LSTM has been awarded a grant of £60,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to stage The Secret Art of Survival heritage project.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will deliver a public exhibition of previously unseen artwork that was created by Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW), whilst in captivity during World War II and at great risk to their lives. This work contributes greatly to a better understanding of the appalling conditions of captivity and the ingenuity employed to survive.
LSTM’s Director, Professor Janet Hemingway, said: “We are delighted to have received this funding, which will enable us to highlight the ingenuity of the men captured in the Far East, along with some of the terrible hardships that remained with them for the rest of their lives. LSTM has a long history of supporting these men, providing tropical disease investigations until the 1990s, representing our longest running clinical project, now spanning seven decades. It is only right share to their stories with the wider public and future generations.”
Alongside the exhibition, which will be held at the Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool between October 2019 and June 2020, LSTM will deliver a participation programme. Engaging a wide audience from school children to academics and veterans the 18-month programme will bring to life the rich, and often forgotten heritage of FEPOWs for the public, coinciding with the 75th Anniversary off the end of WWII and the anniversary of the repatriation of more than half the FEPOWs through the port of Liverpool.
The funding will add to the £10,000 raised by LSTM through a crowdfunder campaign during November, with over 160 supporters contributing to the project through online donations.
You can learn more about LSTM’s work with FEPOWs here.