11/26/2025
Hello everyone , we had a lovely visit at the harvest tea from Colette who is from the Isle of Man originally and her husband .She has asked if i could pass this along to all of you . Please read and participate if you can . I will be and look forward to seeing the end reault I hope .
Thank you ,
Sharon
Dear Sharon,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to invite your members to take part in an international fine art project celebrating Manx language, heritage, and community: Sniemmey lesh Snaienyn (Threads of Connection).
This participatory artwork will form part of the Culture Vannin Treisht26 Year of Manx Language (YML) in 2026. It brings together members of the Manx diaspora, including groups such as world Manx Associations and others connected to Manx heritage worldwide, to create a large-scale cyanotype quilt. The project draws inspiration from Kathleen Faragher’s poem, presented below in Manx (translated by Bob Carswell) and in English:
Da My Phobble Hene
Da my phobble hene ta mee goaill
Arraneyn oney, cur reayrt foayroil —
Cruink freoghagh, slyst ny marrey creggagh,
Foillanyn, coanyn, aittin, blaaghyn bwoyagh —
Da eebyrtee, dy vod ad shooyl reesht
Er cassanyn cam yn Ellan skeaylt wheesh
Ayns aalid – myr veih eash gys eash er-giyn
Vees currit sheese gloyr yn eiraght ain.
To My Own People
To my own people I am singing
Simple songs, giving a favourable scene –
Heathery hills, rocky sea coast,
Gulls, glens, gorse, beautiful flowers –
To exiles, that they can walk again
On the winding paths of the Island spread so much
In beauty – as from age to (the) age after
Is handed down the glory of our heritage.
About the Project
Contributors will submit personal visual responses, which I will transform into hand-printed cyanotype panels on fabric. These panels will then be stitched together to form a collective quilt: a visual tapestry of dispersed voices, cultural memory, and shared language.
Invitation to Participate
I warmly invite your members to send one or more digital images that, for them, connect with the Isle of Man and the imagery in the poem. These could include:
Photographs of the island or places that evoke it
Images of objects, artefacts, or artworks
Scans of handwritten reflections
Drawings inspired by the poem or personal associations
Each submission could also include (but is not required):
The contributor’s name and location
A short note explaining the connection of the image to the Isle of Man or the chosen text
All images will be processed into cyanotype fabric panels and sewn into the quilt. The final work will be both physical and digital:
Physical Quilt: to be displayed publicly, with potential exhibition during Yn Chruinnaght / YML 2026
Digital space: featuring each panel alongside the original Manx text, its translation, and the contributor’s details
Why Participate?
Sniemmey lesh Snaienyn celebrates identity, distance, and reconnection. The cyanotype process, with its deep blue tones and archival qualities, symbolises continuity between past and present, homeland and diaspora. Each square represents a story, a photographic echo, a fragment of memory, or a visual interpretation of Manx language, forming an enduring tribute to the living thread of our culture.
Submission Details
Submissions will be accepted until 31 December 2025.
How to Participate:
Send a digital image (JPEG or PNG) reflecting your connection to the poem above.
Include your name, location, and a short note about the image, should you wish.
Email your submission to [email protected].
What Happens Next:
Your image will be printed as a cyanotype panel and sewn into the quilt.
The quilt will be exhibited publicly (with plans for Yn Chruinnaght / YML 2026) and showcased online alongside your note, name, and location.
By submitting, you consent to your image being included in both physical and digital forms of the work.
I would be delighted if your association could share this invitation with your community. I am also happy to provide images, text, or a short article for your newsletter or social media.
Thank you for considering this request. I look forward to the possibility of including your community’s voice in this shared work.
With warm regards,
Colette
