How to explain November’s Remembrance events to children?
Dorset History Centre is proud to be a long-standing member of the Cultural Hub for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and when we heard that schools were planning an art project to make hundreds of poppies with the ceramicist Maisie Jones, we felt we could add meaning to that experience. Although service people who have lost their lives in more recent conflicts such as Afghanistan or the Gulf Wars are included in civic events and benefit from seasonal fundraising, the emphasis is still on the losses of the First and Second World Wars. As these wars are beyond the memory of primary school children, their parents and in many cases even their grandparents, the imagery of poppies can lose its meaning.
We offered to commission the story-teller Lizzie Bryant to delve into our records and bring to life the stories of local people affected by the cataclysmic conflicts of the twentieth century. Our proposal was welcomed by the three schools involved – St Katherine’s, St Luke’s and Winton Primary. They agreed that interactive stories, delivered by an experienced artist, would make an engaging experience for the children – a chance to personalise Remembrance and empathise with people from the past.
Lizzie visited DHC and made use of a range of records from the periods of both World Wars, including the diaries of RSM Beck, the Women’s Institute War Record Book, and different school log books. These resources revealed a range of responses to living through conflict – as women in the domestic and community sphere, teachers, children and a regular soldier with responsibility for his comrades. These local people showed stoicism, a sense of duty, humour, practicality and determination. Original records help to avoid generalisation and provide lively examples from daily life.
Lizzie enjoyed her time with our archives and said that one of her favourite school log entries came from the Verwood Church of England School, 21 July 1915:
“Did not mark the registers this afternoon as only 12 children came back. Mrs Phillips was foolish enough to tell the children after morning school that a flying machine had alighted on the common and they, childlike, rushed off to see it. When they got back it was too late for school. They were present in the morning.”
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Lizzie visited each school dressed as a teacher at the time of WWI and encouraged children to interact with her and join in reading out material from our records. All the schools agreed that the children were captivated by the stories. Children at St Katherine’s commented;
We learned a lot of history today.
I enjoy it when a storyteller comes into school.
People from our community were involved in the war effort.
The ceramic poppies produced in schools were displayed at libraries in the BCP area where they were admired by staff and visitors alike – The BCP Library Service is also a partner in the Cultural Hub. This project is a great example of what can be achieved when cultural partners, artists and schools work together to provide high quality experiences for children and young people.
