In celebration of libraries as inclusive spaces, Barnstaple, Exeter, and Newton Abbott Libraries will invite participants in all three locations to consider the everyday sacrifices of ordinary people during World War II, often overlooked, and think about what freedom means to these communities today.

Working with a range of community members (including a resettlement charity in Barnstaple, a mental health drop-in group in Exeter, and the Railway Studies Collection Volunteers in Newton Abbott), the heritage of VE Day 80 years on will be explored through a series of workshops. Each site will reflect on a unique local narrative: Barnstaple’s secret WWII unit, Newton Abbot’s crucial wartime railway links, and Exeter’s experience of the Blitz. By anchoring the project in the stories from each place, ‘Threads of Freedom’ will weave together national history with personal reflection and will culminate in a co-created artwork that is celebratory and unifies the three different communities across Devon.