A NEW and improved public space that celebrates Leicester’s diverse communities has been officially opened by the Lord Mayor.
New commemorative paving has been unveiled at the Sculptural Gateway on Belgrave Circle. The Sculptural Gateway is a striking piece of artwork by Anuradha Patel, that was installed last year to celebrate the arrival of Ugandan Asians to Leicester in 1972.
The granite paving is designed to complement the sculpture by celebrating the journeys made by many different communities to Leicester. Engraved into it are the names of people who have contributed towards the project.
A booklet marking the anniversary has been published to accompany the launch of the new space. Sculptural Gateway: A Community Collaboration Celebrating 50 Years of Ugandan Asian Migration to Leicester is available for free from Belgrave Library and Visit Leicester.
Community participation was a key element of the artwork’s development. Throughout the project, Leicester Museums and Galleries held several arts engagement events, gathering information and detail from people’s migratory stories. They also connected with people through last year’s Rebuilding Lives exhibition, which heard the stories of people fleeing Uganda and seeking refuge in Leicester, exploring the impact they and their families have had on all aspects of the modern city of Leicester.
To mark the official opening of the space, people were invited to write messages about their journeys to Leicester on parcel tags. Midlands-based artist Anuradha Patel, who created the sculpture, talked about her inspiration, while Jaffer Kapasi, a local businessman and Honorary Consul General of Uganda, spoke about experiences of migration.
Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Bhupen Dave, was born and educated in Uganda before coming to the UK in 1972 with his parents. He said: “I’m delighted to be opening this new public space. As well as providing a gateway to the Golden Mile, it celebrates the tremendous positive impact that has been made on our city by all of the diverse communities that have travelled here, and now call Leicester home.
“This is a space that has been designed by and for Leicester communities. It’s a powerful message of unity and shows that we are proud of our culturally diverse city.”