Pictureville Champions Northern Youth Culture in Bold New Film Season from Bradford’s Own Dominic Leclerc

From 30 May–13 June, the National Science and Media Museum’s Pictureville Cinema will host Northern Youth, a season of films dedicated to northern youth culture and identity specially curated by award winning, Bradford-born director Dominic Leclerc (Sex Education, Shameless, Skins), 

Reflecting Bradford’s status as the UK’s youngest city by population—with 26% of residents under 18—Northern Youth places a spotlight on the bold and blistering spirit of young northern characters in British cinema. As the newest addition to Pictureville’s programme and ongoing collaboration with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Northern Youth features titles spanning several decades, with each film showcasing a unique perspective.

From a ‘60s British New Wave classic to a critically acclaimed contemporary debut, these selections seek to both celebrate and reckon with the complexities of growing up. The season opens with coming-of-age drama How to Have Sex (2023) on Friday 30 May and continues over the weekend with Shane Meadows’ seminal This is England (2006), as well as a a Northern Youth spin on Pictureville’s Classic Sunday strand with a screening of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1962).

The season continues through June with a partnership between Pictureville and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) to screen British comedy-drama East is East (1999). A landmark film set and partly filmed in Bradford, East is East explores the tensions of a family navigating identity, tradition, and rebellion in 1970s Northern England. Also screening is The Long Day Closes (1992) on Sunday 8 June—a semi-autobiographical film from Terence Davies capturing the inner world of a working-class teenager in postwar Liverpool.

Further titles include West Yorkshire rural drama, My Summer of Love (2004), exploring themes of class and teenage desire, and Control (2007)—a portrait of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, capturing the youthful intensity of his brief life and tragic end in haunting black-and-white.

Further details, including guest speakers and additional events, will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information and to book tickets, visit Pictureville’s website.

ENDS

For more information and images please contact Alice Browne, Senior Press Officer alice.browne@scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk

A media pack of images can be downloaded here.

Northern Youth is part of Bradford: A City of Film, a programme of independent film across the Bradford District. Co-Produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and National Science and Media Museum with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND MEDIA MUSEUM

The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire, opened in 1983, and has since become one of the most visited UK museums outside London. It draws on more than three million objects from its national collection to explore the science and culture of image and sound technologies, and their impact on our lives.

The museum creates special exhibitions, interactive galleries and activities for families and adults, and is home to Pictureville, Yorkshire’s biggest independent cinema with three screens including Europe’s first IMAX and the only public Cinerama venue in the world.

The National Science and Media Museum reopened on 8 January 2025, following a £6m once in a generation transformation. The museum is open seven days a week, from 10:00 – 17:00. For more information and to book tickets, please visit our website.

ABOUT BRADFORD 2025

Bradford became the fourth UK City of Culture in January 2025. The district was selected by the UK Government in May 2022 from a record-breaking 20 bids, following Derry~Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021) to take on one of the most prestigious and transformative titles in UK culture.

Bradford 2025 takes place throughout Bradford District, which covers 141 square miles across West Yorkshire. It features performances, exhibitions, events and activities inspired by the extraordinary variety of this landscape, from the city’s historic centre to the breathtaking countryside that surrounds it. It pays homage to Bradford’s potent heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world’s first UNESCO City of Film. Most of all, it celebrates the people of Bradford, from local artists and creative organisations to the diverse communities who call Bradford home.

Bradford 2025 is created for, with and by the people of Bradford, and it has young people at its heart. With more than a quarter of its population aged under 20, Bradford is one of the UK’s youngest cities. Bradford 2025 is proudly reflecting this youth across all aspects of its programme, from education, skills and training projects to new artistic commissions centred on the lives, concerns and ambitions of young people today.

Bradford 2025 is set to spotlight Bradford’s dynamic contemporary arts and culture, from dance and theatre to film, music and even food. At the same time, it will cement Bradford’s reputation as one of the most welcoming places in the UK for artists, producers and creative entrepreneurs, with international exchanges, development programmes and new cultural investment benefiting the entire district.

The impact of UK City of Culture will continue long after the end of 2025. The district’s designation has already brought significant investment to the region, and Bradford 2025 is set to serve as a catalyst for development, regeneration and change—reshaping Bradford for the benefit of future generations.