Author: Larissa Allwork

In December 2016, I was fortunate to be able to interview Kiran Sahota, Director of the Community Interest Company, Believe in Me about her role in creating the ‘Honoring Indian VC Soldiers in World War One’ exhibition which was displayed at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (12 November 2016 – 28 January 2017). Working with advice from Mike Noble, Community Liaison Officer at the Centre for Hidden Histories and Dr Nicola Gauld from the AHRC First World War Engagement Centre, Voices of War and Peace, Kiran created a display which in the words of the exhibition catalogue sought to increase, “public awareness of South Asian soldiers of the British Indian Army who won the Victoria Cross in World War One.” Sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund, collaborative partners working with Kiran included the National Army Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the British National Library, Brighton Pavilion Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  Enthusing about the experience, Kiran commented,  “I’ve never felt more empowered, I’ve never felt more inspired. And now I really get the gist of all the hard work that goes on behind an exhibition. The reception, the reviews…I was so overwhelmed.”

Read more →

This month the Centre for Hidden Histories has had updates from two of its commissioned performance projects.  The first, In Flux which is described by its producers Excavate as “A performance lecture about borders and the Middle East for three storytellers and a musician” was previewed at City Arts, Nottingham on 25th January 2016.  The play interweaves three stories, the history of the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) and its geo-political consequences, the story of a young Kurdish woman and the contrasting lives of her three sisters, and the journey of a young man escaping the war in Syria for a new life in the UK. In Flux features performances by Sarah Altan, Sherry Fatemi, Adel Hamad and Excavate Artistic Director, Andy Barrett. Compelling and timely, the Centre for Hidden Histories looks forward to In Flux being performed in other theatres and arts venues across the UK.  If you are interested, please contact: michael.noble@nottingham.ac.uk

This month has also seen the completion of Dr Caroline Bressey, Professor David Killingray, Dr Jacqueline Jenkinson and Reel MCR’s drama documentary about Britain’s first race riots that occurred across the country from 1919 and continued for over eighteen months.  The film is focused not only on the history of the riots but also on the process of how to create dramatic material from such controversial historical events.  As part of understanding this process, the film features the expertise of Tony Coldwell, Director of Photography on the TV series, Mr Selfridge, Foyle’s War and Wolfblood.

You can watch the 1919 Race Riots Workshop film below.

 

The Glass Tank at Oxford Brookes recently hosted the exhibition, ‘Beyond the Western Front: Oxfordshire in World War One’ (18 November – 16 December 2016). Re-live the display by viewing the exhibition catalogue here.

I hope you’ve got some 3D specs!

Link to the exhibition catalogue: beyond-the-western-front-exhibition-catalogue