This portrait of Councillor Janet Emsley – Mayor of Rochdale 2025-6 was commissioned by Rochdale Development Agency during Rochdale’s Greater Manchester Year of Culture 2025-6. It was unveiled by Janet and her Mayoral Consort Ken Emsley at the magnificently refurbished Rochdale Town Hall on March 27th 2026 in the grand central entrance, where the sculpture will remain.
I was honoured to have been asked to make the sculpture as a celebration of a woman who has made a huge contribution to the life and culture in Rochdale. I have known Janet personally for many years – she taught all my kids in class at Wardle High School and has been a great champion of the arts – not least a great supporter of Ebor Studio and gallery – the group studio I founded here in the borough.
This work is one of an ongoing series of sculptural portraits of women I have been undertaking to address the underrepresentation of women in the public sphere. My portrait of peace activist Dr Erinma Bell MBE was unveiled in Manchester Town Hall in 2017. I was happy Erinma was able to attend the unveiling of the Mayoral portrait as one of the invited guests.
The sculpture was made from clay and cast into bronze at Castle Foundry. The process of bronze casting is an ancient one. A cast is made of the original clay model from which a wax version is produced. This is then covered in a solid ceramic shell. Once the wax is melted out, liquid bronze is poured into the cavity to create the final sculpture.
