Sat 08 Nov
|Exeter Library
Phoenix Rising: Our Freedom Exhibition Launch
Witness the power of collective creativity. See how Ukrainian families transformed memory into hope through art | Відчуйте силу спільної творчості. Побачте, як українські родини перетворили пам'ять на надію через мистецтво.
Time & Location
08 Nov 2025, 11:00 – 12:00
Exeter Library, Library, Castle St, Exeter EX4 3PQ, UK
About the event
Ukrainian below
Join us for the opening of a powerful community art installation exploring the meaning of freedom across generations.
This exhibition is part of a nationwide project marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, bringing together 60 libraries and art centres across the UK.
Over three creative workshops in July, September, and October, Ukrainian families gathered at Exeter Library to reflect on what freedom means today. Led by artist Athena Jane Churchill in collaboration with Devon Ukrainian Association, participants explored Exeter's wartime history and the city's spirit of renewal — how places and people can rebuild with love and care, how a phoenix can rise from the ashes.
Working with traditional Ukrainian designs — Petrykivka painting, Pysanky, and inspired by Mariia Prymachenko — over 30 participants created a stunning mixed-media installation. The Phoenix symbolises regeneration and hope, echoing Exeter's own story of rebuilding after WWII…