Letters from Liberation: Student artwork commemorates the 80th anniversary of Bergen-Belsen’s liberation

Last week, our Level 3 Art and Design students unveiled a powerful new exhibition, ‘Letters from Liberation - Responses to the End of the Second World War’, in collaboration with the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum. The exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and invites visitors to reflect on the stories of those who lived through one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Hosted in the museum’s Briefing Room Gallery, ‘Letters from Liberation’ runs from the 24th of October to the 19th of December. The exhibition forms part of the museum’s wider commemoration of the Holocaust and the Oxfordshire Yeomanry’s role in liberating Bergen-Belsen.

The project has seen students respond to deeply personal stories and artefacts from the museum’s collection - among them, those of Holocaust survivor Naomi Kaplan and Oxfordshire Yeomanry soldier Arthur Tyler, who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen.

Through creative interpretation, the students have produced thought-provoking works that explore memory, loss, hope, and resilience - offering a new generation’s response to this historic event.

Among the featured students is Cerys Weston, whose series The Silent Witnesses draws on the sculptural style of Giacometti to convey the endurance and anguish of Holocaust victims. Her clay figures, cracked and weathered, serve as haunting symbols of strength and survival.

In The Children You Choose to Forget, Anya Jackson-Patching uses charcoal portraiture to give voice to the youngest victims of Bergen-Belsen, reminding audiences of the often-overlooked suffering of children during war.

Issy Towlerton’s Woven Words of War translates the words of survivors, soldiers, and medics into crochet panels - blending historical testimony with textile craft. Drawing inspiration from wartime resistance techniques, Issy weaves Morse code and hidden messages into her work, memorialising stories that must not be forgotten.

Abby Payne’s atmospheric piece Through Darkness, Do We Find The Light… reflects on the fragility of hope amidst despair, portraying the silent courage of those who endured captivity with only their faith and each other for comfort.

Letters from Liberation stands as a poignant testament to the power of art to bridge generations, connect communities, and highlight history’s most vital lessons.

Our learners are encouraged to think, create, and collaborate like professional artists from their first day at College. If you’re ready to turn your creativity into a career, explore our Art & Design courses and discover where your talent could take you.