'Ribbons'

Sculptures in Leeds #1

We had a camera club outing to Leeds recently to photograph some of the many public artworks around the city. We started with this one: 'Ribbons' by Pippa Hale. It's a relatively recent (2024) addition, situated between the Leeds Playhouse and Leeds City College. The sculpture is made of corten steel ribbons, inscribed with over 400 names of women, past and present, who have made a contribution to the city of Leeds. It includes some famous names but also ordinary folk, who have all been nominated and put to a public vote. The ribbons denote connectedness and also allude to the ribbons suffragettes wore. 

Better known names include: Rachel Reeves MP (represents a Leeds constituency and is our current Chancellor of the Exchequer); Nicola Adams (gold medal winning Olympic boxer); Lucy Bronze (footballer); Dame Barbara Hepworth (sculptor); Corinne Bailey Rae (singer-songwriter); Judith Blake (Leader of Leeds City Council); Mel B (Spice Girls singer); Leonora Cohen (suffragette); Liz Dawn (Coronation Street actress); Helen Fielding (novelist/screenwriter who created 'Bridget Jones'); Brenda Hale QC; Jude Kelly (theatre director, producer and founding artistic director of Leeds Playhouse);  Gabby Logan (sports presenter); Barbara Taylor Bradford (novelist)....

The full list can be found HERE and includes women from the fields of medicine, education, politics, the arts, charity work, engineering, science, sport, and community champions. 

I was intrigued to find out who Florence Shufflebottom was - and even more intrigued to read that she was a Leeds born sharpshooter and performer (1931-2014) often known as the British Annie Oakley. She was known for her impressive shooting accuracy which included tricks such as shooting a pipe from her partner's mouth while bending backwards over a chair! (I don't think I'll try that!)