Biosphere Wall Hangings

Biosphere Wall-Hangings Mannin Quilters created wall-hangings depicting life in the Isle of Man's six sheadings to celebrate the Isle of Man Biosphere.

The group has spent more than a year researching and crafting the hangings, which were due to tour four venues but this was interupted by the lockdown. Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK – chairman of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man – launched the exhibition at Castletown Civic Centre on Monday 3rd February 2020. He said: 'Our UNESCO Biosphere status celebrates all that we hold dear in the Island: our green hills by the sea, our diverse nature and wildlife, our rich heritage, our abundant culture, which has shaped the way we live in the past and continues to do so today, and, not least, our strong sense of community and desire to work together to keep the Isle of Man special. This delightful project by Mannin Quilters brings together all the strands of our Biosphere. The quilters use traditional skills to create beautiful works of art such as these. They embody the community spirit that makes the Isle of Man so different from other places.

Vice Chair of Castletown Commissioners David Parnell, Chair of Mannin Quilters Chris Eastham with Howard Quayle MHK who opened the exhibition. Click on the picture for a larger image.

Chris Eastham, then Chair of Mannin Quilters, said: 'This has been an enjoyable project that has got the whole group talking and exchanging ideas as well as showcasing the amazing and varied talents of our members.' The Isle of Man is the only entire nation UNESCO Biosphere, part of the United Nation's Man and the Biosphere Programme. The hangings are now in Tynwald.