ARTWORK from Bedford High School pupils will be displayed in London as part of a national commemoration to the Holocaust.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 takes place on Friday, January 24, marking 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. In commemoration, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust ran a project, "75 Memorial Flames".

Schools, organisations and community groups were encouraged to submit designs on a "flame" for the chance to have their artwork on show.

A "flame" entered by the Leigh school's pupils was chosen and will be placed at the UK Commemorative Ceremony for World Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, January 27.

Leigh Journal:

A copy of the successful flame design

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Bedford High student, Amy, 11, was part of the group who designed the flame.

She said: “I helped with the dark blue background, the light blue flame, the white of the nails and the printing.

“The blue represents calmness and the white represents peace.

"The printing repeats the words ‘Stand Together’, which symbolises how important standing together is no matter a person’s gender or race.”

More than 300 groups from across the country registered for the project, which aimed to bring people of all kinds together to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.

Wigan Council leader Cllr David Molyneux said: “This inclusive project allowed people of all ages, backgrounds, faiths and interests to get involved.

“It is extremely humbling that a Wigan borough school has been chosen to nationally commemorate these tragic events in our history.

“The pupils at Bedford High have conveyed a very personal response to the Holocaust through art, which will be put on display for the whole country to see.

“A copy of the flame will be displayed at The Fire Within exhibition in Wigan so local people and visitors from the region can come to pay their respects and see the work our borough has contributed.”

The final 75 Memorial Flames were chosen by an expert panel of artists, as well as Holocaust survivor and CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman.

Representatives of Bedford High School will head to London on Monday, January 27 to attend the national ceremony and see the unveiling of the 75 flames.

Jean Hensey-Reynard, former RE teacher and organiser of Holocaust memorial events in the borough said: “Over the last 19 years, I have worked with the council and local community to hold annual ceremonies and have ensured our schools are very much at the heart of these events.

“It is a great credit to the pupils of Bedford High and new art teacher, Penny Walmsley, that their work was one of the 75 chosen from around the UK.

"They should be very proud of themselves for this achievement.”

To commemorate and reflect on the Holocaust, Wigan Council, in partnership with schools and the community will hold events over two-days.

On Friday 24 January, remembrance events will take place in the Derby Room at Leigh Turnpike Gallery from 11am to 2pm, and The Fire Within HQ in The Galleries shopping centre, Wigan, from 2pm to 3pm.

Councillor Nazia Rehman will introduce the Leigh event and pupils from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary will sing.

Readings by Wigan Rotary Club will be delivered at both events alongside performances from poetry group, Leigh Paper Back Writers.

On Saturday 25 January, 11am-3pm, The Fire Within HQ will host another memorial event, where visitors can watch performances, talk with the children involved and write their own Holocaust reflections on a flame.

To follow the national commemorations or find out more about the 75 Memorial Flames project, search #75MemorialFlames on Twitter.