Beryl Gilroy: Public artwork honours Camden's first black headteacher

The piece is the final instalment in a series of artworks celebrating London's unsung female heroes

A new public artwork to honour one of London's first black headteachers has been unveiled in north London.

Dr Beryl Gilroy has been celebrated outside West Hampstead Primary School, formerly Beckford Primary School, where she became Camden's first black headteacher in 1969.

She arrived in the UK from British Guiana in 1952 and was also an author and broadcaster.

Current headteacher, Sam Drake, called her an "inspiration" at the unveiling.

Dr Gilroy died at the age of 76 in 2001 - she was described as one of the UK's most significant post-war Caribbean migrants.

The 15m (49ft) panels were created by London-based artist Fipsi Seilern, who was "honoured" to create the piece.

A quote featured on the art is taken from Dr Gilroy's seminal work, "Black Teacher".

The piece is the last installation of a series of free public artworks called LDN WMN, which is a collaboration between City Hall and Tate Collective, and is part of the mayor's #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign.

Female and non-binary artists created pieces to mark 100 years since women won the right to vote in the UK and were inspired by unsung female heroes from London.

• England's pioneering black head teachers

Others honoured include nurse Mary Seacole, wartime agent Noor Inayat Khan and activist Olive Morris.

Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, who unveiled the artwork, described it as a "beautiful tribute".

She said: "This beautiful tribute to Dr Gilroy will serve as inspiration to all the students and visitors coming through West Hampstead.

"Dr Gilroy's story is a significant part of London's history and this work captures her outstanding achievements.

"It shows that education does not always happen in a classroom, and that information and knowledge can reach so many more people through the medium of art and culture."

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