The Framework Knitters Museum has teamed up with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to host an exhibition of images by renowned post-conflict photojournalist, Sean Sutton. The exhibition, which will run from Tuesday 14 to Wednesday 29 November in the Chapel Art Gallery opposite the main museum site on Chapel Street, will feature photographs taken in Laos and Vietnam.
On the evenings of Tuesday 14 November and Thursday 23 November at 7:30pm, MAG Volunteer Ambassador Graham Allen will be giving a special talk to explain more about the images and the work that MAG does to clear landmines from conflict zones around the world. Entitled ‘Walk Without Fear’, the talks will raise funds for MAG’s appeal of the same name, which was recently featured on Radio 4. Graham will also be showing a film about MAG called ‘Conflict Recovery, ’ which will also feature some of Sean Sutton’s work.
Says Graham: ‘Sean’s award-winning pictures show the impact of landmines and unexploded bombs on communities, and have been published and exhibited all over the world. Now their International Communication Manager, Sean has worked with MAG for the last 18 years. During this time, he has travelled constantly, documenting the humanitarian impact of war, especially landmines and unexploded munitions and other deadly remnants of conflict, as well as the solutions that MAG and other agencies provide.’
People attending the talk will be asked to make a £5 donation on the door, with all proceeds being donated to MAG. The donations will then be doubled by the UK government with UK aid. For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal, the government will contribute £1 of UK aid – helping projects like ‘Walk Without Fear’ go further in changing and saving lives. The money donated by the government will help to continue MAG’s work in Angola.
Adds Graham: ‘Everyone has the right to live in safety and walk without fear. By showcasing Sean’s amazing images of the work MAG does in post-conflict countries, I’m hoping we can raise awareness of the urgent need to destroy landmines before they destroy lives. On behalf of MAG, I’d like to thank the Framework Knitters Museum for hosting this exhibition and inviting me to speak. I’m looking forward to a very successful exhibition and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to raise double the money for the “Walk Without Fear” appeal.’
Graham’s talks will be supported by the museum’s charitable partner, Nottingham Brewery, who’ll be providing refreshments in return for additional donations to MAG. The brewery, which runs the popular Frame Breakers pub in Ruddington, has supported the museum in a variety of ways in recent years, including brewing a special fundraising beer, called Frame Breaker, in celebration of the museum’s 45th anniversary in 2016.
Nicola Wood, Museum Manager & Curator, adds: ‘The Sean Sutton exhibition is a fantastic complement to some of the other humanitarian work the museum has been doing lately, which includes sharing craft and heritage experiences with Syrian refugees and hosting a local school’s exhibition about a recent trip to Auschwitz. The museum is delighted to be supporting MAG and the “Walk Without Fear” appeal, and I’m confident that Sean’s exhibition and Graham’s talks will create a great deal of interest in the Nottingham area.’
Between 14 and 29 November, the photographic exhibition will be open in the Chapel Art Gallery between Wednesday and Saturday, from 11am to 4:30pm (last admission at 4pm). Entry is free and visitors can also visit the museum’s tea shop and Textile Emporium as part of their visit. Normal admission charges will apply to the main museum site.
For more information about the Sean Sutton exhibition and talks, please call the museum on 0115 985 6914. To find out more about MAG and the ‘Walk Without Fear’ appeal, please visit www.maginternational.org.