The Mill – City of Dreams
The contemporary story of Bradford’s journey from Mill town to modern day multicultural metropolis is explored in Freedom Studios’ The Mill – City of Dreams.
Being screened in the disused Drummonds Mills in Manningham, Bradford, the play runs from 29th March to 16th April, and will tell the tale of people from Pakistan, India, Ireland, Poland, Italy and the Ukraine who migrated to Bradford to seek financial security by working in the mills.
Drummonds Mill, once a huge hub of activity in its industrial prime, will be reincarnated as a theatre with dramatic sound and light effects and colourful sets that have been described as both intimate and epic.
Written by Jonathan Holmes and Madani Younis, The Mill- City of Dreams seeks not only to inform and educate about the history of Bradford, but also dispel modern day preconceptions about certain areas of Bradford. Set in Manningham, an area associated with riots and unrest, the play aims to highlight the setting from a different perspective; one of the personal narratives of struggle and of a journey towards acceptance for its inhabitants.
The interviews, which form the basis of the play, have been conducted with mixed groups of young people from school and community groups. This process aims to inspire confidence in the participants and to encourage integration between all the communities working together.
The cast will feature an ensemble of professional performers from the countries where migrants originated from and a community cast of twenty mixed-age Bradford residents.
Director Madani Younis hopes that the project will enable the people of Bradford to both embrace their illustrious past and celebrate the modern day city that so many different nationalities now call home in addition to regenerating forgotten locations: “The Mill – City of Dreams is a promenade experience that will breathe new life into this forgotten space and lead the audience through a journey of re-discovery.”
This innovative play forms part of Imove, a celebration of human movement bringing together the best creative talent from Yorkshire to devise a programme of events to inspire the public in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Whether you’re from Bradford or not, The Mill- City of Dreams promises to challenge our views of Bradford whether past or present, positive or negative, and to help shape a new future understanding of this patchwork city.
For ticket information contact www.themill-cityofdreams.com
