A group of young people from Cheney School’s Rumble Museum has collaborated with the Museum of Oxford to create a unique candleholder for Holocaust Memorial Day.
A group of young people from Cheney School’s Rumble Museum has collaborated with the Museum of Oxford to create a unique candleholder as part of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s “80 Candles for 80 Years” project. The work will play a central role in the Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Holocaust Memorial Day service on 27 January 2025.
A creative tribute
Inspired by the life of Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch MBE, a renowned cellist who survived Auschwitz due to her musical talent, the project allowed students aged 13-15 to explore Anita’s story through a creative workshop in October.
The students decorated 10 glass candleholders with powerful visual motifs such as shattered glass, musical symbols and depictions of Auschwitz. These expressed their emotional responses and messages of hope. The pieces will be displayed on a decorative stand and lit during the Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Holocaust Memorial Day commemorative service.
A royal invitation
The Museum of Oxford (MOX) was one of eighty UK organisations to be involved in the “80 Candles for 80 Years” project, and were selected as the only group to attend an event at Buckingham Palace alongside the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust team.
Beth Jones (Community Engagement & Exhibitions Officer at MOX), alongside two students and two teachers (Dr Lorna Robinson and David Gimson) from Cheney School, accompanied the HMDT team to the Palace event on Monday 13 January, which recognised education projects about the Holocaust.
The students and museum team spoke to the King about their project, discussing the candleholder’s design and the Museum of Oxford.
“Sharing our work with King Charles was an incredible honour. It reinforced how vital it is to keep these stories alive and ensure they resonate with future generations. This event was an exciting way to celebrate the Museum’s community work and to kickstart our collaboration with the Rumble Museum (at Cheney School) in our 50th anniversary year.”
Beth Jones, Community Engagement & Exhibitions Officer, Museum of Oxford
Service of reflection
The Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Holocaust Memorial Day service will take place on Monday 27 January at 12pm in the Assembly Room, Oxford Town Hall. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend the service.
The Lord Mayor, Councillor Mike Rowley, will be joined representatives from Oxford’s faith communities, Anneliese Dodds MP and students from Cheney School, who will present their creations for the ‘80 Candles for 80 Years’ project commemorating the lives of the millions murdered during the Holocaust and the genocides that followed.
The Holocaust Memorial Day flag will fly above Oxford Town Hall (1930s extension) to mark the occasion.
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27 January every year, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. For more information about Holocaust Memorial Day, visit www.hmd.org.uk.
"The Holocaust Memorial Day service is a vital opportunity for our community to come together and remember the past, as a steadfast stand against injustice. Peace, tolerance and understanding continue to be more important than ever.
The young people from Cheney School and the Museum of Oxford have created something truly special, and their invitation to meet the King at Buckingham palace is a remarkable recognition of their thoughtful work. Their candleholder will stand as a symbol of hope and remembrance, showing how history and art can challenge hatred and inspire reflection.
We reaffirm our commitment to standing against hate in all its forms.”Councillor Mike Rowley, Lord Mayor of Oxford
Image credit: Grainge Photography
Rate this page
