Bloom, Shipley

There was yet another Bradford City of Culture event at the weekend, this time in Shipley Markey Place. 'Bloom' was a large-scale performance, 'paying tribute to the past, present and future of Shipley and its people'. It was 'a show about yesterday and about tomorrow, about our shared industrial heritage and what we might build next; a show about the power of community and the importance of connection -  and, most of all, a show about how we’re stronger when we come together as one'.

Created for Bradford 2025 by Upswing, one of the UK’s leading contemporary circus companies, it featured a large cast, with local movement artists, a community choir (which included several of my friends) and Upswing’s own team of world-class acrobats.  

It was pretty spectacular, making good use of Shipley's iconic 1960s Brutalist clock tower - which an acrobat climbed and from where, at the very top, an opera singer performed.

The finale involved eight acrobats dangling from a rig on a huge crane. They were lifted over the buildings, above the crowd, and performed an expressive aerial dance, later joined by some more of the performers from the stage - who weren't even attached by a harness but simply wrapped their feet and thighs in the ropes. 👀 I understand that the acrobats hanging from the rig and the person who reverse-abseiled the tower were local people who’d trained specially for the show. Those on the stage and who climbed the ropes were the Upswing professionals. Impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed it.