CULTURE CLUB
THE QUARANTINE QUILT
devastating effect on our high streets and our theatres – this project is an attempt to try and breathe life back into both these spaces by bringing them together.” Winter is often a time when families and friends come together to watch pantomimes and musicals, and the pair hope to awaken the magic and wonder that is so important at this time of year. “Even if it’s just for a few minutes looking through our windows,” they add. “We want to create a high street presence for the arts to reach an audience passing by on the street each day, and perhaps also connect people through their stories.” The quilt is being displayed at 40 St Andrew’s Street in Cambridge until 18 December. You can also contribute to and see the patches and stories behind the quilt online at glimmertheatre.co.uk/shop-front-stories
with charming puppets, sparkling scenery and beautiful lighting. People can watch safely from behind glass, standing two metres apart in squares marked on the floor. Many of The Quarantine Quilt’s patches reflect some of society’s most pressing issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement, social inequality and loneliness, with each patch shining a light on an individual story from this collective experience. During the first lockdown, many of us were stuck inside alone, with only our screens to provide comfort and connection. The Quarantine Quilt is a visual representation of those individual squares of light coming together, culminating in a physical and digital art hybrid that gives people a chance to share their personal lockdown stories. Co-artistic directors Andy Brock and Sophie Crawford explain: “The pandemic has had a
Made up of patches sewn by more than 200 people across East Anglia and beyond, The Quarantine Quilt is a collaborative project organised by Cambridge-based Glimmer Theatre that brings together and describes individual pandemic experiences. This winter, several high street shops are hosting the quilt, and passers-by are invited to add their own patch on paper or fabric (and online) to add their own experiences. Entirely inspired by the striking red and white quilt created during lockdown, the community- led art and theatre installation is appearing in vacant high street shops in Cambridge, March and Littleport, exploring exciting new ways of communicating stories visually. Windows cut into the quilt reveal a magical story shop where the beholder witnesses short theatre pieces, each bringing the stories of the patches to life
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