Giant Arms in Mandela Gardens, Leeds

I’m helping curate an exhibition on the history of music in Leeds to be held at Leeds Museum later in the year. This involves attending regular meetings at the former Mechanics Institute just off Millenium Square.

Usually I catch the train and walk up which means passing Mandela Gardens which is located just in front of Leeds Civic Hall. In the gardens there is a giant sculpture of two arms which I have always noticed but never really known about its significance or who had produced the piece. This blog will hopefully shed a little bit of light on both the gardens and the artwork.

Mandela Gardens was originally laid out in mid 1983 and dedicated to Nelson Mandela as a way of the City of Leeds showing support to the anti-apartheid movement. The opening of the gardens actually took place December 1983, when Nelson Mandela was still imprisoned in Cape Town.

It was at Mandela Gardens in 1994 that celebrations took place when Mandela was freed and South Africa held its first democratic election, with Nelson Mandela becoming the country’s first black president.

Late in 2,000 as a legacy for the new Millenium the area in front of Leeds Civic Hall was redeveloped into Millenium Square. A civic space which now hosts large concerts, Christmas markets as well as fun fairs and is one of the great event spaces in the city. As part of this redevelopment, Mandela Gardens were re-laid out by Leeds based architect John Thorpe.

He added new plants, seating areas for people to picnic and a water feature, but most significantly a giant bronze structure.

The sculpture is called “Both Arms” and is by a sculptor called Kenneth Armitage. Armitage was born in Leeds in 1916 and went to Leeds College of Art before studying at The Slade School of Fine Art in London. He sadly passed away in 2002. Kenneth Armitage is best known for his abstract bronze sculptures and people of Leeds may remember another of his works “Legs walking” which was on display for 6 years in front of Mill Hill Chapel on the edge of City Square.

“Both Arms” is 16 feet tall and with the outstretched arms was seen as conveying a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. It was described at the time it was installed as a monument to friendship. I’ve looked at lots of photos from at the time when Mandela became president and he often is pictured in a pose with his arms out in what could be construed as forgiveness or a welcome to all no matter what race or creed. I think the giant arms are an unconscious nod to Mandela himself, although with the stripes a friend of mine once said they reminded him of Beetlejuice!

On April 30th, 2001 around 5000 people packed into Millennium Square, some waiting over five hours to see Nelson Mandela be made an Honorary Freeman of the City of Leeds.  He was introduced to the people by newsreader Jon Snow who said that Mr Mandela was the ‘greatest living example of forgiveness, hope and aspiration.’

The day will be remembered for a slight gaff by Mandela, when he address the crowd with “Hello Liverpool” instead of Leeds. On being told of his mistake he quickly apologised, much to the amusement of the crowd.

The Mandela Gardens were then rededicated, this time by Nelson Mandela himself as he commented  “For me to see this garden reminds me of my childhood and the happy days associated with it,” he then added that the gardens “Were one thing which makes me at peace with the world and being at peace with the people of Leeds.”

There is a plaque in the garden, which was used for the original 1983 dedication and reads ‘These gardens were named in honour of Nelson Mandela symbol of resistance to Apartheid in South Africa at a ceremony held on 10th December 1983, N. Mandela – The Struggle Is My Life – 26th June 1961’.

In the garden some of the flower beds are planted with plants native to Britain and South Africa while the water sculpture is said to be symbolic of the bars of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell.

The garden is a little sea of tranquillity in the centre of Leeds, and a great place to sit and contemplate or grab a sandwich and catch your breath if you are ever in Leeds. If you are not sure where it is – just ask directions to the big arms!