THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic has claimed the lives of thousands of people, and now a memorial is to be unveiled dedicated to those who died from the virus.
The memorial, which will be called Souls to Paradise, will take the form of a giant herd of individually folded paper cranes – each crane representing a life lost to Covid-19.
It will open to the public for a week starting Tuesday July 27 at The Spire, a creative space inside the former Grade II listed St. Mark’s Chapel in East Brighton.
Families, school and NHS staff are urged to fold a crane and add a personal message, in memory of a lost family, friend or college.
By the time the exhibit is ready, organizers hope to have more than a thousand cranes hanging from the high ceiling of the old church.
Each crane received will be included in the display.
Dr Christa Beesley, GP at Wellsbourne Healthcare CIC in Whitehawk, said: “I started folding origami cranes for healthcare and care colleagues who lost their lives caring for others.
“I made them all in bright primary colors so that when they fly together they look a bit like an NHS rainbow.
“Now we invite families, schools and the whole community to get involved by folding their own crane, for a friend or family member they have lost, or to mark the suffering we have all witnessed . ”
Artist Ian Leaver-Blaxstone, who appeared on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2019, designs and installs the commemorative exhibit.
Entrance to the Spire will be free, but there will be collection boxes for local charities, including Spire Arts and Cruse Bereavement.
Photo of St. Mark’s Church by Mike Quinn
Faith Dodkins, Co-Artistic Director of The Spire Arts said: “Our organization, like so many others in the city, has been deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but we are delighted to take small steps towards a full reopening to the public. . this spring.
“We cannot think of a more appropriate way to remember with sensitivity those we have lost and we look forward to giving people the time and space to reflect on their personal experiences of the past year.”
Since March 2020, 460 people have died in Brighton and Hove due to Covid-19. Across the country, more than 900 NHS staff have lost their lives caring for others.
Many people are grieving and losing, often unable to attend funerals due to foreclosure restrictions.
To find out how to fold a crane and where to send it to be part of Brighton and Hove’s Souls to Paradise Memorial, please visit: www.wellsbournehealthcare.org.uk/community-projects/cranesforcovid/ or email community@wellsbournehealthcare.org.uk
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-13 23:01:00
