Sunday Times 2
Inspired by Anne Frank
An air of fear hangs over Brussels and Berlin following the recent explosions. Solidarity is flooding digital media as bloggers, designers and illustrators band together encouraging residents of the affected cities to have hope.
Penned in what was perhaps the darkest time for Europe in modern history – during World War 2, the story of Anne Frank continues to have gripping relevance, even today. 32 panels exhibiting the life and work of the teenage writer whose story survived her, will be in Sri Lanka this month. Partnering with the Anne Frank House of the Netherlands in 2015, the NeelanTiruchelvam Trust will be presenting the travelling exhibition at Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya from April7-8.
Translated into Sinhalese and Tamil, the exhibition will not only invite curiosity among youngsters but also “lends to introspection and discussion of difficult themes people in Sri Lanka have also faced” according to Jacqueline Netto-Lyman of the Trust.
Oppression to the extent of “intolerance, discrimination, fear, injustice and alienation of rights” which were the author’s reality resonates with a local audience she feels, both pre and post-war. The Trust’s efforts as a local philanthropic body working for reconciliation, peace building and against social injustice sees the exhibition as a means of inspiring youth.
The lesson isn’t limited to young people, “One can learn from a young child” she feels. Trying to make sense of her circumstances, and never cracking under external threats is not an easy message “to give, or absorb.” Weaving through the panels takes around 30-45 minutes she says, and a 30-minute documentary is to set the scene of the last months of Anne’s life when imminent danger kept her family shut indoors.
Available on request for a year, the exhibition is also scheduled to be set-up in Batticaloa, and Kandy or Anuradhapura once the Colombo exhibit is done. “An organisation, school, civil society or even a company can write to us if it is interested in hosting the panels for its students or staff,” she says. “It is our hope that students and young people visiting this exhibition will be curious to learn more about Anne Frank and the events surrounding her life, and most importantly, be inspired by her honesty, her innocence and her perseverance.”