‘Heart wrenching’ handkerchief display in Lewes: creator reveals she collected older people’s life stories over two years

This paper first heard of the display in a disused shop window in Station Street on March 13 when a resident took a photo, calling it ‘heart wrenching’.

The piece features 36 handkerchiefs decorated with notes and advice from older people.

Creator Sonia Crivello said: “This display was part of a two-year participatory project with people aged between 85 and 95 living independently in Lewes as part of PhD anthropology research. I have collected life stories and stitched key quotes about how participants feel about their ageing onto cloth handkerchiefs.”

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She said the display aims to prompt discussion about ageing and what it means to be old in modern society.

Sonia has been a Lewes resident for 23 years and lives with her husband Marco and their two children. She is a mature student and has had a 20-year career in the arts. She said: “I made a career change in 2017 studying part-time for an MA and now a PhD in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. I currently work for a local Lewes charity, and as a companionship carer for three older people in Lewes.”

Sonia now hopes to host a community sewing project in Lewes. She said: “If anybody has cloth handkerchiefs they would like to donate or would like to be involved please get in contact via my website www.stitchingoldervoices.org or email [email protected].”

Speaking about the handkerchief display, Sonia said: “It is potent politically because the majority of people living over the age of 85 worldwide are women living on their own. Of this category in the UK, 76.5 per cent of women are widowed compared with 35.9 per cent of men (Age UK from Office National Statistics May 2019). The politics around ageism and cognitive functioning of older people, and how these aspects interact with politics of care urgently needs addressing post Covid-19 and including those who get limited opportunities to have their voices heard. These embroidered handkerchiefs indicated a way for those voices to be seen and heard in the public domain. It also demonstrates a way in which disused shop windows can be used to promote local concerns.”