IWM North Presents In the Spotlight: Remembering 9/11. Open 10 September 2011 – September 2012
A British Union flag recovered from Ground Zero in the wreckage of the World Trade Center, New York, will go on public display for the first time in the IWM North, in Manchester on 10 September 2011. The flag is two metres in width and will be displayed in the Museum’s In the Spotlight(1) exhibit to mark the anniversary. It was presented to Great Britain by the people of the United States, and on the first anniversary of 9/11 it was laid on the altar of St Paul’s Cathedral in a memorial service for victims of the disaster.
To mark the anniversary itself, IWM North will be teaming up with Wake Forest University, North Carolina, to give an international performance of two especially composed orchestral pieces in remembrance of the victims of 9/11. The pieces, composed by Kevin Malone, Head of Composition at the University of Manchester will be performed live and internet-streamed across the world to each other venue, as part of this 45 minute event.
Diane Lees, Director–General of the Imperial War Museum, says: “The 9/11 terrorist attacks were a turning point in understanding the power and force of contemporary terrorist activity. They changed British and US perceptions of their role in the world and influenced the subsequent foreign policy of both countries, creating an environment of heightened security. US and British military action in Afghanistan began in this climate and continues today”.
Within the setting of our Museums in London and Manchester, both these displays will enable our visitors to reflect on the 9/11 attacks and their human cost, as well as the wider impact of modern conflict on people’s lives.