Commemorative Quilt to Narrate Holocaust Experiences

Dozens of stitchers from Derbyshire and surrounding areas are currently creating a quilt that will feature the personal accounts of 80 individuals impacted by the Holocaust. Laura Burrill, the project’s coordinator from Ashbourne, extended an invitation to the community to participate in the “Holocaust Memorial Day: 80 Candles Quilt” initiative. Each square of this “slow stitch” quilt is designed to represent the narrative of a victim, a survivor, or anyone connected to the events that transpired during World War Two. Ms. Burrill, aged 46, indicated that this endeavor commemorates eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over the past few weeks, various workshops have seen individuals from diverse age groups and backgrounds collaborate to produce the distinct squares for the quilt. As a community arts facilitator, Mrs. Burrill plans to assemble all 80 squares herself prior to the quilt’s exhibition at Derby Cathedral on January 27. She commented: “I am passionate about using textiles as a way to bring people together and engage with past and present narratives which create positive change. Stitching allows for meaningful connection with subjects and facilitates conversation about things which can be really difficult and painful to talk about.” Among the participating entities are the Multi-Faith Centre in Derby, Brailsford Methodist Church, Ashbourne Methodist Church, and the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Ashbourne. According to Ms. Burrell, the quilt is scheduled to tour various locations across the UK to foster additional dialogue and education regarding the Holocaust, with stops planned for Nottinghamshire’s National Holocaust Centre in April and a synagogue in Nottingham for Yom HaShoah. She further remarked: “Stitching also has the ability to bring people together from different communities and walks of life who perhaps wouldn’t normally meet.”