English 3 Docs

The BLM Mural Trail in
Edinburgh
Photographs by Jamal Yussuff-

Adelakun on the railings on
Tolbooth Kirk on the Royal Mile
(Photo: Hannah Awcock).
On the first day that I arrived in Edinburgh in

August I went for a walk up the Royal Mile. As I
walked towards the castle, my eye was caught by a set of pictures and yellow ribbons
attached to the railings of the Tolbooth Kirk. On further investigation, it turned out to
be an installation of photos called ‘I can’t breathe’ by British born Nigerian
photographer Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun. The ribbons are expressions of solidarity with
Black Lives Matter Scotland.
Ribbons tied to the railings of Tolbooth Kirk on the Royal Mile in solidarity with the
Black Lives Matter movement (Photo: Hannah Awcock).
The installation at Tolbooth Kirk is just one part of the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail,
a series of artworks in towns and cities across Scotland led by creative producer Wezi
Mhura. Scottish Black and Asian artists have created new artworks in support of
the Black Lives Matter movement. The formats range from stereotypical street art
murals, to less conventional photography and digital artworks. The project is “a call
out to the people of Scotland to challenge racism wherever you see it – in the streets,
in institutions, at work and at school.” As I have continued to explore Edinburgh over
the last few months, I have come across more examples from the mural trail (of course
I could just look them up on the map, but I think it’s more fun to stumble across them!)
A piece by Rudy Kanhye at The
Queen’s Hall, exploring the
meaning of the phrase ‘Black
Lives Matter’ and its controversial
counter ‘All Lives Matter’ (Photo:
Hannah Awcock).
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013, but the movement has experienced a
resurgence since the death of George Floyd in May 2020. I am interested in the ways
that protest movements make their mark on public spaces, and I have recently written
about the traces that BLM protests left on the streets of Brighton, my home city. The
BLM mural trail is more formal than the traces I found in Brighton, but it has a similar
effect; it brings the debate into public space, and reaches out to those who might not
otherwise have become involved in the conversation.
Street art by Shona Hardie at

Dance Base in the Grassmarket
(Photo: Hannah Awcock).
There seems to be a perception

amongst many Scots that racism
isn’t really a problem here.
Interventions such as the mural
trail help to undermine this
narrative, and draw attention to
the very real examples of racism
in Scotland, as well as how
broader systematic discrimination
affects ethnic minorities here. The
first step to achieving change is to
start a conversation, and the BLM
Mural Trail is an innovative and
effective way to do this.
The large mural by Abz Mills at Usher
Hall commemorates Sheku Bayoh,
who died in police custody in
Kirkcaldy in 2015 (Photo: Hannah
Awcock).
Scotland’s BAME artists have stepped up, supported by leading arts organisations
to produce a mural trail in the capital and across Scotland.
The artworks forming the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail have begun popping
up with displays on a dozen arts venues and sites in Edinburgh, Glasgow and
Inverness, with many more to follow.
Art is powerful and at a time when all Scotland’s venues are closed for the
foreseeable future, they can still have a voice by offering their walls and
doors to be used for this dramatic, vital statement of support for Black Lives
Matter.
The artworks – colourful, challenging, moving, powerful and diverse –

inspired by the themes of I Can’t Breathe and Black Lives Matter, will be
created by artists from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, all
living in Scotland.
Several will be supported by additional exhibitions with local relevance. They

will be in a variety of media including paint, photography, video and digital
art, in a wide range of styles, including fine art, street art, text, illustrative
and abstract.
The artists come from a wide range of backgrounds (including Cape Verde,
Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan/Harris, USA), some trained,
some self taught, combining youth and experience, individuals and artist
collectives – all uniquely talented. All will be large scale and hard to miss!
The trail is the brainchild of Edinburgh based creative producer Wezi Mhura
(Iron Oxide, Struileag (Commonwealth Games 2014), AfriFest, Edinburgh
International Festival) a specialist in large scale events, who pulled the idea
together in just over a week, with the support of venues and arts
organisations including Edinburgh International Festival, Dance Base, Queen’s
Hall Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre, Glasgow’s King’s Theatre and Theatre
Royal, and many more.
One of the first to go up is at The Hub Edinburgh, which will feature art based
on an original photograph by British born Nigerian photographer Jamal
Yussuff-Adelakun, which he created with his daughter Lola. There will also be
a series of other photos from the same session.
Scotland’s society and attitudes are shaped by its history rooted in slavery,
colonialism and imperialism. There are reminders of it in every major city, in
statues and buildings which were built by profits from the slave trade. There
is a wide debate opening up about how that should be represented. This
Scottish Mural Trail shows a way that art can be at the forefront and
stimulating the conversation, while also adding an exciting new dynamic to
currently boarded up venues.
Wezi Mhura: “The Scottish Government says it recognises the strength in its
aspirations to a more equal and more diverse society going forward, and we
hope this Mural Trail will help to start the conversations that need to be
happening now. It’s been amazing to connect in with so many talented artists
(with roots in so many different places) who have been so enthusiastic about
getting behind this project”.
Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun: “My daughter and I have bonded and created before
when it comes to photography, but never before have we both used the
medium of photography to talk about race injustice or racism. For me this
was a new found way to have that conversation with her.”
MAP TRAIL-LOCALATIONS
EDINBURGH
 The Hub, Edinburgh (Artist – Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun)

 The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh (Artist Neon Requiem)
 The Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh (Artist – Abz Mills)
 The Usher Hall, Main Building, Edinburgh (Artist – Eliza Shaddad, Emeli Sande, Helicopter
Girl, Soom T, Young Fathers )
 Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (Artist – Annie George)
 Dance Base, Edinburgh (Artist – Shona Hardie)
 Writers Museum, Edinburgh (Artist – Fadeke Kokumo Rocks)
 Quakers Meeting House, Edinburgh (Artist – Ayo Adedeji)
 Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh (Artist – Beatrice Ajayi)
 Museum of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (Artist Jeda Pearl Lewis)
 Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh (Artist Tayo Adekunle)
 The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Artist – Rudy Kanhye)
 Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh (Artist – Tony Kalisa)
 Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh (Artist – Adebusola Ramsay)
 North Edinburgh Arts, Edinburgh (Artist – Farah Nazley)
 Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh (Artist – Saoirse Amira Anis)
GLASGOW
 Gulp, Shawlands, Glasgow (Artist – Rachel Dallas)

 Govanhill Youth Project, Glasgow (Artist – Rachel Dallas)
 Rum Shack, Glasgow (Artist – Rachel Dallas)
 Jodandys, Shawlands, Glasgow (Artist – Rachel Dallas)
 Glee Club, Glasgow (Artist – Naya Mtembe)
 Theatre Royal, Glasgow (Artist – Steven Khan)
 King’s Theatre, Glasgow (Artist – Neda Ghaffar)
 Platform Theatre, Glasgow (Artist – Etienne Kubwabo)
INVERNESS
 Eden Court, Inverness (Artist – Jacqueline Briggs)
DUNDEE
 Sharing Not Hoarding, Slessor Gardens, Dundee (Artist – Sekai Machache)

 Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee (Artist – Matilda Williams-Kelly)
KIRKCALDY
 Coming Soon
LINLITHGOW
 Coming Soon, Linlithgow Pottery, Linlithgow (Artist Savannah McCrum & Hephzibah

Kilbride)
PERTH
 Coming Soon
ST ANDREWS
 Coming Soon
STIRLING
 Stirling (Artist – Katie Skinner, Jade Addison & Mia McGregor )

 University of Stirling, (Artist Suzanne Williams)

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The BLM Mural Trail in

Photographs by Jamal Yussuff-

On the first day that I arrived in Edinburgh in

Street art by Shona Hardie at

There seems to be a perception

The artworks – colourful, challenging, moving, powerful and diverse –

Several will be supported by additional exhibitions with local relevance. They

 The Hub, Edinburgh (Artist – Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun)

 Gulp, Shawlands, Glasgow (Artist – Rachel Dallas)

 Eden Court, Inverness (Artist – Jacqueline Briggs)

 Sharing Not Hoarding, Slessor Gardens, Dundee (Artist – Sekai Machache)

 Coming Soon, Linlithgow Pottery, Linlithgow (Artist Savannah McCrum & Hephzibah

 Stirling (Artist – Katie Skinner, Jade Addison & Mia McGregor )

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