Every Voice Matters 

After workshops where they learnt Anne’s story and explored how they could use their voices through creativity, young people from across all six of Tameside’s special schools worked to create a unique art installation to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Titled ‘Every Voice Matters’, the installation was designed to promote the message that acceptance of others is important for everyone.

Created in collaboration with the Lakes Care Centre, Dukinfield and with support from Tameside Cultural Services’ arts and events team, the piece commemorates the Holocaust where 6 million Jews were killed, as well as all other victims of Nazi persecution who were killed for who they were.  

The installation brings to life the young people’s reflections on the Holocaust and creative thoughts in the form of a mannequin of Anne Frank made with extracts from her famous diary. Holding a photo album, the mannequin depicts Anne looking at pictures of all the Ordinary People that helped the Frank family and all those hiding in the Secret Annexe. Scattered around Anne’s feet are the young people’s diaries and sketchbooks from their involvement in Arts Award Discover run by Trinity College London, and show some of the ordinary people the students consider to be heroes. Poems written and performed by young people from Cromwell High School and Samuel Laycock School with support from spoken word poet Dominic Berry, can also be heard through a QR code as part of the installation, and extracts are shown below.

Through this work, we see how Anne and The Helpers were Ordinary People who did extraordinary things. As an ordinary Jewish teenager, Anne wanted to write about her experiences and share them with the world so they would understand what it was like in hiding during the Holocaust. And The Helpers sheltered those in the Secret Annexe knowing that they could be arrested and killed if they were caught.

The young people involved in this project were left understanding more about the Holocaust and also why it is so important to accept others and work to prevent history from being forgotten or repeated

 

Extract from poem ‘Dear Diary’

“Deadly danger,

Deceptive door,

Disappearing door,

Descending darkness...” 

 

Extract from poem ‘Sunshine’

With guns and bombs the Nazis they kill

She went into hiding and she kept very still

To be a writer Anne wanted to be fulfilled

The Nazis crushed tattered souls with their ill will

Anne Frank just wanted to be free

Her helpers were her sunshine when she could not flee