Creativity in Captivity by Mehzebin Adam

6pm – 7pm, Leggate theatre, Victoria Gallery & Museum, Ashton Street, L69 3DR

The exhibition opening will be extended until 5.55pm, the lecture will start 6pm prompt.

The Gallery café will not be open, but there is a variety of venues selling refreshments in the vicinity. Please note: lidded drinks can be brought into and drank in the cafe area. Drinks are not allowed upstairs in the galleries or theatre.

Free but booking is essential

Throughout history, conflicts and crises have shown mankind at its worst but they have also produced many positive responses. A fascinating response is the creation of objects by soldiers, prisoners of war, civilians, and others involved in conflict or crisis.

The British Red Cross Museum & Archives collection holds a variety of objects which have been created using different materials and methods by prisoners of war. These range from purely functional objects needed for survival to objects with more aesthetic qualities such as gifts, souvenirs, and works of art. These objects capture a spark of the human spirit in extreme conditions and tell the stories, ideas and emotions of their makers.

Mehzebin Adam is a curator at the British Red Cross Museum & Archives and writes a regular blog for the Museum.

This talk will be of interest to anyone who would like to know more on this subject and the British Red Cross history and collections.

Image Credit: First Red Cross issue, Changi POW camp, by L/Bombardier Desmond Bettany 88th Field Regt (courtesy the Bettany family)