Art for the community: Unveiling a New Mural in Harehills
July marked the successful completion of an inspiring new mural in Harehills. Brought to life through the efforts of volunteer students from the School of Design and the School of Fine Art at the University of Leeds, this vibrant project was in collaboration with one of our newest community partners, the Junior Sports Hub (JSH) in Harehills.
Meet our Community Partner
Located in Harehills, JSH is a community-led charity dedicated to empowering young people through sports activities, relief projects, and the provision of facilities. Since opening its doors eight years ago in a former warehouse behind the Bilal Mosque, JSH has flourished under the leadership of directors Kamran and Imran. Today, it supports dozens of regular sports clubs, a community café, adult support groups, homework clubs, community gardening, and various outreach activities. Seeking to enhance the Urban Oasis Garden adjacent to their café, JSH approached the Sustainability Service for help in creating a mural that would become a focal point for the community.
The Process
The aim was for the mural to represent JSH, its users, and the broader community it supports. Therefore, to kick off the design process, Chris Bowie (our Sustainability Service project officer) facilitated a workshop at JSH with some of their Youth Ambassadors. The participants engaged in drawing exercises prompted by questions like “What does Junior Sports Hub mean to you?” and “What represents the Harehills community?” These sessions provided ideas that the student artists could draw from.
Over the following weeks, the student artist team refined these initial concepts, choosing a style and colour scheme that would best capture the spirit of the community. The final design included local landmarks such as the Bilal Mosque, symbols representing the importance of sports in the community, and nature to highlight the significance of the JSH garden to the local environment.
The Grand Reveal
On July 15th, the Urban Oasis Garden saw JSH youth groups, community members, and Local Councillors Salma Arif and Ashgar Ali gather to officially unveil the mural. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Councillor Salma Arif remarked
It really represents Harehills and the local community…it makes such a difference in an area that is so deprived and we’re trying to change one little bit at a time.
Acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the dedication and creativity of our volunteer artists: Caitlin O’Doherty, Hannah Green, Madalena Teague, Melissa Nesbitt, and Hollie Rawson. Special thanks go to Kamran, Imran, and everyone at Junior Sports Hub for their enthusiasm and hospitality throughout the project. We also want to extend our gratitude to the young people of Harehills for their invaluable ideas and collaboration in the design process. Finally, a big thank you to local artist Megan Dobbyn for providing training and technical support to our volunteer team.
The mural at the Junior Sports Hub stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the Harehills community. We look forward to many more projects that bring together the University of Leeds and the local area to create lasting positive change.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on social impact is linked to the following SDGs:
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 17: Partnerships
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.
