Tribute to Covid victims weaves its way across city
Crocheted flowers form colourful display of remembrance and hope in centre of Derry
CROCHETED forget-me-nots and daisies now festoon one of the main thoroughfares in Londonderry city centre in tribute to those who have lost their lives to Covid-19 over the past year.
The colourful display entitled Imagine That also aims to inspire hope for the year ahead and pays tribute to front line workers.
Jim Collins, project manager of the North West Carnival Initiative, which is also organiser of Derry’s St Patrick’s Day and Halloween Festivals, said the idea was to brighten up the now too familiar sight of the grey shutters belonging to furloughed businesses.
He explained: “During the lockdown we were challenged to create an alternative programme that would engage local communities in activities with an overarching theme of spring that obviously included St Patrick’s Day.
“We came up with this project, Imagine That, where we asked people to imagine the city in the absence of the carnival and parade, and among the ideas that came back was one to lift people’s spirits by brightening the city centre and organising different installations across the neighbourhoods. Rainbows are now not only associated with the LGBT community, but they symbolise people’s support for front line workers, so we thought we would turn the city centre into one big rainbow.
“One of the organisations we engaged was Keep It Knit group with the idea of crocheted flowers that are associated with spring, new life and hope for the time ahead.
“Forget-me-nots have a significant meaning as a symbol of remembrance.
“We have used these to remember the people who have suffered and died through Covid, so we have crocheted forget-menots right along Shipquay Street.
“We also used daisies, which symbolise the sun and emergence out of the darkness of winter and into the brightness.
“The various shops, like the Fashion Hub, Shipquay Fabrics, were also involved, as well as our own artists, who came up with the foam daffodils that are on the tops of the lampposts.”
Mr Collins said the response to the displays, which can also be seen in villages on the outskirts of Derry, had been exactly as they had hoped.
He added: “We have to thank the women from Keep It Knit from throughout the city who, after we made the call, came to us and collected the materials which we were able to supply thanks to the support we get from Derry City and Strabane Council and the Arts Council.
“The women really jumped on board and just went bananas creating all this wonderful crochet work, but it was great for us to be able to engage with them too for the first time.
“The city has looked a bit depressing over the past weeks — most of the shops are shut, the shutters are down — but since the artwork went up the response and feedback we have had has been fantastic.
“People say it has lifted their mood to see how colourful the place is.
“It has made them look forward to brighter days ahead — which is exactly what we had hoped the project would do.”
‘Forget-me-nots are a significant symbol of remembrance... we also used daisies, which symbolise sun and emergence out of darkness’