A Necklace of Stars celebrates childhood and the night sky in words, song and stitches created by isolated Derbyshire residents during lockdown. It is an Arts Council England supported collaboration between Arts Derbyshire, DCC Public Health, Derbyshire Library Services and artists Lois Blackburn, Philip Davenport and Matt Hill.
Plans changed with the pandemic and Necklace of Stars quickly became a remote embroidery and creative writing project where
participants received weekly one to one phone calls from the artists and parcels of all the materials they needed for the project
sent through the post. Artist Lois Blackburn, poet Philip Davenport and songwriter Matt Hill worked with nearly 100 participants!
The project is a testimony to the power of human connection and creativity in the face of lockdowns and isolation. All of the
embroidered stars have now been brought together to create a beautiful quilt which is exhibited around Derbyshire’s cultural
venues, alongside a catalogue of poems and a lullaby soundtrack.
Local group CHURCH STREET SEWING ‘n’ STITCHING will be exhibiting alongside NECKLACE OF STARS from 20 - 23 September.