Powerful new exhibition coming to Exeter library this weekend

Exeter Library is hosting a new community art exhibition this Remembrance weekend as part of a national project marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

The project, titled Our Freedom: Then and Now, will culminate in a public event at Exeter Library on Saturday, 8 November at 11am, before remaining on display in the library’s foyer until Saturday, 6 December.

The initiative is part of a UK-wide programme led by Future Arts Centres (FAC) in partnership with Libraries Connected, supported by Arts Council England. 

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Libraries Unlimited, the charity responsible for public libraries in Devon, is one of 60 arts organisations and libraries taking part.

Working with artist Athena Jane Churchill, Libraries Unlimited organised a series of workshops and exhibitions that invited local residents, artists, veterans, and Ukrainian families to explore what freedom means in modern life. 

The resulting artworks include mural panels and a large mixed-media installation inspired by a “phoenix rising from the ashes”, a symbol of regeneration and resilience linked to Exeter’s history of rebuilding after the Second World War.

Alex Kittow, CEO of Libraries Unlimited, said the project has given local people a space to reflect and create together: “As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, this project has encouraged us to look at freedom not just as something to remember, but something to value and nurture today.”

 “Libraries have always been spaces of freedom - free to enter, free to learn, free to create. Bringing the final artworks together for Remembrance Weekend in Exeter feels like a fitting tribute to the past, and a hopeful expression of community and creativity for the future.”

Our Freedom: Then and Now forms part of a national series of exhibitions taking place across the UK to mark this milestone anniversary, using art to connect communities through shared reflection and remembrance.