Tuesday 2 February 2016

Don't Stand By Art Project

Last week it was Holocaust Memorial Day
Alongside remembering  and honouring the people who suffered and are still suffering in the genocides of recent history is this year's theme:   'Don't stand by."

The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. Whilst some actively supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out; at worst, indifferent. Bystanders enabled the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides. - See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2016-dont-stand#sthash.M63law1a.dpuf
The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. Whilst some actively supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out; at worst, indifferent. Bystanders enabled the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides. - See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2016-dont-stand#sthash.M63law1a.dpuf
The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. Whilst some actively supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out; at worst, indifferent. Bystanders enabled the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides. - See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2016-dont-stand#sthash.M63law1a.dpuf
The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. Whilst some actively supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out; at worst, indifferent. Bystanders enabled the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides. - See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2016-dont-stand#sthash.M63law1a.dpuf


This artwork on the theme of Flames for Humanity's heroes is by a group of  year 7, 8 and 9 students at Sawston Village College. The textile piece was inspired by Carl and Teresa Wilkens, who refused to stand by during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

The students brainstormed ideas and I helped them to dye and print textiles for the final piece which you can also see here:   Flame for Carl & Teresa



3 interlinked panels viewed from the front





We dyed the fabrics and screen printed a background with photo screens

Foreground: prints with Carl's story and quotes from his talks about genocide.

Quotes and some shocking statistics



And screened words on the back panels that the young people chose  to describe Carl and Teresa's acts of heroism

 For more information about the inspirational Carl Wilkens see
http://www.worldoutsidemyshoes.org/

For me, this was the very best of community art projects.The process of making the art work added another dimension to  the young people's engagement with the subject. 

The project was facilitated by Leslie Morgan, Arts Development Officer, Helen Day, Head of Art and James Woodcock, Assistant Principal, Sawston Village College


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