Framing New Brighton + Q&A

The film will be followed by Q&A with director Dylan Cubbin and photographer Alex Hurst.

Following a series of sold-out Q&A screenings across Merseyside, the acclaimed documentary Framing New Brighton comes to Bradford for its first showing outside the region.

Framing New Brighton is a documentary portrait of a seaside town seen through the lenses of three acclaimed photographers, Ken Grant, Alex Hurst, and Tom Wood, whose work spans several decades of British social life.

Once famed for its bustling fairground, towering landmarks, and holiday crowds, New Brighton has long been a place of vivid contrasts. From the high-energy nights of the iconic Chelsea Reach nightclub in the 1980s to the slower Sunday strolls along the promenade, the town has continually reinvented itself while retaining its distinctive character and charm.

The film weaves together candid interviews, stunning photography, and rarely seen archive footage to tell the story of both a place and the people who document it. Each photographer offers a unique perspective: Ken Grant’s empathetic eye for working-class life, Alex Hurst’s intimate portrayal of the town’s streets and shoreline, and Tom Wood’s bold, colourful images that have become synonymous with Merseyside life.

At its heart, the film asks how we see the places we think we know best, and how different it can be from another person's perspective.

This event also features a Q&A with director Dylan Cubbin and photographer Alex Hurst, offering audiences a rare opportunity to gain insight into the making of the documentary and the stories behind the photographs.

Director | Dylan Cubbin

Contributors | Ken Grant, Alex Hurst, Tom Wood

Genre | Documentary, Photography, Social History

About the Filmmaker
Dylan Cubbin is a Wirral-based director whose work explores place, memory and identity, with credits including The Town I Love So Well (2025) and Liverpool Story (2024).