Loving Earth sparks climate talks in Manchester
‘We’re hoping that it will spark conversations about how people are trying to tackle the climate crisis.'
Manchester Friends hosted the Quaker-run Loving Earth Project last month, as outreach and to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
The eighty-two textile panels, alongside five extra made by children from Manchester Central Meeting, were displayed across the city from 28 October to 26 November.
Valerie Clark, from the Loving Earth planning group, told the Friend. ‘It’s hard to judge how many people saw the panels as we didn’t do a count, but particularly at the Quaker Meeting House it went well. We had a sense of people engaging in conversations. We also put out a reflection booklet and at St Ann’s church there were a number of comments. It also timed with Remembrance Sunday.’
Venues included: Central Manchester Meeting House, Methodist Central Hall, St Ann’s Church, St Mary’s Church, Cross Street Chapel and Central Library.
The textile panels were also shown at the Mayor’s Green Summit at the Lowry Theatre on 17 October. Valerie Clark said: ‘It was part of an event about the climate crisis which was spread across the floors. We did invite the mayor Andy Burnham and sent him a Loving Earth card.’
The Manchester Friends will also be showing fifty of the panels at Salford University in March as part of a Green Week organised by Salford City Council.
The planning group also held a follow-up session this week, with a workshop making textile panels, and a climate change talk. ‘We’re hoping that it will spark conversations about how people are trying to tackle the climate crisis,’ said Valerie.
The Loving Earth Project was set up by the Quaker Arts Network when Friends created textile panels as witness to the climate emergency. The project has been touring the UK.
