Former Meanwood farm building is resurrected as community arts event space

Plans to revitalise the former Scott Hall Farm building had faced numerous setbacks during the pandemic, with the death of the project’s former director and numerous cases of vandalism and theft.

But unperturbed Eleanor Barrett, who has worked on numerous art-led events in Bradford, wanted to bring some of her magic along the A647.

"My background is in arts and culture," she said. “So I told the owners how interesting it would be to develop events on the site, and do interesting night time events that attract different audiences, and breathe a bit more life into it that way.

"We can’t start to do anything permanent yet because we don’t have the planning permission, so I’ve started a new community interest company to pilot cultural activity on the site.

"We want to trial what people want to see.”

Eleanor’s partner Michael Drake had planned to run the building, in Scott Hall Street, as a community arts space, beginning work on it in 2019.

Tragedy struck, however, as Michael passed away from lung cancer in June 2020, which was when Eleanor took over as creative director of the project, known as Marveland.

"It’s a bit of a legacy to Michael,” said Eleanor. “He would be overjoyed!

“I don’t think this has been any kind of viable space since the 1980s. It’s been not in use for at least a couple of decades.”

The building would also become a target for vandals during the Covid lockdowns.

“The stone flag floor was stolen and a lot of the original features got smashed,” Eleanor said. "It’s been a real tragedy – because of the length of time it’s taken to try and resurrect it, it’s gone backwards.

"But I’m cracking on – that’s what I always do.”

Eleanor has a long background in arts events, having masterminded Bradford’s Wild Woods project back in 2017, in which the derelict former Marks and Spencer building in Darley Street was transformed into an indoor woodland, hosting numerous public art events.

Upcoming events at Marveland include pay-as-you-feel family workshops with arts and crafts, as well as evening parties for adults.

Eleanor said: "Some of it is the ‘Robin Hood’ approach of doing things some people can afford and other things that are free for those who can’t afford them, then just trying to make that work economically.

"Meanwood is a mixed demographic – some people are quite affluent and some are not.”

So what does she eventually want to do with the site?

“If it eventually goes through planning, the artists’ studios will be built, then we have a creative community to breathe life into the site.

"We want to have parts of the house for community use and for artists and that sort of thing.

"There is a lot of potential, but the whole point is to do things in the meantime, rather than waiting for planning permission which could take forever.

“I always think ‘never mind what we can’t do, let’s look at what we can do’.”

Events, including “family friendly summer shakedowns” and “woodland speakeasies for grown-ups” begin this month. For more information, visit the website.