University of Liverpool: ´Mar de sombras´

Iberian and Latin American Studies at the University of Liverpool, founded in 1934 as the Department of Hispanic Studies, is one of the most renowned in the UK. This section strives tirelessly to continue disseminating the study of Hispanic languages and cultures both in British Academia and in the public.

One of the department´s main activities to meet this goal is a week of cultural activities: the Iberian and Latin American Week. This week featured, in the past, young artists, film screenings, gastronomy, literature and music events, etc. All activities aim to spread Hispanic, Lusophone, Catalan, and Basque cultures among students and the general public.

Among the many activities organised, on November 11, from 14:30 to 15:30, the will be the presentation of the exhibition ‘Mar se sombras’, curated by Professor Mónica Jato (University of Birmingham) and Dr Marta Simó (University of Reading). The exhibition draws inspiration from the evacuation of four thousand Basque children to Great Britain during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939).

Between March and June of 1937, when the Basque Country was at the epicentre of the conflict, many families from the region made the painful decision to send their children into exile to protect them from death and devastation. Many of these children came to Great Britain. This exhibition recovers previously unseen photographs and archival materials that bear witness to their lives here.

In addition to honouring the memory of these children and their extraordinary experiences, the exhibition also invites reflection on how their legacy has been passed on to subsequent generations. To illustrate the persistence of memories across generations, the exhibition has commissioned stunning original works by visual artist Judith Martínez Estrada and new English translations of the poignant poems of Alicia García-Bergua, herself a descendant of Spanish Civil War exiles.