Sense of Place: Halifax

sense of place

HALIFAX

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A photograph by Bill Brandt from the 1930s portrays the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire as a place of giant factories and smoking chimney stacks that tower over signs of human life. This provided the foundation for my photographic project, which sought to portray this northern town as it is now and as it is seen by people without preconceptions or prejudices.

Having come ‘Up North’ to study at Leeds University, I moved more recently to the Upper Calder Valley, with its quaint villages and moors. But Halifax was part of Calderdale I had tended to pass by.

My photographic exploration of Halifax followed four short walking routes into the town centre from each of the main compass points, with images captured informally on a mobile phone. The places from where the walks started and finished became the subject of photographic studies, with a handful of images created in Bill Brandt’s low-key, high-contrast style of photography.

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In partnership with the local college, a class of young people who are seeking asylum and learning English – with a fresh perspective on the town – used carefully chosen words to draw significance from the images. The students then chose their own locations in Halifax and took their own photographs, many also explaining what was shown in their image and the significance of the place to them.

The most important discovery from this project is that it was not just a masterclass to inspire budding photographers. The collaborative process and the shared experience created a body of work where is does not matter who pressed the shutter release or what equipment was used. What matters is that the published work does help to portray a sense of place about a much-misunderstood Northern post-industrial town and, on the way, it has helped to develop the English skills and build the self-esteem of a group of young people from around the world who are seeking asylum.

Gerard Liston

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The thoughts, feelings and memories that surfaced in response to Gerard’s photographs were enriched with, but not bound by, delight, laughter, inquisitiveness, sadness, anger, reflection, and compassion.

Rich comparisons were made between Halifax and the countries students have travelled through and from. This project allowed students to broaden their vocabulary and explore unfamiliar words associated with Halifax such as ‘cobbles’ and ‘fly-tipping’.

I am so proud and impressed by the photos students have taken and their professionalism throughout the project. These students are the future of Halifax.

Eve Wagster, Course Tutor, Calderdale College

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With particular thanks to students on the ESOL course 2021-22 whose images are each identified in this collection: Hana (Eritrea) Ibrahim (Sudan) Sharo (Iraq) Barez (Kurdistan) Shamzin (Kurdistan) Saju (Bangladesh) Ayesha (Pakistan) Hamza (Afghanistan) Touseef (Pakistan) Josselin C (El Salvador) Imrane (Morocco) Martina (Slovakia) Zhangwei (China) Sude (Turkey)

Eisa (Sudan) Kaywan (Iran) Mahammad (Iraq) Heman (Kurdistan) Criss (Romania) Ansa (Pakistan) Safa (Pakistan), Trung-Anh (Vietnam) Josselin L (El Salvador) Cristian (El Salvador) Ahmed (France) Anastasiia (Russia) Fuad (Ethiopia)

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Bill Brandt (1937) Halifax

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From the North: Halifax Boxing Club to Dean Clough Halifax Boxing Club is a not-for-profit social enterprise, ploughing back any surplus to develop its work. People from all parts of the community are involved in activities that promote health, wellbeing and community engagement. The club is housed in the historic Ladyship Mills building.

Dean Clough is a set of historic Victorian mills covering a 22 acre site and was once the largest carpet manufacturer in the world.

Now, visitors can find bars, restaurants, shops and art galleries.

Dean Clough hosts events, music and plays, with its astonishing, subterranean Viaduct Theatre providing a 300-seat auditorium. https://goo.gl/maps/WfbqTNsg1sFsj3jw6 Imagery © 2021 Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky, Maxar Technologies The Geoinformation Group, Map data © 2021

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From the East: Shibden Hall to North Bridge Shibden Hall dates back to 1420 and was home to diarist Anne Lister between 1791 - 1840. It is surrounded by Shibden Park, a beautifully restored gardens and estate, which provides visitors with a cafe, miniature railway, boating lake, walking trails, play area, orienteering course and woodland.

North Bridge is an ornate Victorian iron and stone bridge that crosses the valley of the River Hebble, connecting the town to roads for Bradford and Leeds. In spite of safety measures, the bridge has acquired notoriety as a place from where people have jumped to their deaths. https://goo.gl/maps/8oFgYiXAzbYyF2rn7 Imagery © 2021 Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky, Maxar Technologies The Geoinformation Group, Map data © 2021

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‘Relax, energy, power, stress go’

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‘It looks like the autumn about to come’

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‘If I had a car, I wouldn’t use it’

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‘In my country, maybe just one person bring you a paper or any post’

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‘… can’t speak and understand English so good …’

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‘… so beautiful and so dangerous …’

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From the South: Salterhebble to Halifax FC Salterhebble is where the Hebble Brook flows into the River Calder and is on the main route into Halifax from Huddersfield and Brighouse. The Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal has a short branch at Salterhebble called the Halifax Arm, which used to lead into the town centre.

Halifax Football Club was formed on 24 May 1911. But, in 2007, the club was docked ten points for entering administration and only survived relegation on the last day of the season. It was re-formed under the name F.C. Halifax Town and is nicknamed in tribute to the location of its modest stadium near the town centre - The Shay. https://goo.gl/maps/FWA6AqNwpH2Xysmu8 Imagery © 2021 Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky, Maxar Technologies The Geoinformation Group, Map data © 2021

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‘I like the man’s plaited beard’

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‘… boat’s very expensive but cheaper than house …’

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‘Old Man, Fan, Halifax’

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From the West: Calderdale College to The Piece Hall Calderdale College is the largest provider of further education courses and apprenticeships for post-16 students and the only provider of higher education courses in Calderdale, with around 5,000 learners. Courses include English for Speakers of Other Languages Skills for Life.

The Piece Hall dates from 1779 and is the only survivor of the great northern cloth halls. The building was used for trading 30 yard lengths of cloth - ‘pieces’– produced on handlooms in homes around Calderdale. The Piece Hall has recently undergone an award-winning £19m conservation and transformation programme. https://goo.gl/maps/P26YQR66xpzUV6m88 Imagery © 2021 Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky, Maxar Technologies The Geoinformation Group, Map data © 2021

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‘I wish there were more places to visit in Halifax’

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Imrane

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Imrane

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Kaywan

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Imrane

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Ahmed

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Heman

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Sude

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Shamzin

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Imrane

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Criss

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Cristian

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Fuad

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Barez

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Criss

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Shamzin

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Cristian

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Imrane

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Touseef

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Zang

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Sude

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Zang

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Trung

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‘We go to the mosque to pray’

Saju

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Saju

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Zang

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Gerard Liston gerard@objective.uk.com

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