Threads of Survival

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Threads of Survival

Steven Carne • Oct 07, 2022

Threads of Survival

28 quilts and textile art made by over 160 people across England.

Adams Heritage Centre is proud to be hosting Threads of Survival.

Curator and one of the project leads Steven Carne writes, Threads of Survival continues the proud tradition of documenting important historical events and protest in quilts and textiles.

Currently a powerful collection of 28 quilts and textile art made by over 160 people across England.

We began in August 2020. We’re still a community spirited affair – as quilting should be. And we are still open to more collaborators.

The creative brief

Life during the pandemic, experiences and observations. And thoughts about the need to ensure a nation’s healthcare.

Stitchers: Over 150 people from across England – Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Cheshire, Lancashire, County Durham, Somerset, Surrey, London, Birmingham & Manchester

Quilts: 28 and growing…

Themes: Family life, community life
Fear of the virus
Fear of the Government
Lack of trust in politicians
Community spirit and welfare
NHS Staff courage
NHS working conditions
Care Homes & Care Staff
Misinformation & Media
Social Isolation
Political Corruption

We are a team of NHS Campaigners, all volunteers, passionate about making sure healthcare is available to all- regardless of abilioty to pay. This means reinstating the NHS as a government funded, managed and delivered public health service.

In 2019, after 6 years of marching, legal cases,MP Briefings – we were already thinking about new ideas and new ways to raise the level of awareness about the corporate attack on the NHS.

Then the pandemic struck… Covid19 presented us with a huge obstacle. It also gave us an extra push to find more creative ways of engaging with the public.

We were inspired by the emotional AIDS Quilt from the 1980’s and the bold, brave Arpilleras created during Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1970’s Chile. (See our Inspiration Page for more details)

Steve had encountered these powerful quilts at the Whitechapel Gallery in the late 90s. They are powerful because of their simple, bright, alost child-like portrayal of the atrocities committed by Pinochet during the 1970’s when he subjected Chile to authoritarian rule.

We were drawn to the determination and courage of the women who created these incredible historical documents, bearing witness to the events around them.