Keighley Creative are pleased to announced that 5 artists have been specially selected by a panel of local people to design sculptures for a new arts trail launching this May.
Local artist, illustrator, sculptor and studio holder, Leonie Briggs is the founder of the sculpture and is working with the KC team to bring this new project to life.
Leonie explained:
“As an artist based in the heart of Keighley I wanted to design a project that demonstrated the creativity of the local community, brought something positive to the town, and highlighted the area’s rich folklore. After painting a sculpture for the Snooks Sculpture Trail in York and speaking to local young people about what they would like to see in the town, I thought it would be amazing if we could have our own sculpture trail.”
For the project’s theme Leonie has been inspired by local legend, Rombald the Giant, whose statue sits in the Airedale Shopping Centre. The story goes that Rombald and his wife threw stones that broke and created the Cow and Calf Rocks on Ilkley Moor. But Leonie wondered where the other little rocks might have ended up?! And the idea for the Rombald’s Rocks themed trail was born.
The Keighley Sculpture Trail is being supported by the Bradford 2025 Creative Communities Fund and Keighley BID, as its aims are to encourage creativity and increase footfall for businesses within the district. Therefore the team wanted to involve people from Keighley as much as possible so have been proactively looking for those who would like to get involved. Opportunities we have recruited for include workshop facilitators, graphic designers, selection panel members and artists.
Ten “Rombald’s Rocks” sculptures are being made by Leonie. Five of them will be decorated by groups representing different communities of Keighley, namely Highfield Community Association, The Good Shepherd Centre, One in a Million group at Sue Belcher Centre, Wednesday Leisure and Hainworth Wood Community Centre. The other five will be decorated by selected individual artists that have been chosen by a community panel made up of local volunteers.
Photo: Bob Smith Photography
The chosen artists are:
- Catherine Fortey – a Shipley-based author, illustrator, printmaker and potter;
- Dripsy – a Keighley-raised street artist;
- Jon Britten – a self-taught creative artist based in Keighley;
- Nicola Storr – an illustrator, art teacher, and workshop facilitator based in Bingley; and
- Sven Shaw – an illustrator and painter based in Baildon.
The launch of “Rombald’s Rocks” will be on Saturday 24th May 2025 when the ten sculptures will be unveiled in different locations around Keighley, encouraging people to explore the town centre and highlighting some local landmarks. The trail is also supported by Keighley BID and local businesses as they recognise how such events are key for promoting shopping on the high street.
Prior to the launch weekend, the team will be encouraging more people to get involved so they are running free, family-friendly arts and crafts workshops.
Cat Murray, Keighley Creative’s Event Manager explained:
“The trail is not just for artists, it’s for everyone. We want as many local people as possible to get involved so we are running workshops around town from the end of April, where local people can come along and make their own Rombald’s Rocks themed artworks. Also we’d love people to take an active role in the launch weekend if possible so we have volunteer roles available. Watch this space for more information on these upcoming opportunities.”
For more information on Keighley Sculpture Trail, workshops and volunteer opportunities, follow us on social media @keighleycreative or look out for the flyers including a trail map which will be available at key locations in the town centre.
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Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025) runs from January 2025 to December 2025 and is a celebration of Bradford city and district, taking place across its city, towns, villages and greenspaces. It will showcase the rich history of the area and spotlight its dynamic contemporary culture in all forms; dance and theatre, music and film, visual arts and crafts, food and sport. The City of Culture designation has already brought significant investment to the region and been a catalyst for development. It is set to have a lifelong impact through its reshaping of the local curriculum, skills and training programmes, investment in existing and new creative spaces, and opening up opportunities for cultural participation.
