint – Aug 2023

What fun this was – We were tasked with facilitating several Arty sessions during the summer holidays. The young people were so excited to experiment with different kinds of paint! They even met @cortisolkid as they watched him transform their worn out, tired door shutters into a magnificent combination of Hills and animals – just what they envisioned!

Community Fun Day – July 2023

YJS – Bradford Park Ave football day – Charity Fundraiser – The UAP were invited to host one of our classic Picasso Paint days in the wonderful grounds of Horsefall Stadium.

‘Art in the Park’ – April 2024

Funded by Groundworks Yorkshire and Leeds City Council at Hembrigg Park, Leeds. One thing we do well if facilitate unique and bespoke #artforfree experiences that entice and engage all family members. The early morning dog walkers, the local kids, the counsellors, the families who drove to the unfamiliar park to attend the event itself all played their part in offering and designing bespoke Masterpieces that would support Jamie the Spray artist in his design and development of the parks wall and community out building. We also worked alongside ……. To gain lots of cool information and opinions for local residents who will be using the space and the park once it is finished! Some of the designs invented on that day have been forever immortalised on some of the playground stones! How cool! Take a look!…

Refugee Week ‘Unity Paint’ – 2023 and 2024

Funded by Bradford Council – Refugee week 2023 and 2024 . In 2023 we took part in sharing the canvas with our families who have been displaced by war. We invited staff and residents to join hands on the canvas. We sent the message of welcome, support and togetherness through the use of colour, canvas, and our hands. In 2024 we invited all the young peole we have been working with for the last 3 months to Trapezium Art Gallery in Bradford town centre. I exhibitied their work and hosted a live paint session in the Gallery space.

‘Paint on the Park’ – March 2023

Once again, riding on the waves of our ‘Paint on the Parade’ Project in 2022; we were co-commissioned by Bradford Council to Jazz up the Recreation grounds in Idle. The UAP spent time speaking to the local bowling members as the designs were to fill three sides of their building.

What came in 2023?

The Holmewood Collectives HWDFEST:23 came to Knowles Park on 22nd July- Check out our Insta and facebook page!

We completed @Bradforcouncil funded mural project called ‘The Wall Says it All’ – Check out our Insta and facebook page!

We facilitated weekly therapeutic paint sessions with young people displaced by war from January – August 2023 and have kept a good relationship with Horton Housing. 

The H.E.ARTists Collective finished their GCSEs and College exams, developed a wicked project exhibition and continue to work with us!

We completed a lovely little project for @SpinArts- a theatre backdrop, staging and prop painting for their touring show ‘Queenie and the Pooka’ – Go take a look! Its fabulous!

‘Neon the Night’ was a huge hit in Peel Park as part of the BD:Lit Festival – Thank you to @Bradfordyouthservice for their support!

The Holmewood Collective – HWD:Christmas Festival came back! This time it lasted throughout the whole of December! check it out!