At the end of July, the Kent Speak Their Name Memorial Quilt- with 66 squares made by friends and families, each representing the memories of loved ones who died by suicide – will join more than 20 others quilts from across the country to embark on a Summer 2026 tour.
The touring exhibition provides a space for remembrance and reflection, while helping to raise awareness of the impact of suicide on families, friends, and communities.
STAK.life {Stefan’s Acts of Kindness) founders Emma and Tristan Kluibenschadl, who lost their son Stefan, aged just 15, after workplace bullying and failures by health services to provide appropriate help, were the organisers behind the Kent quilt.
The couple, from Margate, said: said: “Our Memorial Quilts are a powerful reminder that every life matters and every person deserves to be remembered.
“Behind every square is a story. A person. A loving family whose lives have been changed forever. They will never be reduced to statistics. We owe it to them, and to those still struggling with their mental health, to speak their names, challenge stigma, and make conversations about help, hope, and suicide easier to have.
“The Speak Their Name projects across the country have become far more than memorials. They have grown into communities of compassion, where bereaved families stand alongside one another with understanding that few others can truly offer. It is a club that nobody chooses to join, yet within it people find strength, friendship, and the reassurance that they are not alone.
“We hope the Summer 2026 tour will continue to create opportunities for connection, reflection and meaningful conversation, inspiring greater understanding, reducing stigma around mental health, and reminding every person affected by suicide that there is always hope and that no family should have to walk this journey alone.”
Created by people bereaved by suicide, each square of the quilts honours an individual life and tells a unique story through fabric, embroidery, photographs, and personal mementoes.
Throughout the Summer tour, visitors will have the opportunity to view the quilts, learn more about the stories behind the individual squares, and connect with local support organisations and communities affected by suicide loss.
The tour
The Speak Their Name Memorial Quilts tour begins at The Festival of Quilts at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (30 July – 2 August), Europe’s largest quilt show, before travelling to Edinburgh Waverley Station, immediately before the start of the Edinburgh International Festival (1–2 August); and then on to Glasgow Central Station (8–9 August).
Leaving Scotland, the quilts will be displayed at the Southport Flower Show (20–23 August), the UK’s largest independent flower show, before heading south to Cornwall and then The SHQA Quilt Show in Brighton (5–6 September). A London event is also planned.
Across the tour, visitors will have the opportunity to view up to 20 Memorial Quilts, each square of which was lovingly created in memory of someone lost to suicide, ensuring their stories continue to be seen, shared, and remembered.
The exhibition continues the growing legacy of Speak Their Name’s Memorial Quilts across the UK – they have brought together thousands of people affected by suicide loss.
For full tour dates and venue information, visit the Summer 2026 tour page at: https://speaktheirname.org/memorial-quilt-summer-2026-tour/
