[3] In 2019 four artists – Wendy Briggs, Pippa Hale, Zsófia Jakab and Briony Marshall – were shortlisted after an open call.

[5] The chosen artist was Hale, who described her proposal for the sculpture as: "Ribbons tie many parts together, so the idea is that we are binding the names of these women together over time and space in a celebration of womanhood.

[6][7][9][10] The firms involved in constructing the sculpture included Fish Fabrications, Norwich;[11] Skyhooks Engineering, Wakefield;[12] and the Fereday Cylinder Company, Dudley.

[16] Ribbons was highlighted as an important part of the process to redress the gender imbalance in public art in the city.

[2] The full list of the 383 women featured, with biographical details and, in most cases, images, is published on the project's website.