The original (and glorious) Mechanics Institute building was located opposite Bradford City Hall, precisely where the BLF Festival Hub will be located. So it’s fitting this talk should be all about the original Victorian building.

The Institute itself was established in 1832 and 39 years later, the new Mechanics Institute building was opened on Bridge Street. It boasted shops, a newsroom, library, teaching rooms, a 1,500-seat lecture theatre – where Bradford Festival Choral Society rehearsed for decades – and an upper-floor restaurant. It became a Bradford landmark for 100 years before being demolished in the 1970s, amid much protest, with the Mechanics’ Institute moving to Kirkgate which is still its home today.

In this illustrated talk, hosted by Institute President Tricia Restorick, you will learn all about the building and its fascinating history.