Nestled along the bustling streets of Fitzrovia, there’s a chapel famed for its glorious cultural programme, with an all-new exhibition at the space showcasing the Terry Higgins Memorial Quilt. Fitzrovia Chapel has partnered up with the Terrence Higgins Trust to present this newly commissioned piece that honours the charity’s 40th anniversary.
Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, supporting those living with HIV and amplifying their voices, as well as ending the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS.
Terry Higgins was the first named person to die of AIDS in the UK, with the charity founded in his memory later in 1982. The Terry Higgins Memorial Quilt follows a worldwide tradition of quiltmaking to honour those lost in the earliest days of the HIV epidemic.
Up until now, there’s been no known quilt panel for Terry Higgins, henceforth the charity teamed up with The Quilters’ Guild to create a brand new eight-panel memorial quilt in his name, which is finally on display at Fitzrovia Chapel until Friday, May 17th.
The quilts are adorned with personal tributes and touching messages of legacy, unity, and compassion. Otherwise known as “radical quilting”, the tradition is associated and rooted with early HIV activism in the USA. The emotive ‘panels’ are roughly the size of a human grave, tenderly contrasted with vibrant colours to symbolise the unnecessary lives lost during this tragic time.
The eight panels on their all-new quilt were created and designed by different artists, delving into eight themes, elements, and traits associated with Terry Higgins. The panels are seamlessly sewn together to create an emotional story of his life and legacy.
From his need for friendship to his time in the Navy, his Welsh roots to his partner Rupert Whitaker OBE, each panel represents a different aspect of Higgins’ life, united to represent him while also creating the overarching motif of the trust’s heart logo and emblem.
There’s even a panel devoted to Higgins’ love for London’s nightlife, specifically the capital’s most famous LGBTQ+ nightclub Heaven, with titles of songs Terry loved including remixes of Do You Wanna Funk? by Patrick Cowley and Sylvester, and I Feel Love by the undisputed Queen of Disco Donna Summer.
You can view the Terry Higgins Memorial Quilt at Fitzrovia Chapel until Friday, May 17th. Admission is free and no ticket is required.
Find out more about Fitzrovia Chapel, here. Or, click here to find out more about Terrence Higgins Trust.