UNSPUN is an immersive audio-visual installation by the Colour Foundry (Fabric Lenny, Rebecca Smith, and Nick Lewis), created as a response to Lost Mills, a year-long research project led by 509 Arts into Bradford’s textile industry.

Through interviews, archival radio programs, photographs, maps, and texts, Lost Mills gathered a compelling archive of memories and stories from the city’s mill workers, focusing on the 1970s and beyond — the closing chapter of large-scale textile production in the region. Inspired by this wealth of material, the Colour Foundry transformed these stories into a sensory environment that honours and reanimates the city’s textile legacy.

UNSPUN blends archival footage, found audio, and repurposed content with a rich musical score, creating a textured experience that invites viewers to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of Bradford’s industrial past. This multi-layered soundscape, composed of acoustic instrumentation, digital looping, and spoken word recordings, envelops the space, evoking the rhythms and character of the textile mills and their workers.

Adding depth and resonance to the installation, UNSPUN features live performances, collaborating with a brass ensemble to bring a live, distinctly Yorkshire sound to the piece. These performances amplify the installation's immersive qualities, connecting visitors to Bradford’s cultural roots through the familiar tones of brass, a sound closely associated with the region’s industrial history.

UNSPUN is a tribute to the legacy and resilience of Bradford’s textile community, unraveling stories of labor, community, and transformation and weaving them into a collective experience that invites viewers to connect with this shared past.

Through UNSPUN, the Colour Foundry transforms historical records into a dynamic and immersive journey, celebrating the voices of Bradford’s mill workers and the enduring spirit of a city built on textiles.