Faith and Creativity Lead Bronagh Daly reflects on inclusive growth and marginalisation in Leeds, as we begin the journey of Lent.
Hibiscus Rising by Yinka Shonibare, Aire Park (Photo Credit: Rachel Loftus)
What does ‘Inclusive Growth’ in Leeds mean to you, your church, your work or your business?
For the last few years, I have been journeying with the ‘Inclusive Growth’ 2030 strategy document from Leeds City Council, with targets to improve the lives of those most impacted by economic oppression, marginalised by the cruel realities of poverty.
Art, sculpture, poetry and the wider creative sector in our city help us to engage in dialogue – to dream a vision of a city where those who seek shelter, hospitality, and welcome are embraced as our sisters, brothers and siblings.
Our MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has led the way in embracing art in our city to engage us in conversations around hard-to-talk-about social injustices. The recently unveiled sculpture Ribbons by Pippa Hale, commissioned by Reeves, commemorates the role of hundreds of women in our city’s growth, including many women of colour, celebrating the seeds of opportunity they planted as ground-breakers in their areas of work.
Yinka Shonibare’s sculpture Hibiscus Rising also stands tall with a message for hope and growth. This bright Dutch batik patterned hibiscus sculpture breaks through the ground on Meadow Lane in honour of David Oluwale, who drowned in the River Aire in 1969. It speaks to the entangled history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the events leading to David’s drowning, which have been described as “the physical and psychological destruction of a homeless Black man, whose brutal and systematic harassment was orchestrated by the Leeds City Police Force”.
Ribbons by Pippa Hale, Quarry Hill
Both Hale’s and Shonibare’s sculptures offer a permanent reminder that we are all, every single citizen of Leeds, called to welcome the stranger and hold out the hand of friendship in a ‘Culture of Encounter’.
Spending time with each of these sculptures has helped me to reflect on core Christian principles, rekindling in me a focus on growth that is not concerned with wealth or profit. Will the growth that Rachel Reeves promises the country, and Leeds City Council promises the city, ensure equality and safety for the most vulnerable in our society – a place where all can truly flourish?
Just as Wisdom shouts aloud in Proverbs 8, I stand on the hill, at the crossroads, at the city gates – my lament is to turn away from riches and stand in solidarity with marginalised communities.
As Lent has just started, my focus has turned to all who are broken-hearted, downtrodden, and ‘lowly’ as the Magnificat proclaims. I’m searching for the ‘signs of the times’ that will showcase how marginalised communities are heard and empowered, to put down roots and feel the warmth of love and respect as they grow, nourished by compassion.
I’m working with creatives in Leeds to design ‘Wisdom: Rooted in Place’, an Art Theology festival to help Christians, church leaders, and the wider public engage in some of the hardest-to-talk-about social injustices, such as homelessness, poverty, racism, and mental health, through art and creativity. This series of events will celebrate the embodied wisdom of marginalised people in this city we call home, as well as shining a light on the injustices rooted in our shared history.