Heritage project to celebrate the impact of boxing on working class life in Calderdale

The new grant scheme was launched by Historic England to support community-led projects and further the nation’s collective understanding of the past.

Halifax Stars is an innovative intergenerational project which aims to celebrate the working class culture of boxing clubs around Halifax and will record the stories of older fighters, the gyms that were a prominent feature of the area, the importance of boxing coaching and the self-discipline, respect and pride in community it can offer.

The project will be cross cultural, reflecting the communal nature of boxing culture in Halifax and will share this culture with a wider audience to increase understanding of boxing’s working class legacy in the area, and champion the work done through boxing clubs to help some of the poorest and most marginalised young people.

Jeff Turner, director of verd de gris arts, said: “Clubs like Hebden Bridge Boxing Academy and Halifax Boxing Club have always offered support and positive relationships for young people in the area.

"These clubs and the individuals who run them provide challenge, focus and commitment, and often rescue and help shape many young lives in a more positive and inclusive manner, moving them away from the culture of the streets many are susceptible to.

"By recording and collecting interviews with ex-fighters, promoters and trainers, and the crop of today’s young boxers we will explore the rich inclusive culture of boxing clubs in Halifax and the surrounding area and we will produce a rich and vibrant history of the town.”

The project will be led by verd de gris arts, co-created with local boxing coaches and community workers and will weave together archive material and memorabilia to create a film and series of photography exhibitions in central Halifax and the upper valley in spring 2023.

Verd de gris would like to hear the public’s recollections of the boxing scene in Halifax – the original Star Boxing Club, Stainland Amateur Boxing Club, and memories of local legends like Richard Dunne, who fought Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1976.

Visit www.verddegris.org for more information.