Event Research

Tour de France
Public Space: Harewood House

101st edition of the Tour De France began in Leeds in July 2014. 
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry started the race at Harewood House.

The Tour de France could be said to have shaped Leeds as it was an iconic and major event in Yorkshire's history. Hundreds of people came out to witness the start of the race, and Yorkshire was shown all over the world. The event is world famous so to have it starting in Leeds was a major event, and the event was even commemorated with a race marker on the road past the Town Hall, where the race started.

There is now even a 'Tour De Yorkshire' which began in 2015, a year after the Tour de France event, this can show that the event shaped Leeds, by encouraging the set up of a similar event in Leeds.

As well as this, local designers the Hungry Sandwich Club were commissioned to repurpose old junction boxes in order to commemorate the race. The boxes are still on display today and on the day people used them to stand on and view the race. 

Anarchy Tour 1976
Public Space: Leeds Polytechnic

The Sex Pistols played the opening show of their Anarchy in the UK tour in 1976 at Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Beckett). They were supported by other iconic bands, The Clash and Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers.
A few days before in a TV interview, Johnny Rotten had sworn and been banned from many venues as a result of this. However Leeds Polytechnic still allowed them to play, allowing for an iconic show - one immortalised through a bootleg EP called Anarchy in Leeds.
By the following spring many of the hottest names in London’s punk scene were heading for West Yorkshire and local musicians were starting punk bands of their own. The Anarchy tour helped to shape Leeds by heavily influencing the city's punk music scene.

First black FA Cup finalist

Public Space: Elland Road
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johanneson
Albert Johanneson, of South African descent, played for Leeds United during the FA Cup in 1965. Today, Johanneson is hailed by many as having helped pave the way for the scores of black players that make up the ranks of the English Premiership, especially those with South African roots.

First motion picture
Public Space: Roundhay Park

Although the Lumiere brothers and Thomas Edison are given credit for 'pioneering' moving image it could be argued that in fact another shot a film first, however before he could take credit her disppeared. Allegedly, Louis le Prince filmed the worlds first motion Picture in Roundhay Garden and on Leeds bridge on 14th October 1888. The film was said to have been "proved to be one of the most ground-breaking inventions of early cinema."