Tramway to host the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt in full for the first time in Scotland
We’re excited to share that Tramway will host the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt. This will be the first time the entire artwork is shown in Scotland.
Free to visit, the exhibition brings together all 335 panels of the Quilt representing more than 600 people lost to HIV and AIDS in the UK. The display will be shown alongside archival materials from the Lothian Health Services Archive tracing the project's Scottish roots and the documentary film There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.
To go with the exhibition, Tramway has curated a wide-ranging public programme featuring:
Opening events:
- A traditional Reading of the Names ceremony.
- A blessing from the Haus of Nunsense.
- And a performance by Glaswegian women’s drumming ensemble SheBoom.
In conversation & theatre:
A talk with Quilt creator Cleve Jones alongside Ian Van Tillo, and a live reflection and performance of extracts from John Binnie’s 1987 play Killing Me Softly.
Workshops & community heritage:
- Screenings.
- Archiving sessions with OurStory Scotland.
- An ACT UP activist day.
- And a hands-on textile workshops exploring memory and patch-making.
Why This Matters
The Quilt is the world’s largest ongoing community arts project, originally coordinated in the UK by Scottish activist Ally Van Tillo. Hosting this landmark display at Tramway honours those lost, celebrates resilience, and provides a platform to address HIV awareness, education, and anti-stigma work today.
You can find all the details about dates, public events, and how to book workshops at www.tramway.org.