Coventry Peace Orchard and charity Normandy Day UK are planning a new project “Your Peace Orchard 2020 – Art in a box”. This is the first stage of an Art in the Orchard programme.
Normandy Day UK was founded in 2010 by Coventry resident, Dennis Davison, who died last October at the age of 96. He fought in the D-Day Landings and set up the peace and education charity to “advance the education of the public about the impact of war and the sacrifices made by all service people, in particular those made at the landings in Normandy on 6th June 1944.”
The Peace Orchard, in Coundon Park, was created in 2018 to commemorate the soldiers who fought in the orchards of the Bocage in Normandy after the D-Day landings. The orchard was funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery, Big Lottery and Heritage Lottery.
The art box and its contents have been carefully designed to reflect the work of the Peace Orchard including a specially commissioned book. The book and boxes have been put together by local artist and poet Andrea Mbarushimana and artist Ammi Dhaliwal. A total of 75 boxes are being produced to mark the 75 years since the end of World War II.
Anyone can apply or nominate someone they know to receive a box. The organisers would like the boxes to go to people who don’t ordinarily have the opportunity or materials to take part in arts and creative activities so they can make the biggest difference.
The box is suitable for anyone over the age of 8.
The box contains, professionally designed and sourced poetry, arts and crafts projects to get the creative juices flowing. Each box has simple clear instructions included and there are eight activities to appeal to everyone who likes arts and creative projects.
Recipients will also have the opportunity to exhibit their work at an Art in the Orchard event planned for Monday 31st August at the Peace Orchard at Coundon Hall Park in Coventry. This will be by special invitation for the recipients of the boxes and their families to see their work on display or their poetry performed in the open air.
Boxes can be requested by emailing [email protected] by the 17th August.
