RESIDENTS of a borough town have pieced together a patchwork quilt that celebrates their community’s creativity and diversity.
The artwork, called Earley, One Square At A Time 2024, is made up of 100 quilt patches, and is a visual illustration of how residents view Earley this year.
Organised by Art Space in St Nicolas Community Centre, Earley, the project welcomed contributors of all ages, genders, faiths and backgrounds.
Curator at the Art Space, Liz Kerry, said: “We started in March with a Facebook request for anyone who wanted to join in, and the patchwork was completed in August.”
Each square tells the individual story of someone who has lived here at some point during this year.
She continued: “Our intention was to emphasise how Earley works together, and can do in the future, even though there is a wide diversity in the people who live here.
“Young and old, across genders, faiths and backgrounds, temporary resident or born and bred, all the individual stories have been collected into a vibrant wall hanging.”
The artwork will be on display for at least a year, in the foyer of the St Nicolas Community Centre, but was available to preview last week, while it was laid out flat.
“There was a lot of interest with more than 200 people visiting,” said Liz.
“It was delightful to see young children creating dances about the stories they saw in the quilt.”
Now installed on the wall, the patchwork will be officially opened by the Mayors of Earley and of Wokingham, and Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, at St Nicolas Community Centre, on Saturday, September 7.
On that day, it can be viewed from 1pm until 4pm, with the official opening taking place between 2pm and 3pm.
For information, visit: www.stnicolas.org.uk
