Bonds of Friendship: Coventry and the Twin City Movement
Sylvia Theuri, Work-in-Progress Digital Drawing, 2019
International Twin Cities Day is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of April, but where does this celebration come from?
The international twin city movement has been a global phenomenon. Cities, towns and even the smallest of villages across the world have twinned with others to promote cultural exchange, shared learning and economic prosperity.
This global movement originated in Coventry.
During the 2nd World War the women of Coventry decided to reach out to Stalingrad (now Volgograd) to form a “bond of friendship” and Coventry now maintains relationships with 26 other twins around the world.
This year, as Coventry and Volgograd celebrate their 75th anniversary, we will take The Twin as an overarching theme and point of reference threaded throughout our programme, informing the ways artists are reflecting upon and responding to all kinds of dualities within their works.
by Ryan Hughes