Above the Noise
Above the Noise was an exhibition at the National Science and Media Museum of 15 stories from Bradford, showing how using media technologies, communities can bypass the narratives of the mainstream media.
A young woman concentrates intently, wearing headphones to cue up a vinyl record while DJing at a party in Bradford. Behind her young people talk and dance
Image Credit ©Tim Smith
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When we started talking to people to explore what Above the Noise would be about, we kept hearing a narrative about ‘bad news Bradford’. Whenever national media chose to report about Bradford, it was more often than not from a negative perspective. We worked with that to find a way of giving people agency.
A woman sits on a desk in a classroom operating an old reel to reel tape recording device watched intently by a groups of young boys and girls. Image ©Tim Smith
Two girls sit in a car at a fairground ride at the Bradford Festival and Mela, in the background a huge and bustling crowd of festival goers of all ages and races mill around stages and stalls. Image ©Tim Smith
Over 100 people worked with us to tell their stories about the impact of image and sound technologies on their lives. We displayed some fabulous intergenerational stories; we showcased the Belle Vue Studio and the story of the Bradford 12. We also looked at how people have used technology to tell their own histories and cultures. We shared Bradford stories, but these are also universal stories. We showcased Bradford as a truly cosmopolitan city.
Above the Noise, which ran March–June 2019, was part of a three-year action research project at a significant moment for the National Science and Media Museum. The project enabled us to reflect on our work and ask some really tough questions. It highlighted the tensions that exist within complex organisations, where different priorities and practices exist, and the challenges we face in seeking to work locally and collaboratively. It also helped us explore the work that is needed to address inequalities and become a more inclusive and accessible museum, both for people who visit and for people who work here.
The museum is a place where we tell stories all the time and we want to tell stories that are relevant to more people and showcase their histories. We recognise the power involved in that. That’s one way the museum can help Bradford know itself better.
While we welcome about 450,000 visitors a year, there are still people in Bradford who haven’t been to a museum. One of my ambitions is that every single person in Bradford regularly engages in the arts and culture – that it becomes an integral part of their lives.
Jo Quinton-Tulloch
Director