Event Details
The Body Wisdom Group of Echo Echo Dance Theatre
Company dancing the 'Cueca Sola' against the backdrop of arpilleras, accompanied by Chilean musician Victor Henriquez on guitar. (Photo: Elsie Doolan) |
Exhibition and associated activities: | Embracing Human Rights: Conflict Textiles’ Journey |
Description: | This exhibition marks 12 years of Conflict Textiles exhibitions and associated activities in a variety of local and international venues. Conflict and human rights abuses, explored through the tactile medium of textiles have remained a central theme in all of these events.
The collaboration with Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre and Museum Service Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council (CCGBC) has its roots in a two-phase exhibition "Stitching and Unstitching the Troubles", (SUTT) 2012-2013 (Northern Ireland Community Archive), which culminated in SUTT II: Exploring Responses to Conflict Through Textile Art, 2013-2014. This was followed in 2016 with Stitched Legacies of Conflicts and, more recently in 2018 War-Torn Children.
“Embracing Human Rights: Conflict Textiles' journey” incorporates textiles from a variety of jurisdictions, created in different decades, which connect to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and which address two key questions:
1. What is the impact of, and response to, human rights violations?
2. How can we embed a culture of human rights?
The exhibition spans an eight-month period, beginning with a small selection of textiles and memorabilia in the Ritter Gallery, 9th January, 2020. The full exhibition, occupying all the RVACC exhibition galleries, commences with the official launch at 2pm on Saturday 7th March, and extends to 31st July 2020. Throughout the entire exhibition period there will be a range of associated activities (p2), which will allow participants to engage with the central exhibition questions.
Exhibition launch photos (RVACC)
A number of associated activities were postponed due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. In light of this the exhibition will be hosted online at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre for a limited period. Virtual guided tours are scheduled for 16th June, 30th June and 6th July (see documents section below). The online exhibition page also includes a section Associated Activities for all Ages.
The Arpillera Doll Exhibition (hosted online by RVACC for a limited period) launched on 21st April, evolved from an open invitation issued from the Associated Activities for all Ages section Make your own arpillera doll. To augment the process, we issued the invitation to arpilleristas/makers whose pieces featured in the exhibition, to collectors who lent us pieces, to those who came to the exhibition launch on 7th March and to a wider cohort of people closely connected to Conflict Textiles.
In a further extension to the programme, in partnership with RVACC and the Bogside and Brandywell Initiative’s Peace Walls Programme, Roberta Bacic worked remotely with Kyra Reynolds, Development Worker, Triax Neighbourhood Management Team. A group of women from the Triax area of Derry/Londonderry engaged in a cross community textile arts project exploring human rights violations and created arpillera dolls in response. The Triax Arpillera Dolls Exhibition (hosted online by RVACC until 17th July 2021) was the outcome of this engagement. For a reflection on the outcome, see documents section below ‘Triax Arpillera Dolls article, K.Reynolds '21’. The article titled "Derry Dolls: A Return to Textiles… with a Twist" can also be accessed on Stitched Voices Blog. |
Commissioned by: | Conflict Textiles |
Date(s): | 9th January 2020 - 31st July 2020 |
Venue: | Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, Limavady, Northern Ireland Roe Valley Arts and Heritage Centre, 24 Main Street Limavady, Northern Ireland. BT49 0FJ |
Curator: | Roberta Bacic and Breege Doherty |
Facilitator: | Desima Connolly & Esther Alleyne, CCGBC |
Outcome: | Following a well attended onsite launch, the exhibition programme moved online during COVID restrictions. The successful transition to online engagement with a range of target groups was facilitated by a strong partnership and collaboration between Conflict Textiles and RVACC.
The range of outputs: guided tours, online Arpillera Dolls exhibition and Triax Arpillera Dolls is testimony to the commitment of all stakeholders to successfully adapt planned activities to the online environment using digital technologies. Overall, this has seeded new connections and built strong foundations for future collaborations with RVACC. |
Documents: |
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - view UDHR (Illustrated version) - view Textile list: RVACC, 2020 - view (ARTE, Dec 2019), UDHR poster. - view Exhibition poster: RVACC, Jan 2020 - view Exhibition catalogue: RVACC, Jan 2020 - view RVACC programme Jan-Mar 2020 (see p11-12) - view RVACC programme: Exhibition p11 - 12 - view Exhibition launch invitation, 7th Mar 2020 - view Textile captions linked to UDHR articles - view Exhibition bookmark: RVACC, Mar 2020 - view Exhibition flyer: RVACC, Mar 2020 - view Exhibition poster: RVACC, Mar 2020 - view Photo gallery: Exhibition launch, 7 Mar. 2020 - view Poster: Arpillera Doll virtual exhibition - view Invitation letter: virtual exhibition, 21Apr - view Poster: Virtual guided tour, 30 June 2020 - view Virtual tour: Refugee Buddy project, 16th Jun - view Film screening: Refugee Buddy Project, 19 Jun - view Slides: Virtual guided tour, 30 June/6 July - view Guided tour, 30 June: Thank you/further info. - view Triax Arpillera Dolls article, K.Reynolds '21 - view |
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