THE Vale council commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day with a special event at Art Central, which is housing an interactive exhibition of historic information and art works on the subject.

Cabinet Members Cllr Lis Burnett, Cllr Kathryn McCaffer and Cllr Ben Gray were joined by deputy mayor Jane Norman and council managing director, Rob Thomas for an evening to mark the occasion on Monday, January 27.

On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the exhibition is a combination of real-life stories, including a first survivor’s testimony recorded in virtual reality.

The Girls of Room 28 is a survivor’s story, published by author Hannelore Brenner, telling the story of 15 girls who survived the Terezin concentration camp, four of whom are still alive today.

Judy Stephens Comfort Blankets’ ‘What to Leave... addresses the panic and fear a sudden enforced change can bring when people are made to flee their homes and personal safety nets are stripped away.

The Fate of European Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust focuses on the estimated 500,000 European Roma and Sinti that were murdered during the Holocaust.

Victims of racist persecution and genocide, their story remains largely unknown today.

The Last Goodbye takes us into the world of Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter.

It describes Pinchas’ return to Majdanek Concentration Camp, where he lost his parents and twin sister.

Produced by USC Shoah Foundation, working with creators Gabo Arora and Ari Paitz, the viewer is immersed as Pinchas recounts his experience.

Vale council cabinet member for leisure, arts and culture, Cllr McCaffer said: “I would urge anyone who has the chance to visit this exhibition, housed at the council’s Art Central gallery.

“It highlights the plight of some of those that have stood together, uniting and responding collectively to oppression within their environment.

“It enables us to reflect on an episode of history we must never forget.”

The exhibition is open until Saturday February 22.