Daily Times

Fighting to Be Heard, a new free exhibition, that forms part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture’s opening celebrations, explores the connections between boxing and calligraphy, through the eyes of a group of British South Asian Muslim men living in
Bradford today.

The exhibition runs from 17 January to 27 April and features rarely seen items from the Arabic and Urdu collections of the British Library and items from Bradford District Museums and Galleries collection.

Objects in the exhibition have been chosen by Bradford based calligrapher Razwanul Haq and members of Bradford’s Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy and include: An Early Qur’an from Near East or Iraq, dating back to the 9th century CE; one of the finest examples of Il-Khanid manuscript illumination, the 14th century Öljaitü Qur’an, which is entirely painted in gold; handwritten Sufi Poetry in the Gujri dialect dating back to 1590 and an artwork from 2012, three paper aeroplanes calligraphed by the late Palestinian artist Dia Batal, which explores how contemporary calligraphy can be used as a form of protest and self-expression.

Fighting to Be Heard features the men’s personal stories and their reactions to the collections – offering intimate perspectives on these historical items and a look at the unexpected similarities between boxing and calligraphy and how they can inspire one another.

An event on 18 January at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, will give the opportunity to hear from the exhibition’s co-creators, including World Champion boxer, Tasif Khan and calligrapher, Razwanul Haq alongside Curator of Arabic Collections at the British Library, Daniel Lowe. There will also be activities for all ages, including family calligraphy workshops, sessions exploring the art of Mehndi designs, recitals by young people and the chance to learn how to box with the Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy.

Fighting to Be Heard features as part of a wider programme of activity forming part of Bradford’s work with national partners throughout the year as UK City of Culture. The programme will celebrate the city and surrounding district, tell the stories of its diverse communities, and spotlight its dynamic contemporary culture.