Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is proud to host an exclusive exhibition displaying digital prints of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilts in memory of lives lost.
Launched this week on World AIDS Day, this showcase of the memorable display is in collaboration with the hotel’s charity of choice George House Trust – a charity dedicated to inspiring people living with HIV to live healthy and confident lives.
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilts are a precious artefact and this year marks 40 years since the first reports of what is now known as HIV and AIDS. Each of the panels commemorates lives lost to the AIDS pandemic during the 1980s and 90s.
It is a public naming of the names of loved ones lost, and a memorial for the many who died and went unnamed too.
The UK Quilts are part of an international movement that sought to raise awareness of the impact of the AIDS pandemic, ensure that these lives would never be forgotten and are preserved by the UK AIDS Quilt Partnership.
This exclusive display honours the lives lost to AIDS and reminds us that HIV is still with us today. It is a call to action to challenge HIV stigma, highlight what it means to live with HIV in 2021 and support those living with HIV.
General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Johan Scheepers, said: “We are privileged to be able to display, for the first time, a digital print version of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilts with our charity of choice, George House Trust, honouring the lives lost to AIDS and a celebration of the lives commemorated at Kimpton Clocktower. The quilts are a reminder of how far the UK has come in the fight against HIV. It is our commitment to affect positive change, supporting our charity to raise awareness about HIV; and break down the stigma that still remains in society.”
Chief Executive at George House Trust, Darren Knight, said: “It’s fantastic to be working with the Kimpton to display the prints of the quilts in Manchester this World AIDS Day. The stories told, the lives lost and the commitment to remembrance is both the poignant and important purpose why we’re part of a network to preserve the quilts. As we take a moment on 1st December to reflect, it’s also important that we look forward with hope and work to ensure that everyone knows their HIV history and equally importantly, that HIV is a manageable illness and how they can play their role in knowing the facts and tackling stigma.’
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More information on George House Trust: www.ght.org.uk
