A new mural of community champion and photographer Leroy Cooper has appeared in Liverpool.
The artwork created by John Culshaw, famous for his range of murals across the City of Liverpool, was commissioned by local charity Mandela8, and has added to Granby Street’s growing status as a cultural arts corridor of Liverpool 8.
Locals have seen the mural develop day-by-day on the feature wall of the Ganby Adult Learning Centre with a wave of excitement building over the past few weeks until its completion. The end result is a stunning tribute with a strong message from Leroy himself: “My work is my legacy, photographs, painting, poetry and philosophy…. Self respect and dignity… But… love is everything”.
Sonia Bassey MBE, Chair of Mandela8 said: “This has been a while in development behind the scenes. Leroy Cooper was an innovative and creative man, way ahead of his time in his thinking, and he documented the people of Liverpool – Liverpool 8 in particular – for over 40 years. There is no other photographic records of the Black community like Leroy’s and that deserves recognition. The stunning mural of Leroy adds to the work Mandela8 has been doing to change the face and fabric of Liverpool 8 and how it’s perceived. It is a fitting tribute to Leroy and his family, installed before the first anniversary of his passing. May Leroy continue to rest in peace and his family take comfort in knowing Leroy was well respected in our community and will always be remembered for his work and ability to hold love in his heart.
We are delighted that Liverpool City Council allowed us to use this wall for the mural. John Clushaw is an amazingly talented artist, and it has been a privilege for Mandela8 to work with him again. We have already seen a real excitement about the work developing and we envisage – like all John’s work – it will become another major attraction for visitors”.
The completion of the new mural comes ahead of the anniversary of Leroy’s passing and as his family have just been informed that Leroy’s photographic exhibition in the Museum of Liverpool has been extended for a further 6 months.
Stephen Nze, Mandela8 Ambassador, who has been leading site management said: “It’s been a pleasure and an honour for us at Mandela8 and for me personally to have worked on this project of one of the most influential individuals of my generation and our community, and it is fitting that it is located on Granby Street where a lot of Leroy’s influences and creativity and artwork were manifested and then unleashed on our city. Leroy was a one of a kind, and we all knew him and he knew us all.Rest easy bro in that cosmic heavenly universe”.
Leroy’s Family said: “As a family, we are extremely proud and honoured that Leroy has been recognised in this way. This mural is a perfect way to represent and pay homage to Leroy’s contribution to his art, community and Liverpool. As a creative, Leroy would have been immensely proud that his peers, friends and community have paid tribute in this manner and we as his family are eternally grateful to the people of L8 and proud of the artistic achievement Leroy accomplished in his life. We hope this mural can inspire a younger generation to follow their passions the same way Leroy followed his because he never stopped dreaming and he would want the next generation to dream equally as big.
John Culshaw, Artistsaid: “ I didn’t know anything about Leroy until not long before he passed. When I painted the Nelson Mandela piece, Leroy got in touch with me, to congratulate me and we had a little chat on the internet. I thought Leroy was a cool, interesting guy. When Sonia and Nze approached me about the mural, I had to do a lot of research and speak to a lot of people who knew him. It was after doing all this research I realised just how important he was to not only the L8 community, but the whole city. As an artist today I am lucky to have the luxury of social media, meaning I can reach a huge audience, making it so much easier to forge a career from my passion. Leroy decided to follow his passion a long time before any of this help. He followed his dream and is an inspiration to all young artists coming through. His work is a perfect example, that if you do what you love, you will produce quality and that will be recognised. Leroy’s work has seen him become woven into the fabric of this city and more importantly become part of its history. This mural will stand in the heart of Leroy’s community and serve as a reminder to those who knew him, how one man can have such an impact on the world. For those who don’t know Leroy, I hope the mural will make them want to look him up, because his story is inspirational and will help a lot of people.”
Follow the artist, John Culshaw, on his Instagram page @john_culshaw86 and for more information on Mandela8, please visit mandela8.org.uk.
Photo: Daniel Cooper
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First elected African-Caribbean female Government Minister becomes Mandela8 PatronA new mural inspired by Nelson Mandela is nearing completion in Liverpool 8.
The artwork created by John Culshaw, infamous for his range of murals across the City of Liverpool, was commissioned by local charity Mandela8, and is set to transform the beginning of Princes Avenue.
Locals have seen the mural develop day-by-day on the feature wall of the Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre (KIMC) with a wave of excitement building over the past few weeks until its completion. The end result is set to be a stunning tribute with a strong message from Mandela himself – “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”.
Sonia Bassey MBE, Chair of Mandela8 said: “This has been a while in development behind the scenes and adds to the already significant regeneration along Princes Avenue that has seen Mandela8 influencing and shaping the very fabric of our community. It will be a fitting tribute to one of the most significant leaders in the world in advance of the Mandela Family’s visit to Liverpool this July.
We are delighted that KIMC allowed us to use this wall for the mural. John Culshaw is an amazingly talented artist, and it has been a privilege for Mandela8 to work with him. We have already seen a real excitement about the work developing and we envisage – like all John’s work – it will become a major attraction for visitors”.
The completion of the new mural will come ahead of the opening of the new Nelson Mandela memorial in Princes Park this July. Nelson Mandela’s daughter Dr Maki Mandela and his granddaughter, Tukwini Mandela will be on hand to cut the ribbon on the memorial dedicated to the iconic South African leader as part of a week-long visit this summer.
Stephen Nze, Mandela8 Ambassador, who has been leading site management said: “It’s great to finally see this project come to life; the mural is set to become a landmark within our community. It’s been amazing working with John and it’s great that it will be placed where it will be visible to so many traveling through our community, as well as those that live within it, with a powerful message to all – young and old alike.”
Michelle Charters, Chief Executive Officer of KIMC said: “We are delighted to host this important image of Nelson Mandela created by the amazing artist John Culshaw, on our building. This visual recognition of the great man, his words and contribution to society will leave a legacy of hope for all as they walk or drive past our building.
KIMC are honoured to have been asked by Mandela8 to partner on this and see it as a fitting tribute to all who have been involved in development and projects leading up to and including the upcoming Nelson Mandela memorial in Princes Park, L8.”
Artist, John Culshaw said: “It has been a privilege working on this project with Mandela8. It’s amazing to get the opportunity to paint such an icon. Nelson Mandela is a man who has given so much to humanity and in fighting so hard to abolish apartheid, showed the world that the only way forward is equality.
I hope the the people of the community and visitors who see this mural, will take away a sense of the man and an understanding of his wise words.“
Be sure to visit the site and watch this wonderful piece of artwork come together at Kuumba Imani, 4 Princes Rd, Liverpool L8 1TH.
Follow the artist, John Culshaw, on his Instagram page @john_culshaw86; follow the Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre on Twitter @kuumba_imani; and for more information on Mandela8, please visit mandela8.org.uk.
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Nelson Mandela’s importance to Liverpool is huge. In Toxteth, Liverpool 8, Mandela remains a highly significant role model to the community. In the 1980s Liverpool 8 was tireless in its support of the anti-apartheid struggle through demos, product boycotts, park runs and the Free Nelson Mandela Campaign.
Apartheid (apartness) was a brutal system of racial segregation and white supremacy in South Africa. The world-wide anti-apartheid movement grew throughout the ’60s ’70s and ’80s in its support for Black South Africans and other minority groups living under this oppressive system. This support was inspired by figures like Nelson Mandela, whose eventual rise from political prisoner to the first Black President of South Africa, turned him into a global icon for freedom and equality.
Through this display, which will open when the Museum of Liverpool re-opens, you can discover some of the strong connections between the city’s Black community, Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement.
This display is part of the Museum of Liverpool’s Our City, Our Stories programme, a partnership programme which enables local people to represent their own interpretation of the museum’s themes and objects. This display was created in partnership with the Mandela8 group.
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First elected African-Caribbean female Government Minister becomes Mandela8 PatronLiverpool charity, Mandela8 have announced LFC and England international, Trent Alexander-Arnold as their newest patron.
The West Derby-born, twenty-one-year-old has played for both his boyhood club and his country at various levels, making his senior debut for LFC in 2016 and for the England first-team in 2018.
He has won both the PFA Young Player of the Year and the inaugural Premier League Young Player of the Season awards, has twice been named in the PFA Team of the Year, and most recently helped end Liverpool’s 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League earlier this year.
The announcement comes as Mandela8 – the organisation behind the new Nelson Mandela memorial in Princes Park – are preparing their next ‘Roots and Wings’ community programme, designed for young people who lack positive role models and are at risk of criminal exploitation or violent crime.
Over 12 weeks, participants in the programme will be guided through possible solutions to prevent them re-engaging with crime and violence, building their resilience and strength to ‘say no’ and not get involved in situations that could put them at risk.
Alexander-Arnold was recently the subject of a documentary by local model and filmmaker Rubi Deschamps, in which the “Liverpool lad whose dream came true” spoke of his childhood, his school life, and growing up under the spotlight.
Speaking on the responsibility he feels as a role model for young people, Alexander-Arnold said:
“I’ve got a big platform; I know a lot of kids look up to me. It’s not just about being a role model on the pitch. I want to be someone who feels as though I’ve made a change in the way that people think. If I get through my career and I haven’t done that, then I’d see that as a failure on my part.”
“The Roots and Wings programme and the work that Mandela8 does for young people in Liverpool will give kids a chance at avoiding the kind of pitfalls that are so easy to fall into if you don’t have the right guidance at that age. It’s why I’m delighted to become not only a supporter of the programme, but also patron for Mandela8”.
The young people taking part in the Roots and Wings programme live in areas of high deprivation, where fear of crime is not unusual, and are frequently disengaged from school and at risk of permanent exclusion. This can lead to them becoming socially and economically excluded in their communities.
The programme includes restorative justice practices and aims to find enduring solutions to prevent the young people from becoming involved in crime and violence and will support them to recognise consequences, understand cause and effect, reduce naivety and increase their resilience and strength.
It will also support cultural change around the acceptability of carrying weapons and help them not succumb to peer pressure in order to develop into young leaders of the future.
Chair of Mandela8, Sonia Bassey said: “We feel blessed that Trent wants to join Mandela8 as a patron; so many young people need role models like Trent to give them hope and aspiration. Life is really tough for young people currently, and has been for some time, so to have a positive, successful young role model to work with us is truly significant for our young people.”
More on Mandela8 and the Roots and Wings programme can be found at mandela8.org.uk.
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First elected African-Caribbean female Government Minister becomes Mandela8 PatronSonia Bassey MBE has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievers prize at this year’s National Diversity Awards.
The Chair of both Mandela8 and Africa Oyé will be recognised at a black-tie ceremony in Liverpool next year, showcasing organisations’ and individuals’ outstanding devotion to enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion in their field.
The National Diversity Awards – in association with ITV News – celebrates the achievements of grass-root communities that tackle the issues in today’s society, giving charities, role models and community heroes recognition for their dedication and hard work.
Growing up in the vibrant and active L8 area of Liverpool, Sonia became an entrepreneur at just 19 when she established herself as a community artist and director of her own business, which she still runs today. She now works as Director of Public Sector Transformation for Cheshire and Warrington, leading transformation of services across the sub region.
As well as chairing the Board of Trustees at Mandela8, Sonia is also Chair of Africa Oyé – the UK’s largest celebration of African music and culture, which takes place annually in Liverpool.
Sonia has also previously served as Chair for the Merseyside Black History Month Group and in 2017 was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Liverpool.
Sonia Bassey MBE, said:
“I come from a community that was written off by many institutions locally and its image destroyed by media perception nationally and around the world. A place where I and many of my peers were also written off. Yet I am here today celebrating having come this far in the National Diversity Awards. This is important, not only to me, but to young people who believe there is no hope for them. There is; you can aspire, you can achieve and you can be whoever you want to be. Dream big and there are people like me who have lived in your shoes here to support you.”
Dawn Morris of Mandela8, said:
“Sonia has such a heart for people and diversity and the values we have at Mandela8 are at the core of her spirit. Sonia is passionate about helping to bring an end to racial injustice and building a future filled with hope, especially for young people. Sonia’s nomination for this award is extremely well deserved and we at Mandela8 wish her all the very best on the awards night.”
The National Diversity Awards ceremony will take place on 26th February 2021 at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool. More information and tickets to the awards can be found at https://nationaldiversityawards.co.uk
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First elected African-Caribbean female Government Minister becomes Mandela8 PatronMandela8 Community Heritage Project Manager
£22,500 (90 days @ £250)
12 month fixed term
We are seeking to appoint a freelance individual or organisation to undertake a major piece of work, uncovering and revealing key elements of Liverpool 8’s community heritage with a particular focus on activism during the years of the anti-apartheid struggles and on local people’s connections to with Grade 2 listed Princes Park.
The successful candidate will work closely with individuals, schools, youth and community groups, housing and faith groups, cultural organisations and National Museums Liverpool and our Young Media Group Project Manager when appointed to develop and disseminate stories of heritage, legacy and education.
We are looking for someone who is friendly and approachable, self-motivated and productive and able to demonstrate they have an appreciation of the culture and heritage of Liverpool 8 and a commitment to ensuring community voices are heard.
Please email all applications to mandelaliverpool8@gmail.com
Deadline for applications: 8th May 2020
Download the Brief and more information on the ‘Download’ link below
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