Panelmaking and Living Quilt Programs
International
AIDS Prevention Initiative (“IAPI”) provides information
on creating a panel for The AIDS Memorial Quilt in twelve languages, and
information on submitting a new panel to an International Quilt affiliate
in Africa, Asia/Pacific Rim, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, South America,
or to The NAMES Project Foundation (American quilt). To date, the NAMES
Project-USA (as of December 2004), has received over 44,000 panels. IAPI
also provide information hosting a panelmaking workshop at a school, business,
or organization.
IN THIS SECTION
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• How
to Make a Panel
Below are instructions
on “How To Make A Panel” in thirteen languages,
including English. Some of these instructions
require the free Acrobat Reader plugin, available here.
Cambodian Instruction
Chinese Instructions
Dutch
Instructions
English Instructions
German/Deutsch Instructions
Spanish/Espanol Instructions
French/Francais Instructions
Italian/Italiano Instructions
Korean Instructions
Russian Instructions
Philippine/Tagalog Instructions
Vietnamese Instructions
South African/Xhosa Instructions
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Making a Panel for the International AIDS Memorial Quilt
Making a commemorative
Quilt panel for someone who has died from AIDS has proven to be a powerful
tool in engaging people to talk about the disease. Many
people have learned about the International AIDS Memorial Quilt through
the media, television or the internet; or through their school, church,
organization, or business and want to get involved.
International AIDS Prevention Initiative ("IAPI") has worked with the
AIDS Memorial Quilt since 1987, and knows the educational possibilities a panelmaking
workshop can provide. IAPI offers assistance to organizations in any country
in organizing their first panelmaking workshop. Through its "Threads of
Hope" Program, IAPI can provide quilting/sewing supplies from US-based
organizations including fabric, notions, and other supplies for the creation
of memorial panels.
IAPI expanded its educational efforts in 1999 to include the western cape of
South Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe, and countries in the Caribbean. IAPI can create
workshops for any type of organization in your city, province, or country, and
suggest ways to display completed sections as an HIV/AIDS awareness, education,
and prevention tool.
The making of a panel can be an important part of the healing process after
losing someone to AIDS. Panelmakers can choose to include the name of a person
they have lost to AIDS, or if confidentiality is an issue, the person's nickname;
a generic term such as "to my sister", "to my teacher", or "for
all the children" have also been used. The design of the panel includes
sharing details about the person's life so others can learn about them: favorite
color, food, city, occupation, family members, religion, likes/dislikes, birth-date,
death date, etc. Panels can also include pictures, pieces of clothing, or other
personal items
IAPI suggests that workshops be offered on a regular basis (monthly, bi-monthly,
quarterly). The ideal workshop should last between approximately 2 to 4 hours,
so potential panelmakers can receive information, learn what the Quilt is about,
and eventually allow them to feel comfortable to make a panel. Each workshop’s
goal should be to create a "safe environment" for participants, and
ensure that their anonymity is not compromised.
Through IAPI’s program, and in association with Global Quilt, a charitable
organization based in Amsterdam, completed panels can also be viewed by others
around the world increase greater HIV/AIDS awareness. International and local
displays have become an effective educational and prevention tool, particularly
in schools and places of worship. IAPI encourages US-based organizations to
sister (mentor) with churches, schools, and organizations in other countries
through panelmaking workshops; to share information about education, prevention
programs, AIDS ministries, peer education models, and much more.
IAPI is eager to share this powerful tool to help with your HIV/AIDS efforts.
IAPI volunteers travel throughout the year and can schedule to meet with any
organization to introduce IAPI's panelmaking program, as well as other curriculum-based
programs for schools, technical assistance, and sistering programs with other
countries organizations. Further information can be found on IAPI website listed
below. We invite you to consider using the International AIDS Memorial Quilt
in your HIV/AIDS efforts.
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Other Panelmaking Programs
• Living
Quilt
Today, the
face of HIV/AIDS looks different than it did in the beginning of the pandemic. More and more people are living with the disease
from all walks of life. International AIDS Prevention Initiative ("IAPI")
was inspired to create its Living Quilt Program from an activity created
by The Leake & Watt's Children's Center in Yonkers (New York). One
of their support groups for People With HIV/AIDS ("PWA") created "Living" sections
by designing small panels incorporating their own faces as an expression
how they see themselves living with the disease. IAPI adapted this idea
and now suggests creating both “Living” and “Commemorative” sections
for organizations seeking an interactive project for its clients. These “living” panels
remain the position of the host organization.
For complete Living Quilt Program details, click
here.
• Anna's
Workshop
Anna’s
Workshop was created by AIDS Quilt Rhode Island (formerly NAMES Project
Rhode Island) to assist particularly students and youth groups to learn
more about HIV/AIDS through the process of making a panel. However,
some students do not know someone who has died or are shy about disclosing
a person’s name, so the workshop developed a “In Memoriam” form
as a way to assist collecting information about someone who has died, and
created a format for the creation of making a panel.
For complete details about workshop and IAPI’s "In
Memoriam" Profile
Form, click here.
• Panelmaking
Workshop
IAPI offers
assistance in establishing a panelmaking workshop so individuals have the
opportunity to create a panel honoring someone they have lost to the disease.
Each organization, businesses, place of worship, or school is responsible
to provide sewing supplies, fabric, paints, markers, etc. so that participants
can create panels. Each organization is also
responsible to arrange workshop schedules. Upon completion, IAPI
can provide assistance in planning a Panel Dedication Ceremony (see below),
prior to submitting the panel(s) to The NAMES Project for inclusion with
the American Quilt.
Panelmakers wishing to turn in panels to a International Quilt organization
in Africa, Asia/Pacific Rim, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe, and South America
can contact IAPI for existing projects.
Below is a list of organizations have in the past or are currently holding
panelmaking workshops. Some workshops are only open in preparation
of World AIDS Day (approx. October to December 1). Please note that
some workshops create panels for the (American) AIDS Memorial Quilt and will
be submitted to The NAMES Project, while others follow a Living Quilt Program
which is not affiliated with The NAMES Project Foundation.
Montefoire Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Contact: Hector Torres
Email: htorres718@aol.com
Minority Health Care Communications (at its HIV/AIDS related conferences)
Contact: Mary Hess
Email: kmaryhess@hotmail.com
International AIDS Prevention Initiative (at various sites in New York area
and outside the United States)
Email: IAPInitiative@aol.com
• Panel
Dedications and What To Do
What To Do When You're Done With Your Panel?
1. Make
sure all parts of the design - cloth pieces, notion attachments, etc., are
sewn on to the background panel as best you can. Panels will
last longer if they are sewn securely.
2. Fill out a Primary Panelmaker Information Card (available through The
NAMES Project's website) so the appropriate information can be added to the
panelmaking database maintained at The NAMES Project's national office.
3. Optionally material(s) to include:
• a picture of the person who is memorialized,
• a note about the person or personal thoughts why the
panel, and
• any donation you wish to include.
All information is kept in the archives at The NAMES Project Foundation.
Once the above steps are completed, send the panel to, panels intended to be
apart of the (American) AIDS Memorial Quilt should be sent to:
The NAMES Project
101 Krog St.
Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: (404) 688-5500
Fax: (404) 522-1673
www.aidsquilt.org
info@aidsquilt.org
Panels made for The Living Quilt Program remains with the organization
that make them. If the organization is apart of a larger organization
(HIV CARE Network, chapters, affiliates, etc.), we suggest these panels
can be used in daily awareness campaigns in the lobbies, offices, and
displayed at conferences of the organization.
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• Local
Panel Dedication Ceremonies
IAPI does not
accepts new panels being submitted to the (American) NAMES Project - AIDS
Memorial Quilt. IAPI does, however, encourage schools,
churches, or any other organization who completes a panel to create a dedication
ceremony at your school, office, or headquarters. These dedication ceremonies
should be short and simple, and give panelmakers a sense of closure. These
dedication ceremonies can be used regardless whether a panel is being submitted
to The NAMES Project, the Living Quilt Program, or to an International Quilt
organization around the world
Many schools and churches have found it a power prevention tool to display
completed panels in their lobby or high-traffic areas. A daily visual
reminder for students, clients, and staff can serve as a great educational
reminder while continuing to honor the person on the panel. Once it has been
up for awhile, we encourage you to turn the panel in directly to The NAMES
Project, if it is to be included in the (American) AIDS Memorial Quilt, or
contact IAPI for organizations around
the world.
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