No Bounds Festival revives Sheffield classic ‘Tales from a Hard City’ with new archive exhibition

A new exhibition celebrating 'Tales from a Hard City', the cult 1993 Sheffield documentary, opens this Thursday at the Post Hall Gallery as part of No Bounds Festival 2025. Curated by Memory Dance, the exhibit marks 30 years since the film’s release, unveiling unseen footage, archives, and photographs from original stills photographer Bill Stephenson.

Memory Dance - who last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Miner’s Strike with their acclaimed archive show - return with a multiscreen, multimedia installation that pulls the film back into focus for a new generation. This reimagined version of 'Tales from a Hard City' combines hundreds of hours of newly digitised outtakes, cuttings, posters, log sheets, and rare photo archives from social documentary photographer Bill Stephenson, all presented alongside the original film and a live performance element.

The ‘Tales from a Hard City’ exhibition opens Thursday night (9th Oct) until October 25th at the Old Head Post Office; entry is free.

First broadcast in 1993, Tales from a Hard City followed four Sheffielders chasing reinvention in a city still shaking off its industrial past: Glen, a petty thief with musical dreams; Paul, an ex-boxer hoping for acting glory; Sarah, a dancer whose tabloid scandal turned her world upside down; and Wayne, the hustler trying to make her a star. What emerged was part social portrait, part tragicomedy - a raw, affectionate snapshot of working-class aspiration that earned its creators, Kim Flitcroft and Alex Usborne, critical acclaim.

Since its release, the film has built a cult following among fans and famous admirers alike — Jarvis Cocker, Badly Drawn Boy, The Chemical Brothers, Simon Cowell, and Patsy Palmer among them. With Tales from a Hard City now resurfacing in immersive form, No Bounds once again places Sheffield’s cultural past in dialogue with its present — honouring the city’s creative resilience and humour while shining a light on the stories that shaped it.

 “A whole new generation of Sheffield kids and beyond have never seen this film.

"It needed to happen for that reason.”

‘Tales from a Hard City’ co-creator Alex Usborne, in a recent interview with the BBC

With a theme of Grit & Graft for No Bounds 2025, The Tales from a Hard City exhibition is just one fitting part of a programme celebrating the city’s past, present, and future through music, art, and culture. Grab tickets, and explore the full No Bounds 2025 cultural and late-night offerings below.

Find more information, FAQs, and the full lineup for No Bounds 2025 - HERE

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