Paper Flower Making and Songs from the Page

A couple of alerts for tomorrow, July 5:

At the Brontë Birthplace:

Inspired by the Brontë’s Garden: Paper Flower Making Workshop

Sunday 5th July, 10am – 12pm

The Brontë Birthplace Tearoom, 72-74 Market Street, Thornton BD13 3HF

Inspired by the Brontës’ Garden: Sweet Peas in Crepe Paper

In this gentle and inspiring workshop, you will create delicate sweet peas from crepe paper, drawing inspiration from the world of the Brontës. Sweet peas were grown in the garden by Emily Brontë, while Charlotte Brontë, though less interested in gardening, captured these fragile flowers in her sketches. In her letters, she even wondered whether Sicilian sweet peas, whose seeds had been given to them by a friend, would survive the unpredictable Yorkshire weather.

The art of paper flower making began in ancient China and later spread across the world. In Europe, it became especially popular in past centuries, when fresh flowers were hard to find during winter. In Eastern Europe, paper flowers were used to decorate homes and as festive ornaments.

During this mindful workshop, you will learn how to cut, shape and assemble your own sweet pea stem, and leave with a handmade floral piece to take home.

All materials are provided. The workshop is suitable for participants of all skill levels and is open to adults and children aged 10+.

The workshop is led by Iryna Zhydetska, a Ukrainian paper artist living in the Brontë country. This event is taking place during Thornton Open Gardens weekend, a great chance to create a lasting momento of nature’s beauty.

A Bradford Literature Festival Event: 

Songs from the Page: A Literary Choral Experience

Sunday, 5 July 2026 | 16:00 – 17:30

Main Hall, St George’s Hall, BD1 1JT

Experience the magic of choral music inspired by some of the most powerful voices in literature, performed live by the Leeds Guild of Singers. 

This specially curated programme brings together musical settings of texts by William Blake, William Shakespeare, Emily Brontë and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, alongside contemporary compositions that reflect the continuing dialogue between poetry and music.  

Spanning centuries of writing and a wide range of choral styles, the programme explores how composers return to literary texts for inspiration, reinterpretation and emotional depth. 

Moving between sacred reflection, folklore and lyric poetry, this performance reveals how words written centuries ago continue to resonate through collective voice. Join us for an evening where literature is not only read, but heard in harmony.