'Highly fitting': Leeds suffragette mural finds new home at local school after removal order

A mural depicting Leeds-born suffragette Leonora Cohen has found a new home after its original location was deemed unsafe.

The artwork, created by Beeston artist Karl Canning and commissioned by the former Dewsbury Road Towns Team, was unveiled in August at the junction with Dewsbury Road and Rowland Road.

It depicts Cohen in front of the local landmark New Inn pub, located further up Dewsbury Road.

However, the necessary permission was not secured for the mural at its original location, with objections raised over its size, location and impact on the highway.

The mural has now found a new home at nearby New Bewerley Community School, which already has a classroom dedicated to the suffragette.

Councillor Paul Wray, who represents the Beeston ward, said he is “very happy to report” that a potential new home has been found.

“Although there are still some details to confirm, New Bewerley Community School has agreed in principle to have the mural relocated to the boundary fence of their multi-use games area, facing out onto Dewsbury Road,” he said.

He continued: “The school itself has a classroom named after Leonora Cohen, making it a highly fitting place for its new home. There will be a small cost to do this, which I will approve funding for given the circumstances.

“I'm hopeful that we will get this done well before the October 1 removal deadline. I'm glad to have played a small part in helping find a solution in relatively short order, and I want to thank everyone involved for their understanding and for supporting what I believe is a highly suitable resolution.

“If you're an artist looking to create work in a public space, it is always best to seek guidance before starting, as it helps avoid situations like this.

“We have officers whose main role is to promote public art in the city, and they can provide all the guidance necessary to ensure things are done compliantly.”

Leonora Cohen was born in Hunslet in 1873 and was one of the first female magistrates, as well as a personal bodyguard to Emmeline Pankhurst.

She earned the nickname "Tower Suffragette" after smashing a glass case containing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London in 1913 as part of the campaign for women's suffrage.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post in the days after it was unveiled, artist Karl Canning, who is behind several artworks in the area, said: “I found Leonora Cohen, and I loved the way she looked, the way she dressed. I loved her story and her achievements are just amazing. There are so many, absolutely loads.

“She was 105 years old when she died, and she fought for women's rights for about 80 years.”

Karl said the “extremely difficult” artwork took four months to create in a nearby studio before being moved to its original location.

“I've never done anything like it before. Buildings are not my forte, so it was a real challenge and a massive learning curve. But in the end, I think we were all so happy with the design – it just came out really well,” he said.