The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre tells the story of the Holocaust through the eyes of 16 refugees and survivors who later made their homes in the north of England. Visitors experience a museum-standard exhibition that uses photographs, digital testimony, records of persecution, family letters and artifacts, and an immersive film to highlight the consequences of what can happen when intolerance, extremism and far-right ideology go unchecked and unchallenged.

The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre launched in September 2018 and is open to everyone. It has a permanent and growing archive of oral histories from more than 70 refugees and survivors and a collection of photographs, documents and artifacts that form the basis for research and education. It offers learning programmes for schools, youth and community groups, and temporary exhibitions and events.

The project promotes universal values of equality and human rights and asks visitors to consider their own individual responsibilities in challenging prejudice. It seeks to promote empathy towards others and build critical thinking skills to help people navigate a world of instant communication and fake news.

The Holocaust Survivors Friendship Association remains a survivor-led charity with close involvement from the second and third generations. It is a testament to the perseverance and resilience of this community that the Centre – the only resource of its kind in the north of England – now exists to educate, inspire and inform. The Centre was created with £1.1 million in funding, including £604,000 from The National Lottery.