Re-opening of Peace Museum at UNESCO World Heritage site near Bradford

Above: Salts Mill, Saltaire (courtesy of Visit Bradford)

The Peace Museum has reopened at its new home in Salts Mill in Saltaire after being closed for four years. The Museums Association reports:

'The museum, which used to be based in nearby Bradford, explores the history of peace, peacemakers, social reform and peace movements. Its 16,000-strong collection features banners, personal objects, campaign materials and artworks donated by people and organisations all over the world.

'The new premises include a new permanent exhibition, temporary exhibition gallery, an education space, research facilities and a shop. 

'For its first temporary exhibition, the museum has been working with artist Lakhbir Sangha to create a series of artworks inspired by the question: "What does peace mean to you?" Visitors can respond to this question and add their answers to an interactive artwork. This new artwork will be a three-dimensional resin outline of Bradford filled with hundreds of scrolls of material which can be removed and read. Each scroll will display one response to the question. 

'The move to a new site was supported by a grant of £245,651 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

'As well as the Heritage Fund, other supporters include Bradford 2025, Bradford City Council, Key Fund, Art Fund, Association of Independent Museums, Pilgrim Trust, Museum Development North and Arts Council England.'

Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is named after Sir Titus Salt, who built a textile mill and village on the river Aire in the 19th century.

The University of Bradford commented on the re-opening:

'It will showcase items including Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’s original drawings of the peace symbol. The original sketches, designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958, which belong to the Commonweal Collection but are cared for by the University of Bradford. 

'The Peace Museum, which will re-open to the public on Saturday 10 August, includes a retail space, exhibition area, academic research space, toilets and an office area. The museum’s move from Bradford’s Piece Hall Yard coincides with the 50th anniversary of the University of Bradford’s Department of Peace Studies this year.'

Professor Prathivadi Anand, from the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and The Peace Museum trustee, says the university and the museum will continue to work alongside each other:

'The opening of The Peace Museum in its new location is an important event for the university and the City of Bradford. 

“If the founding of the Department of Peace Studies at the university in 1973 has been a uniquely important event for the academic advancement of understanding and thinking about peace, the development of The Peace Museum in Bradford a couple of decades later has been important to advance public understanding of peace and the important roles of arts, literature, protests and public or collective action for peace. 

'As a trustee of The Peace Museum I hope to provide this academic link to the university and bring our collaborative and collective efforts to continue Bradford's pre-eminence as a centre for peace studies, inclusive and sustainable development.”

Professor Anand hopes university staff and students can link up with the museum by being volunteers and taking part in research.'

'Through The Peace Museum, we hope to bring many opportunities for our staff and students to be able to volunteer and also participate in research, networking, active learning and co-creation of new initiatives to promote peace education and youth leadership for global issues such as climate emergency or local issues such as better cohesion.'