The Peace Museum at Culture Fusion

The Peace Museum is running many of its education, learning and outreach programmes from a new state-of-the-art youth centre in Bradford called Culture Fusion. 

What is Culture Fusion?

For:

“The children and young people of Bradford to have a positive impact on inclusion and cohesion across the city by working together, and with partners and communities to address underlying issues and causes.”

Culture Fusion is intended to be a way of life, leading by example, showing the world how children, young people and partners from different social, religious and cultural backgrounds are able to come together to make a real difference.

It will be a ‘second home’ for children and young people in their time of need and an exciting, ever-changing and inspirational place for children and young people to have fun, learn, relax and fulfil their potential.
The Peace Museum is delighted to be a Culture Fusion Parnter and has fantastic designated space within the building, from which to lead on Peace and Cohesion.   Already visitors to the building are describing the Peace Pod and Peace Room as exciting and engaging and schools are eagerly booking to bring their pupils to engage in work on frienship, cohesion, peacebuilding, anti-bullying and work around the Olympic and Paralympic Values of:

• Respect – fair play; knowing one’s own limits; and taking care of one’s health and the environment
• Excellence – how to give the best of oneself, on the field of play or in life; taking part; and progressing according to one’s own objectives
• Friendship – how, through sport, to understand each other despite any differences
• Courage
• Determination
• Inspiration
• Equality

The Playing for Peace display boards (Olympic 2012 Inspired Mark) are on permanent display in the building and supported by the resource Sport, Courage, Peace and Friendship, are the basis of much of this work.

The Peace Museum staff will work with key partners (in particular the YMCA, Innovation Centre Bradford and the Schools Linking Network) to provide a stimulating environment, exhibitions, activities, and inclusive educational experiences for pupils in schools, young people, teachers and members of Bradford’s many diverse communities.

Provision will be based around what young people, schools and communities have said they want and need, current issues and events, and artefacts and materials from the Museum’s collections.  Wherever practical the full use of new and emerging technologies will be made and activities will be sustainable and suitable for extension in a variety of ways.

The Peace Pod and Peace Room  has already welcomed junior ‘Peacemakers’ and is also the base for a multi-agency and multi-faith group of adults who are currently designing a twelve-week programme under the working title of Bradford Peace Festival 2013.

International links are strong at Culture Fusion and we will be welcoming student volunteers from the Philippines and the Ukraine.  Part of the role of Culure Fusion is to offer such visitors an insight into faith and culture in the BMD and The Peace Museum will be leading on this provision.

There are plans to make Culture Fusion the YMCA’s European International Centre for Peace.

The Peace Pod and Peace Room are available for use by faith and community groups by prior arrangement.

What other organisations are at Culture Fusion?

Partners partly (or wholly) based at Culture Fusion include:  Schools Linking Network (SLN), Youth Service (Bradford Council), Bradford College, Bradford Youth Development Partnership (BYDP), NHS, and Job Centre Plus, to name just a few.

Culture Fusion’s 3,000 square metre facility includes a rooftop events area and cafe, climbing wall, elevated wildflower meadow, gym, dance and music studios, IT suite, hostel accommodation for educational residential trips, and tenant voluntary organisations who offer advice on a variety of issues ranging from business and housing support to relationship counselling.

Where is Culture Fusion?

Culture Fusion is located at the former mill on Thornton Road at:  125 Thornton Road, Bradford BD1 2EP (opposite the Wow Academy)