Exhibition explores 200 years of professional and technical education in town
This year marks 200 years of technical and professional education in Huddersfield with a series of events and activities throughout 2025. The anniversary celebrates the establishment of Huddersfield’s Scientific and Mechanic Institute in 1825, which was set up to bring the “acquisition of useful knowledge” within the reach of all, particularly the trading and working classes.
The University of Huddersfield and Kirklees College, along with other partners including Kirklees Council and Huddersfield Local History Society, are organising a range of events and activities to celebrate the learning environment across Huddersfield and the wider Kirklees district.
This summer Heritage Quay, the University of Huddersfield’s archives service, is joining in the celebrations with a special exhibition exploring the rich history of the town and the University’s place in it.
The Town that Taught Itself will feature archival treasures from the University of Huddersfield’s collections that will highlight the bond between ‘town’ and ‘gown’ and the legacy of self-improvement and technical advancement through education which continues today.
Curators have traced the journey of the University from its foundation as the Young Men’s Mental Improvement Society of 1841 on Outcote Bank to the Queensgate Campus via locations across the town. Little-seen material from the University’s other predecessors such as the Huddersfield Female Educational Institute, the Holly Bank teacher training college and the Victorian-era Huddersfield Literary and Scientific Society will also feature. Hours of research into the archive’s holdings have unearthed forgotten facts and insights including information about the many buildings and people who played integral parts in the story and correct long-held myths about what actually happened.
University Archivist Dr Rebecca Bowd commented: “Heritage Quay is the proud custodian of almost 180 years of history of the University, and we are honoured to be able to share a small sample of it with our visitors. The results of the research we’ve done may surprise even the most knowledgeable of local people and will transform the way we look at connections between the University and the town, and our own institutional history. We hope that anyone with an interest in either will pay us a visit to learn more about this important heritage.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Thornton commented: “Given our long tradition of education in Huddersfield, it can be hard to gain a true sense of how interlinked the University has been with the town. This exhibition will bring new emphasis to our ongoing place-making in Kirklees, as residents can see even today at the National Health Innovation Campus. This exhibition reminds us of the roots and continuing mission for the University of Huddersfield, to provide knowledge, training and skills to improve the world around us, starting right here in Huddersfield.”
The exhibition will be open to the public from Tuesday 27 May and will be on until the Autumn. For more information about how to visit Heritage Quay go online here.
