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BSU falls silent for Remembrance Day

Monday, 11 November, 2024

On the 11th day of the 11th month, the BSU community joined people around the UK and the Commonwealth in pausing to remember all those who have died as a result of conflict. 

In an act of remembrance ahead of the day, staff, students and alumni came together to create a Remembrance Wall at the University’s Locksbrook campus.  

Works of art inspired by the remembrance poppy have been fashioned by people across the University, including some from workshops hosted on campus. Taking a variety of shapes and forms, each piece is an interpretation of the traditional symbol of the poppy that once came from the scarred battlefields of World War One.  

As instigator of the Remembrance Wall now on display in The Street, University Chaplain, Katy Garner, brought BSU’s renowned creativity to the act of Remembrance following a student request. Reflecting on the idea, she said: “I decided to do something that reflected that this is a really creative place to be.”  

Including close-up visuals, crocheted artwork, an interactive generative art installation, and a song titled ‘Poppies’, the Remembrance Wall continues to grow as more and more art from staff, students and alumni are due to take their place in the poignant gallery. 

On the morning of Remembrance Day, the poppy inspired artwork became a backdrop for a moving service led by Katy Garner for gathered members of the BSU community, and those joining online through a livestream on the University’s Instagram

University Chaplain, Katy Garner, leads a service on Remembrance day. She reads form a piece of paper at a microphone, standing in front of a wall of artwork inspired by the remembrance poppy.

Students and staff contributed on the day too, speaking at the service, playing The Last Post and Professor Georgina Andrews, Deputy Vice Chancellor, shared a reading with the crowd.  

As The Last Post filled The Street, BSU fell silent to remember, with thanks and sorrow, those whose lives have been given and taken away in world wars and conflicts past and present. 

Speaking about the act of Remembrance, Rev Dr Katy Garner said:

“The act of remembrance is so vitally important and is still very relevant today. We remember not just those who gave their lives fighting for their country, past and present, but the aid workers caught up in conflict, and those who wait at home not knowing what will happen next.” 

Reflecting on the event, Professor Georgina Andrews, said:

“The simple act of remembrance at our Locksbrook campus was an opportunity for students, staff and friends, of all faiths and of no faith, to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made in times of conflict.

The colours, textures, beauty and reflection evident in the Poppy wall mirror the diversity of our BSU community, engaging and inspiring those passing by to stop for a moment, to consider the cost of war and the true value of peace.” 

The Remembrance Service and Wall were led by the University Chaplaincy Team. Find out about more the team and the services they offer.