Leeds Libraries are delighted to be one of the 80 Arts Council England-funded Our Freedom projects, including libraries, art centres, and museums, who are focused on bringing communities together to reflect and celebrate creatively on the freedoms enjoyed after the end of WW2, inspired by a specially commissioned poem, Freedom Road by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

Leeds’ project, entitled Threads of Freedom, has centred around a programme of make do and mend-style textile workshops with community groups, and open classes which led to the creation of a new Leeds Tapestry panel.

Commissioned artists incorporated ideas produced by community groups and curated selected pieces into a finished panel design. The outcome of the project – a new tapestry panel – is to be unveiled at Leeds Central Library in November. It will become part of the established Leeds Tapestry.

The celebration event will take place on Wednesday 19 November between 5pm – 7.30pm, and everyone is warmly invited to attend.

The Leeds Tapestry can be viewed during library opening hours until 11 November 2026 and guided tours may be available via ticketsource.