A much-loved landmark of Leeds’ cultural life has gained a striking new addition, as a freshly created panel has been installed alongside the iconic Leeds Tapestry at Leeds Central Library.
The new work, entirely designed and stitched by local residents, explores ideas of freedom and what the concept means in modern Leeds. Created through workshops and community sessions at the library, the project formed part of the national campaign ‘Our Freedom: Then and Now’, inviting people to reflect on freedom 80 years after the end of the Second World War.
Lead artist Hayley Mills-Styles and Elnaz Yazdani worked with community groups across the city to produce a series of embroidered, patchworked and embellished artworks. The pieces draw inspiration from the library’s collections, the history of Leeds and Freedom Road, a specially commissioned poem by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.
Those individual contributions have now been crafted into a single panel, installed in the first-floor corridor at Leeds Central Library where it sits alongside the existing tapestry — a favourite stop for visitors and a source of civic pride for residents.
The original Leeds Tapestry is a 16-panel work created between 1992 and 2002 to celebrate the city, its people and its rich history. Each panel has a distinct theme, including sporting life, community spirit and education, offering a stitched narrative of the city’s evolving identity.
One of the most popular sections, the Pins and Needles panel, brings together key moments from Leeds’ past through art — beginning with pre-industrial Leeds and moving through the city’s textile industry, manufacturing and retail heritage. Using local materials, it captures the industry and ingenuity that helped shape Leeds into a major northern city.
The tapestry also pays tribute to well-known figures who have left their mark on Leeds, including Leeds United legend John Charles and pop culture icon Mel B, weaving personal stories into the city’s wider historical narrative.
Councillor Asghar Khan, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety said:
“The Leeds Tapestry is a wonderful piece that celebrates the history of our city.
“Marking 400 years since the city received its Royal Charter the tapestry has now received a new panel, to explore what freedom means to us in Leeds today, reflecting on the past and the future.
“The artists and volunteers have done a brilliant job in making it all come together and I’d recommend anyone to go and see it at the Leeds Central Library.”
Emma Hayton, Art Librarian said: “It has been truly special to reconnect with the original tapestry artist and volunteers. To mark the completion of the new panel, we would like to invite any volunteers from the original project to get together for a private viewing and reunion in May 2026. If you were involved between 1992 and 2002, please email us at artlibrary@leeds.gov.uk.”
The creation of the tapestry was devised and designed by Leeds artist Kate Peace (formerly Russell) and involved more than 2,000 people. It is made up of around 1,500 individual embroideries — many of them painstakingly time-consuming, reflecting the collective patience and craftsmanship behind the work.
About the making of the tapestry Kate Peace said:
“I want to make art that people feel a connection to. And the only way you can do that is by having that connection to the work that you’re doing.
“One of the aims I had when we decided to go ahead with this, was that not only would people be involved at every stage, but that to celebrate the textile heritage of Leeds we would attempt to include every single known hand embroidery, machine embroidery, every kind of textile creation, every kind of way to make the textile image that we could.
“There’s thousands and thousands and thousands of hours of work in it.”
The timing of the new panel is particularly significant. Its arrival comes at the start of a milestone year for Leeds, which in 2026 is marking 400 years since the city was awarded its first Royal Charter — formal recognition of Leeds as a self-governing borough.
With the addition of a contemporary panel focused on freedom, the Leeds Tapestry continues to evolve, linking the city’s celebrated past with present-day voices and experiences. In a space dedicated to learning, memory and shared stories, the new work extends an invitation to pause, look closely, and consider how Leeds, and the idea of freedom — continues to be shaped by the people who call it home.
The tapestry is open to everyone to visit during library opening hours. Visitors can also book onto Tapestry Tours at Leeds Tapestry Tour at Leeds Central Library
