A powerful community artwork celebrating freedom today
Threads of Freedom, a unique textile artwork created by local people as part of the national project Our Freedom: Then and Now. Led by artists Helen Sill and Tanya Wood, the work brings together stitched words, drawings, and fabric pieces made by residents across Havant, reflecting what freedom means to our community—past and present.
About the project
Threads of Freedom is part of Our Freedom: Then and Now, a nationwide programme from Future Arts Centres marking 80 years since VE/VJ Day. Across the UK, communities have been exploring the meaning of freedom through creativity.
Here in Havant, local people came together to stitch, draw, and share their thoughts, creating a collaborative textile piece that connects today’s freedoms to those of the past. The final artwork celebrates the voices and creativity of the local community.
Watch the video below to find out more about the project, hear from our artists and our Executive Director, Fiona Baxter:
Photos captured during our ‘Sitting and Stitching’ sessions at The Spring. (c) Sam Ivin
About the artists
The Spring were delighted to work with artist and researcher Helen Sill to lead this special project. Helen’s work sits at the intersection of drawing, contemporary craft and heritage practice. As well as giving talks about textiles and teaching stitch based workshops past projects include a residency at Chichester Festival Theatre and ongoing collaborations with textile artisans in Gujarat. The selection panel felt her thoughtful approach to visual storytelling was a perfect fit for this project
Joining Helen to deliver this project was artist Tanya Wood. Tanya is a Hampshire based artist whose work consists mainly of highly detailed drawings. Her practice has been enriched by many years spent as a textile based artist. Using needle or pencil she explores her surroundings and the everyday.
Our Freedom: Here and Now is a nation-wide programme lead by Future Arts Centres. The programme is delivered in partnership with Libraries Connected and Open Eye Gallery, supported using public funding by UK Government through Arts Council England.