The Rose Theatre Cafe is hosting a unique exhibition celebrating over two years of community participation, embroideries, and people’s stories by women and children living in the UK and across Europe.
People Behind the Flowers is a tribute to the individuals who have contributed to the Flowers We Give to Ukraine initiative—a project that has brought together almost 230 people from across the world to stitch tapestries in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Flowers We Give to Ukraine programme, curated by Magdalena Glowacka, founder of the Ariadne’s Thread Group, was launched in May 2022.
It began as a participatory needlework project for Ukrainian women, many of whom had arrived in the UK under the ‘Home for Ukraine’ scheme.
However, the project quickly grew into a global collaboration, with refugees from across Europe contributing smaller parts to larger tapestries.
These tapestries, created in various locations including Uckfield and Canterbury, have now connected over 230 people, each of whom has brought their personal story to the fabric of the exhibition.
Glowacka shared the personal significance of the project. She said: “What’s amazing is how the project has brought people together from all over the world.
“Over 14 people from different countries stitched one section of the tapestry. Pieces travelled to Sweden, Germany, Norway, Poland, and even back to Ukraine. It is a global collaboration bringing people together.”
At the heart of the exhibition is the main tapestry ‘Blue Cornflowers,’ inspired by the art of celebrated Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko.
It is a large-scale cross-stitch embroidery reproduction (2m x 3m) tapestry, which is still in progress, with five smaller parts embroidered in Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, and Norway.
One half of the tapestry is completed and is on display in the Rose Theatre Cafe.
“This painting carries profound cultural and historical significance for the Ukrainian people. The yellow and blue threads are sourced directly from Ukraine, which not only supports local Ukrainian businesses but also offers a tangible connection to the country’s heritage.” said Glowacka.
Glowacka said that that the group take the tapestry to schools and community centres.
She also spoke about how these sessions are about breaking isolation, fostering connections, and celebrating cultural identity.
In addition to the main tapestry, there are four smaller tapestries based on artworks made by two Ukrainian refugee girls, Alexandra Avdeeva, and Maria Gaidai, both of whom are autistic.
They inspired the group to start raising funds for families with additional needs, who have been displaced by the war.
Leslie Illingworth was one of the artists involved in the project.
Illingworth, a professional embroiderer, said, “The sense of community fostered through the project is palpable.
“What I love is the heritage. Most of the refugees embroider, so they all have the skills. It has been really fun hearing about their heritage and their embroidery, which is life for them—it is not like that in the UK.”
Illingworth shared that one of her favourite moments from her time with the group was during a concert to mark two years of the invasion, when a Ukrainian choir from Canterbury sang and, she said, everyone was crying.
“They sang ‘White Cliffs of Dover,’ a Second World War song about peace. These Ukrainian refugees, longing for peace in their country, sang it so beautifully—it was incredibly moving.”
Looking ahead, the curator and artists involved are determined to continue the project’s mission.
“There’s no deadline for this project,” Glowacka said. “The goal is to keep connecting people and bringing communities together through stitching. It is about the journey, not just the finished tapestry.”
Glowacka and the others hope to see the completed tapestry in a ‘free Ukraine’ one day.
“The aim is to get this back in an art gallery or museum in Ukraine when the war is over. It is such a noble idea because art and culture are so important,” said Illingworth.
People Behind the Flowers is on display at the Rose Theatre in Kingston until 7th January, 2025.
Post exhibition, people can attend weekly needlework sessions in the Rose Theatre Cafe every Thursday.
