Holocaust Memorial Day – Saturday 27 January

Holocaust Memorial Day will be commemorated at the war memorial in Royal Tunbridge Wells on 27 January from 10.45am.

The Mayor, Councillor Hugh Patterson, will join others who will gather at the memorial from 10.45am. At 11am the Mayor will lay flowers and make a short address to those present. Duncan Lustig-Prean will also say a few words. His mother Erica, who died a year ago, was a refugee at The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells, and The Amelia Scott’s Beacon archive is named after her.

A short road closure will be in place in front of the war memorial from 10.45 to 11.15am.

All are invited to a number of events happening throughout the day in The Amelia Scott . These are all bookable via The Amelia Scott website.

2pm Amelia Author Talk with playwright Diane Samuels whose work includes the play Kindertransport.
4pm Kindertransport - rehearsed reading performed by local young people who participated in a summer programme exploring the script with Joe Harmston and Diane Samuels.
7pm Ashes to Light Concert - This evening recounts Nelly Ben-Or’s story with her first-hand testimony, alongside live music for piano and violin, performed by Alex Metcalfe and Patricia Calnan, including works by Chopin, Bach and Bloch.

Holocaust Memorial Day remembers the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. It is an opportunity for communities to reflect on how they can make a better, safer future for everyone by learning from the past.

The Fragility of Freedom is the theme for 2024, reflecting on how freedom is fragile and vulnerable to abuse.

Join the nation on 27 January to watch curated moments from the Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 UK Ceremony before taking part in the Light the Darkness national moment at 8pm.
Register your virtual attendance to watch the HMD 2024 UK Ceremony: Curated Moments. You will be sent a link in advance of the event.

At 8pm you are invited to light a candle and put it safely in a window. This is to remember those who were murdered for who they were and to stand against prejudice and hatred today.