Just when you think there are no new stories to tell, you discover another.
When told through the context of craft, when the language of textile is used with purpose and effect, the discovery becomes even more special. And so, it was with Jackie Stephens when we met with her at New Designers 2023.
Her graduate pieces showcased at the Business Design Centre told the story of how a Coleg Sir Gar tutor from Llansteffan was so moved by the tragedy of the Birmingham Alabama bombing of 1963, that he raised funds through the Western Mail to create a stained-glass window here in Wales to replace the one destroyed by the blast at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
Jackie’s work depicts and commemorates each element of the story using her signature technique to tell this amazing story of sympathy and solidarity between two communities. The work comprises several panels, but the panel “We honour Your Names” was recreated at the request of the Welsh Government for Vaughan Gething to present to the current Pastor of the Church at a recent ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the bombing.
To find out more about how Jackie came to make the work and her personal response to the tragedy, sign up to our First Of March newsletter for exclusive access and news of a very special event with Jackie as part of Wales Week London 2024
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