A group of artists from Abraxas Academy have said they are “honoured” their design has been chosen for a sculpture commemorating the sacrifice of LGBTQ+ people in the British armed forces. The forged bronze sculpture – called Crumpled Letter – will be installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in
A group of artists from Abraxas Academy have said they are “honoured” their design has been chosen for a sculpture commemorating the sacrifice of LGBTQ+ people in the British armed forces.
The forged bronze sculpture – called Crumpled Letter – will be installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in August.
Nina Bilbey, Abraxas Academy lead artist, said: “This is going to be a sculpture that will give armed forces, the LGBTQ+ people, somewhere to go to remember, but also know how fortunate they are now, of people’s sacrifice.”
The design and construction, overseen by LGBTQ+ veterans’ charity Fighting with Pride, has been funded by a £350,000 grant from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs in the Ministry of Defence.
The letter bears a combination of words taken from evidence collected from former personnel who were impacted by the LGBTQ+ ban, which ended in 2000. It symbolises swearing the oath of allegiance, the discarded evidence of mistreatment of LGBTQ+ personnel – and the comfort of letters from home while away on operation.
The memorial represents three of the 49 recommendations made in Lord Etherton’s independent review into the service and experience of LGBTQ+ veterans who served prior to 2000.
Bilbey said it was “such an honour” to have won the commission.
“We put in our proposal knowing how special this project was and putting our hearts and soul into it… it’s very personal to our hearts and we are over the moon,” she said.
Kevin Bazeley, from Fighting with Pride, said the sculpture would be an “important focal piece” for years to come.
“I was a veteran myself and I served from 1985 to 1995 where I actually fell foul of that ban and was discharged because of my sexuality,” he said.
“I know from personal experience the impact the ban had on many people.
“There were many examples of severe abuse, interrogations, imprisonment… this is very much focusing on remembering that and those injustices that happened but is focusing on the sacrifice and service of all the armed forces LGBTQ+ community.”
