OUGD505 - Leeds Public Spaces - Leeds Research and Feedback

Leeds City Museum 

Visited Leeds museum as it is a public space that often hosts historical and creative events. As well as this I was able to learn more about the history of Leeds which can inform the concept development.

• 1958 - Poignant moment when Leeds showed how far it had come from when it was dependant on the woollen industry as engineering, leather and chemical industries had growing importance. 

• 1850 - John Barron pioneered a method of mass producing ready to wear clothes which provided jobs for jews.

• Between 1790 - 1830 the population of Leeds grew from 25,000 to 85,000 because people came to Leeds to seek work and escape poverty.  

Leeds was typical of the rapidly growing manufacturing towns of the 19th century. Long established as market town for the sale of cloth, it exemplified all the characteristics of industrial environment.

Concept 1

Kirkstall Abbey - Built 1152-1182 - Is one of the oldest buildings in Leeds. The monks reared sheep and produced high quality wool which attracted buyers from France and Italy. This made it one of the largest and wealthiest producers of wool. There has been evidence from old records that the quality of the produce was extremely high as traders in Venice always sought to sauce their material from Kirkstall Abbey due to its high quality finish. 

Wool and Cloth Industry

• Silk
• Silk Crepe
• Cotton Lawn
• Cotton Drill
• Wool Serge
• Velvet 

This has been a great introduction to my research as I have identified the wool and cloth industry at Kirkstall Abbey to be a potential public space in Leeds that I can take forward into the next stage of research. 

Tour De France - Stage One

Leeds - Harrogate

In 2014, Leeds hosted the first stage of the Tour de France. The first stage of the world famous event is called the 'Grand Depart' which Tour director Christian Prudhomme described as “the grandest Grand Départ” in the 111-year history of the race. The event was spread all over Leeds, however the start of the race was outside Leeds Town Hall which is a public place right in the centre of Leeds. 

• Knitted yellow jersey 
• Over 230,000 spectators in Leeds alone
• Leeds to Harrogate - 190km
• Community riders at the opening parade
• #TDFLeeds reached 44.5 million people 

The start of the Tour de France generated approximately £130million and was watched at the roadside by crowds of 4.8m, the official event impact review reveals.

‘Three Inspirational Days’ Report

This report examines the economic and social impact of hosting the world’s largest annual sporting event, which began on Saturday 5 July in Leeds with the first of a two-day Grand Départ in Yorkshire followed by a third stage in Cambridgeshire, Essex and London.

Key findings courtesy of BBC Cycling:

• £128m - the total boost to Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and London because of the Tour de France

• 4.8m - the number of people who lined the route for the three English stages

• 100km - the amount of barriers and fencing required, which is enough to barrier the M11 from Cambridge to London

• 13,000 - the number of stewards and traffic marshals on duty

• 2m - the number of spectators who felt inspired to cycle more frequently

(Race director) Christian Prudhomme quotes:

"I can see the Tour in their hearts, and in their eyes. For that, I say thank you to everyone in Yorkshire who has made this Grand Depart so very, very special."

I was fortunate enough to be in Yorkshire whilst the event was taking place so I was able to see the racers near Cragg Vale. The energy from the crowd made the event vibrant and festive, people littered the streets, climbed trees and walls in order to get a glimpse of the riders. Already having this experience would be really beneficial for my concept development as I have primary sourced images of the event and experiences. Having an interest in cycling informed me to research into the different jerseys that the riders are competing for:

Yellow Jersey - Overall leader

Green Jersey - Points classification leader
Polka-dot jersey - King of the Mountains classification leader
White jersey - Best young rider classification leader

These can inform the colours and pattern to include in my poster.

This event clearly had a positive impact on Leeds because it generated money from tourism, created a sense of community due to large volume of volunteers and put Yorkshire on the map for professional cycling. 

FEEDBACK

At this early stage in the project I am still yet to start developing concepts because I am running slightly behind, however I took the opportunity to discuss my research and initial findings in order to gain another perspective and seek guidance as to which angle to take forward.

Kirkstall Abbey
Wool and cloth produced by the monks and sold in France and Italy

We discussed how this concept would provide opportunity to introduce other materials to the poster, making it tangible and textured. However, we struggled to develop a purpose for the poster as we weren't sure if the poster should raise awareness of how successful the trade was in Leeds or

Leeds - Tour de France 

• It was suggested that the poster could be aimed at cycling enthusiasts and fans of the sport. This would work really well for Leeds because it the event got the whole of Yorkshire involved which is reflected by the fact that over 230,000 spectators came to Leeds and 4.5 million over the whole 3 days.

• Poster series of 4 for each jersey 

• Take influence from the French language - 'Grand Départ', 'allez, allez!'  

• Use the quote from Christian Prudhomme

• Celebratory

• Perhaps a limited edition poster which will be desirable for cycling enthusiasts

• Niche or commercial? 

It was suggested that I look at past Tour De France and cycling posters because their are a lot of classic examples of design.