Frontline 1984/1985: A Panel Discussion with Victor Wedderburn

A discussion inspired by Victor Wedderburn's photography centering African-Caribbean social, cultural and community lived experience from the 80's to the present day in Bradford and beyond.

The University of Bradford in partnership with the Bradford City of Culture 2025 and the Black Heritage Arts and Culture Group (BHAC) are delighted to host a unique digital presentation of Victor Wedderburn’s acclaimed photo exhibition Frontline 1984/1985, which was first featured earlier this year as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. This event showcases Wedderburn’s first collection of social-documentary photography with rare colour images that capture African-Caribbean life in Bradford during the 1980s, alongside photographs of an Anti-Apartheid rally in Huddersfield and celebrations at Leeds Carnival. The photographs illuminate the vibrancy, resilience, and cultural pride of communities often marginalised in the media of the time.

At the heart of the exhibition are portraits of life around Lumb Lane, locally known as “The Frontline.” While the area was frequently associated with racial tension and negative press, Wedderburn’s images reveal a different story, one of friends, families, entrepreneurs, and neighbours building meaningful spaces of joy, belonging, and identity. From the Perseverance Hotel, where West Indian music played late into the night, to the Young Lions Café and Roots Record Shop, his photographs celebrate the businesses and social hubs that cultivated solidarity and cultural expression.

In addition to the digital display of these images, the event offers a panel discussion featuring individuals who appear in Wedderburn’s images. Their voices will bring personal context and lived experience to the photographs, sharing positive stories of resilience, hard work, and community life during that era. These reflections will challenge narrow narratives of struggle by highlighting the strength, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that defined Black Bradford in the 1980s.

By celebrating Frontline 1984/1985 under this year’s Black History Month theme “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”, we honour not only Wedderburn’s artistic achievement and the enduring importance of documenting Black British life; but also reaffirms our commitment to honouring Black heritage, amplifying underrepresented voices, and inspiring future generations to embrace resilience and cultural pride.

We warmly invite you to join us on Thursday, 23 October 2025, as we celebrate Black History Month through the lens of Victor Wedderburn’s Frontline 1984/1985 and the powerful voices of those who lived it.

Host or Publisher Equality & Diversity - University of Bradford