Just about six months ago, in November 2019, ‘Mountain Aglow’ made its first public appearance in Montserrat at the Alliouagana Festival of the Word. The exhibit is a celebration of Montserrat and its people, history and culture, expressed through the lens of the Soufrière Hills eruption that began in 1995. In bringing together poetry, song, interviews, illustrations and photos, light and sound, it interweaves scientific understanding of the eruption with the many facets of the human and cultural response.
The exhibit has since been mounted at the Montserrat National Trust, where anyone interested can immerse themselves in this walk-in monument to this seminal time in the history of Montserrat.
Of course, the Soufrière Hills eruption is living memory to many, not just in Montserrat, but all over the world. We therefore worked to transplant ‘Disaster Passed’ into a digital space since November, so that everyone can explore –and contribute to– the natural and cultural heritage of Montserrat. This website is the fruit of this labour. Here, you can explore all aspects of the physical exhibit and more, including songs, poetry, interviews, historical accounts, photos, videos and further links.
But we consider the website in its current form merely as a starting point for a much richer retrospect of the eruption. Montserrat is an incredibly multi-faceted and beautiful place that does not only exist as an island in the Caribbean, but also in our collective memories, and we would like to grow this site to do it justice. For this, we would like to hear your point of view, your story, your experience – so if you like do get in touch with us here.
No matter whether you are here as a curious visitor or to tell your story – we hope you enjoy this space.
