Love Abide with You, The Birthplace Quilts

In a celebratory year for the “birth” of the United States and in an era of great global uprootedness, what does “birthplace” mean?

Love Abide With You is a performance and quilting project that asks questions about the meaning of home places today. Participants will collaborate to create a series of performative quilts. This process will culminate in an airing of the quilts, as well as a story-sharing event where audience members can contribute to the final quilts.

Coinciding with the celebrations of the United States’ 250th Anniversary, Love Abide With You takes inspiration from our location in Philadelphia (the “birthplace” of the nation) to consider the concept of birthplace most broadly. Each participant will make a square symbolic of the concept of “birthplace” and what it means to them. Participants will be invited to share stories, memories, hopes, and dreams for their real or ideal birthplace and about Philadelphia as the place where we gather. Those for whom “birthplace” is a troubled topic are invited to this project, which seeks to hold open a space that is inclusive and compassionate. This is a project that is grounded, all hand-sewn, process-driven, building of community, while also encouraging imagination about the future.