New Harehills mural by local children shows what they love most about their area
A mural created by the young people of Harehills depicts what they see and love about the area of Leeds that they call home.
The new We Love Harehills artwork is the culmination of a five-month art project project run by the local organisation Breaking Down Barriers and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. It was officially unveiled during a community event at the Bilal Sports Centre earlier this week.
Rosie Russell-Cohen, of Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, said: “This started off as a hare-brained idea – getting together and doing an arts-based project about what it means to live in Harehills, what it means to belong to this area, and the importance of getting out and about.
“Harehills is a really diverse area and there’s lots of different communities here. It’s ensuring that their own narratives were valued and appreciated and heard. It was about reclaiming ownership of the streets you live on, the nature on your doorstep, breaking down barriers, tackling racism, challenging stereotypes and misunderstandings in communities.”
The painting sessions began in November last year and the young people, many of whom are involved with Breaking Down Barriers, were put in change of every decision and directing the project.
The beauty of having the mural in Bilal Sports Centre was how many different people the centre attracts, added Rosie. “This sports hall is home to so many different people,” she said. “Every time we were painting, people would walk through and ask what we are doing and those who wanted to get involved did.”
The project saw people from a number of different backgrounds getting involved, including refugees, asylum seekers and South Asians. Among those who got involved was nine-year-old Alizah Ahmed, who has been there since the beginning of the project. She said: “It was fun. It’s reality. It’s Harehills. Normally I am quite shy, but this time I felt like this is where I am supposed to be. This what I am supposed to do.”
Rosie added: “It’s always such a privilege to be involved – thanks to Kamran and Imran of the Junior Sports Hall, Adam for Breaking Down Barriers and having the blind faith that this might work – and it has worked.”