In an announcement which coincides with the 65th Anniversary of her arrest, Canon Nigel Godfrey and the Anne Frank [+ You] IOM Committee have confirmed that plans are underway to bring the 'Anne Frank [+You}' exhibition to St German’s Cathedral, Peel.
Tragic diarist Anne Frank was betrayed and arrested on 4th August 1944.
Aged only 15, she spent the last seven months of her life in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, succumbing to disease and starvation only three weeks before its liberation by the British army.
Catherine Quirk, co-ordinator of the project, says "Despite the tragedy of Anne’s short life, this exhibition brings with it a powerful message for today’s young.
"At the heart of the historic section of the exhibition is an almost life-size replica of Anne’s bedroom in hiding.
"However, the outer panels talk about issues affecting our lives today. There is a strong message of hope – that one person can make a difference.”
Anne Frank [+ You} has attracted 2.8 million visitors around Britain since it was launched in 2005 and the aim is to bring the exhibition to the Island for a month in March 2010.
Produced in partnership with the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, the exhibition was launched to give Anne’s story and message a contemporary profile for today.
It has a strong focus on the issues of identity and moral choice that we face in the 21st |Century and is suitable for adults and children aged ten years and over.
The Anne Frank [+ You} IOM Committee is bringing the exhibition to the Isle of Man in order to give students from the Island’s schools the opportunity to visit it and consider the ever-contemporary issues of tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity.
Martin Barrow, Senior Adviser with the Isle of Man Department of Education, says "The Department of Education is pleased to fully support the educational objectives of the Anne Frank [+ You} exhibition to provide an exciting opportunity for the Island’s young people.
"The exhibition enhances understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust but it also serves as an inspiration to young people to strive to make a difference in their own lives by becoming more active citizens.
"The exhibition will present young people with questions about themselves and will explore how they see others, how they deal with conflict and how they can contribute positively to the Island’s society."
Can You Help? Exhibition Sponsors Wanted
Canon Nigel Godfrey adds: "This exhibition attracts huge interest wherever it is shown, with 20,000 visitors at Liverpool Cathedral, 13,000 at Blackburn Cathedral and one-hour long queues waiting to visit the exhibition at Coventry.
"We are confident the exhibition will have an enormous impact when it comes to the Island next year.
"It is hoped that the bulk of the funds required to bring this exhibition to the Island, and to stage it for a month, will be raised via sponsorship from Isle of Man companies and organisations.
"To that end, the Committee welcomes financial contributions from corporate sponsors to individual donors. Anyone who would like to support this project can do so via our secure website: www.connect2charity.im/Anne Frank.
"All that is required is to log in and use the 'donate' button. Alternatively, you can send donations to Anne Frank + You IOM, 8 Mountain View, Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 5HU.
"The Committee also welcomes ideas for fundraising events or publicity opportunities from groups or individuals over the next six months".
Call Canon Nigel Godfrey on (01624) 842608 or Catherine Quirk on (07624) 485654.
1. After 25 months in hiding, the Frank family and four other people hiding with them were discovered
on August 4, 1944, and sent to death camps, where all but Anne’s father Otto Frank perished. Both Anne
and her sister Margot died of typhus and hunger in Bergen-Belsen. Anne would have celebrated her 80th
birthday in June this year.
2. The Anne Frank Trust is the UK partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Set up in 1990 by
family and friends of the late Otto Frank, the Anne Frank Trust UK draws on the power of Anne’s life
and diary to challenge prejudice and reduce hatred, encouraging people to embrace positive attitudes,
responsibility and respect for others. It does this through exhibitions and educational programmes that go
to schools, communities, prisons and most recently hospitals, throughout the UK, having been seen by 3
million people to date. To many, a visit to an Anne Frank exhibition creates such a powerful impression
that it becomes a catalyst for ongoing social activism.
3. Anne’s diary was discovered after the family’s arrest by their helper in hiding Miep Gies, who looked
after it in the hope she could return it to Anne after the war. Miep Gies celebrated her 100th birthday
earlier this year.
