A new mural of a community champion and photographer has appeared in Liverpool

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.”

A man standing in front of artwork being sold at a market stall.

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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Original article and more images available at the National Museums Liverpool website here.

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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Sonia 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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Mandela8 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

Brief – Community Heritage Development Manager_removedDownload


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