A new interactive exhibition and innovative creative writing project, Voices from the Wall explores shared histories and experiences between Britain and Romania, which began nearly two millennia ago with the building of Hadrian’s Wall and continues today.
“This exhibition explores through history, stories and archaeology the lives of the Dacian soldiers who helped to build Hadrian’s Wall and the fascinating parallels with the lives of Romanians living in the north of England today,” said writer and historian Bronwen Riley, project curator/creator.
There are now around 1 million Romanians living in the UK – most arriving in Britain in the last 20 years. But the earliest group of ‘Romanians’ to live and work here arrived more than 1900 years ago, as part of the Roman army, and Dacian soldiers were stationed on Hadrian’s Wall for centuries.
Nowadays, the links continue with the Romanian community, one of the largest in the UK, contributing to Britain’s way of life and economy on all levels. Romanian Sir George Iacobescu was the driving force behind the building of Canary Wharf, the second largest financial centre in Europe. In London, one in four builders is thought to be Romanian.
Aura Woodward, Director of The Romanian Cultural Institute in London, said: ”This exhibition shows in such a tangible way the contribution made by our ancestors to one of Britain’s most iconic monuments, Hadrian’s Wall. It’s also a story about symmetry and connections between people and countries. Through our ancestors and community living now in the UK, we seem to leave a tangible legacy behind, which strengthens further our historic bond.”
The exhibition, which is free to attend, will be visiting the Romanian Consulate on Manchester from 8th to 17thMay.
The project is run in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England and the Institute of Classical Studies
North Manchester FM 106.6 