Statue of Betty Campbell
The statue in 2021
ArtistEve Shepherd
SubjectBetty Campbell
LocationCardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°28′39″N 3°10′46″W / 51.4775°N 3.1795°W / 51.4775; -3.1795

A statue of Betty Campbell sculpted by Eve Shepherd was unveiled in Central Square, Cardiff, Wales, in 2021. Betty Campbell had been the first black head teacher in Wales.[1][2]

Background

Campbell died at the age of 82 on 13 October 2017.[3] First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones described Campbell as "a true pioneer" and an "inspiration to other black and ethnic minority people."[4]

Race Council Cymru immediately called for a statue to be erected in her memory.[5] In Cardiff, the only statue of a woman who actually lived was that of Boudicca in the City Hall. This contrasted with the number of statues of famous men, including Aneurin Bevan, Ivor Novello and Lloyd George.[6] In 2016, Helen Molyneux (the Chair of the Institute of Welsh Affairs), Carolyn Hitt, and the Welsh Women's Equality Network, organised 'Monumental Welsh Women', a task force to tackle this imbalance.[6][7] In 2019, the BBC ran the 'Hidden Heroines' campaign to decide who should be the subject of Cardiff's first statue of a named woman, decided by a public vote.[8] Five women were shortlisted: the poet and teacher Cranogwen (Sarah Jane Rees), the suffragette Lady Rhondda (Margaret Haig Thomas), the political organiser Elizabeth Andrews, the writer and anthropologist Elaine Morgan, and Betty Campbell.

On 18 January 2019, it was announced that Campbell had won the vote, and that her statue would be erected in the plaza of Central Square.[9]

Design and development

The Betty Campbell statue was intended to be an iconic landmark that people travel to Cardiff just to see.[10] Sculptor Eve Shepherd was chosen from a shortlist of three artists.[11]

The finished sculpture is 4 metres (13 ft) high and cast in bronze. Cambell's head and shoulders create a canopy sheltering ten bronze children of various ages depicted at the base of the statue. The base also includes mini bronze models of landmarks in Tiger Bay, for example the Pierhead Building and the Wales Millennium Centre. In addition there are small bronze chairs which are designed to be sat upon.[12]

On seeing the final design, Elaine Clarke, Campbell's daughter, commented that it encapsulated her mother "in a way that ensures her legacy of determination, aspiration and inspiration lives on for generations to come".[11] The statue was financed by private, corporate, crowd-sourced and Welsh Government funding and it was intended to be installed in 2020. After delays caused by COVID-19 restrictions, the unveiling took place on 29 September 2021.[13][14] An image of the statue was included in video accompanying the official Wales World Cup song in 2022.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Weatherby, Bronwen (29 September 2021). "Statue of Wales' first black headteacher unveiled". The Standard. London. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Chappell, Peter. "Statue of black head teacher Betty Campbell unveiled in Wales". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Wales' first black head teacher Betty Campbell dies". BBC News. 14 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Wales' first black head teacher dies". BBC News. 14 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Betty Campbell: Calls for statue of 'iconic' teacher". BBC News. 15 October 2017. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 Hitt, Carolyn (17 January 2019). "Statue to celebrate 'invisible' heroines". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Women, Monumental Welsh. "Celebrating Wales' hidden heroines". Monumental Welsh Women. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Hitt, Carolyn (7 January 2019). "Could Elizabeth Andrews win statue vote?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "Statue for Wales' first black headteacher Betty Campbell". BBC News. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  10. ↑ Hitt, Carolyn (27 January 2019). "Statue to celebrate 'invisible' heroines". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Betty Campbell statue sculptor chosen". BBC News. 14 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Betty Campbell Statue, Central Square, Cardiff". RCAHMW. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Betty Campbell: Statue of Welsh black heroine unveiled". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Morris, Stephen (29 September 2021). "Wales honours Betty Campbell, country's first black headteacher". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Wales's football revolution is born of tears, pride, fan culture and radical history | Elis James". the Guardian. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
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