Tag Archives: HLF

Books and Postcards, Events, Festivals, Heritage

Strike a Light at Legacies of First World War Conference – This weekend

Our creative director Nicola Benge is pleased to be speaking at the Legacies of the First World War Festival in Birmingham this weekend.
She will be looking at some of the projects Strike a Light have worked on over the past four years with a special focus on those which explore the black and minority ethnic contributions to the war. 
These projects include Dr Blighty, Trench Brothers and The Unremembered.
 
This two day community history conference is free to attend and has the noted historian David Olusoga as keynote speaker on the first day.
 
Come and experience some great histories and legacies of WWI.
You can book for any or all of the events including both conference days, and the evening event. Come join us!
 
Voices of War and Peace: the Great War and its Legacy is a First World War Engagement Centre funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The University of Birmingham Centre is a joint initiative across the Midlands with Birmingham City University, University of Wolverhampton and University of Worcester, and further afield with Cardiff University, University of Durham, Manchester Metropolitan University and Newcastle University.
The Engagement Centre is based in the Library of Birmingham and supports a wide range of community engagement activities, connecting academic and public histories of the First World War as part of the commemoration of the War’s centenary.
Books and Postcards, Events, Festivals, Heritage

Strike a Light at Legacies of First World War Conference

Our creative director Nicola Benge will be speaking at the Legacies of the First World War Festival in Birmingham on 22nd and 23rd March 2019.
 
This two day community history conference is free to attend and has the noted historian David Olusoga as keynote speaker on the first day.
 
Come and experience some great histories and legacies of WWI.
You can book for any or all of the events including both conference days, and the evening event. Come join us!
 
Voices of War and Peace: the Great War and its Legacy is a First World War Engagement Centre funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The University of Birmingham Centre is a joint initiative across the Midlands with Birmingham City University, University of Wolverhampton and University of Worcester, and further afield with Cardiff University, University of Durham, Manchester Metropolitan University and Newcastle University.
The Engagement Centre is based in the Library of Birmingham and supports a wide range of community engagement activities, connecting academic and public histories of the First World War as part of the commemoration of the War’s centenary.
Books and Postcards, Editorial and design, Heritage

Trench Brothers project continues

161222-SS_Mendi-1The acclaimed ‘imaginative and inspiring’ Trench Brothers project commemorating the contributions and personal stories of ethnic minority soldiers in the First World War will culminate in Brighton and the South East this year.
Award winning charity HMDT Music is working with Strike a Light – Arts and Heritage, to explore the stories of the impact the Indian Army Military Hospitals in Brighton and the British West Indies Regiment training camp in Seaford, East Sussex had on local communities at the time. We will undertake visits to The Keep archives, The Chattri, Seaford Museum and Newhaven Fort as well as interview Sussex residents who may have links with this theme.
These findings will be captured and showcased as part of the interactive Trench Brothers Exhibition being shown at Newhaven Fort from 4th August 2018, which features a creative response to the research as part of a bigger event.
The final strand is an education project involving eight local schools using puppetry, composition, artefacts, costumed interpreters and cross-curricular learning, leading to them performing a newly commissioned music theatre work by composers Julian Joseph and Richard Taylor and librettist Tertia Sefton-Green alongside jazz and opera singers, musicians and puppeteers at Brighton Dome on 17th October.
Find out more about this fascinating yet complex period of history and the result of these epic global changes affecting a small corner of Sussex.
For more information about this project contact Project Coordinator: Nicola Benge: strikealight@rocketmail.com
https://archive.strikealight.org/projects/trench-brothers-wwi-project/

Arts, Community Arts, Events, Heritage

St Peters – Preston Park – free creative activities

20180206_141320We are pleased to have been commissioned by St Peters- Preston Park to deliver a series of six free creative workshops at the church and in their grounds between May-September 2018.
See more about this project here: https://archive.strikealight.org/projects/st-peters-preston-park-workshop-dates/
The workshops are a key part of the HLF-funded Project Restoring the Chancel: Highlighting the 20th Century History of St Peter’s, Preston Park to engage local people around St Peter’s to:

  • Visit the church for the first time.
  • See the church as an enjoyable place to spend time.
  • Look afresh at the church and particularly the stencilling in the chancel.
  • Find out more about St Peter’s and the history of the surrounding Preston Village area.
  • Find out more about the practice and history of the art of stencilling.

downloadWe’ll be delivering free creative families drop-in workshops (printing, mosaic, brass rubbing, and stained glass making) at St Peter’s on the following dates:  31st May, 24th June (Preston Village Day), 14th July, 31st July, 16th Aug, 8th September. Each workshop will run from 11-4pm. 
All the event dates and further information are over on our Facebook page so you can pop them in your diary. Come join us!
St Peters

Arts, Community Arts, Events, Heritage

The Orange Lilies film

The orange lilies website
Film maker Tracey Gue has made a lovely little evaluation film for our just completed project The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme.
 
You can watch it here on the Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage You Tube channel, along with other project short films made by young people for the project:
 
HLF
Arts, Community Arts, Events, Heritage

Schools film showing for The Orange Lilies project

5 children and itAs part of The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme project, we’ll be involving children and teachers of local primary school Middle Street Primary School in our explorations of the city during the Somme in 1916.
We’re inviting WWI historian Dr Chris Kempshall to speak to the pupils about this period of history in an engaging and lively way.
We’ll follow this with a film showing of the First World War linked Five Children and It, and make popcorn too!
When Britain entered the First World War it did not fully realise that the conflict would soon touch upon the lives of everyone; even children.
Dr Chris Kempshall will discuss how the people of East Sussex lived under the shadow of the First World War, and how local children became involved in the war effort.
The screening is for 32 x year 5 children and 3-4 teachers.
Thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund for helping with this event, and to Fabrica gallery for organising it on behalf of Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage.
Arts, Community Arts, Events, Heritage, Textiles

Brighton & Hove in WWI – Free Event Day (The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme): Friday 30th June 11-4pm

TOL logoThe Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme
Brighton & Hove in WWI –  Free Event Day
Free WWI Community history event marking the end of both The Orange Lilies project, and The Boys on the Plaque project marking the Somme centenary, and exploring Brighton & Hove in WWI.
 Venue: Jubilee Library, Brighton, 11am – 4pm – 30th June 2017 
 Speakers
Introductions by Nicola Benge, The Orange Lilies Project Manager and Clare Hankinson, The Boys on the Plaque Project Manager
Dr Frank Gray, Director of Screen Archive South East shows vintage film clips & discusses Brighton during WWI
Brighton & Hove in WWI Q & A session: chaired by Dr Sam Carroll + Speakers: Dr Chris Kempshall, Dr Alison Fell & Dr Frank Gray
Dr Alison Fell – First World War women workers and strikes
Dr Chris Kempshall of East Sussex in WWI – Talk on Brighton and The Battle of Boars Head
and speakers still TBC
With:
Battle of Boar’s Head exhibition courtesy of Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove; WWI exhibitions and resources from Brighton & Hove Libraries, Gateways to the First World War, and The Royal British Legion.
Venue –Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE
Queries to: theorangelilies@gmail.com
theorangelilies.wordpress.com
https://boysontheplaque.wordpress.com
textiles workshop
The Orange Lilies project is delivered by Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage
In Partnership with Fabrica gallery, Brighton and Hove Libraries and Information Services, and Gateways to the First World War.
and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
english_landscape_black

Arts, Community Arts, Events, Heritage

Free Drawing with Textiles workshop

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FREE
Creative drop in activities for all
(part of Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage: The Orange Lilies project).
Every Thursday in March 2017 – Dates remaining are: 23rd & 30th from 4 – 6pm at Jubilee Library. This will take place in the Young Peoples area in the library. Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE
Drop in activities, no need to book!
Free workshops run by professional textile artist Rosie James include:
Using a sewing machine,
stitching and drawing with a machine
textile art
using collage in textiles
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Rosie James is an artist working mostly in textiles. Her work explores the use of the sewing machine as a tool for drawing. Her focus falls mainly on people and the kinds of crowds that form when people gather, she is looking for the individual within the crowd. Her work also encompasses the use of the stitched line to create drawings which explore the whole world of stitch, textiles, fashion, craft etc.
The ways in which stitching and textiles figure in our everyday lives is a continuing fascination. Rosie using screen printing as well as machine stitching and applique to create layers of imagery. Recently she has become interested in the ways in which a line is created on the sewing machine and how lines are everywhere we look. These lines link us together.
Part of The Orange Lilies – Brighton and Hove in the Somme project – Try a new skill with textiles and sewing machines, find out more about the city and its’ inhabitants in WWI; make a collage for exhibition in BFEST (Brighton Youth Festival) poster, and find out more about Brighton & Hove’s local memories.
Find out more about The Orange Lilies project here: https://theorangelilies.wordpress.com/
With support from project partners Fabrica Gallery, Brighton and Hove Libraries and Information Service, and Gateways to the First World War. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1195728430540355/
Arts, Books and Postcards, Community Arts, Editorial and design, Events, Festivals, Heritage, Textiles

News from our project – The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme


The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme
Put a date in your diaries for this FREE final The Orange Lilies – Brighton & Hove in the Somme project event this year on Friday 30th June 11am-4pm, at Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE
It’s come round very quickly, but we’re programming the one day event at present. We’ll have speakers during the day including Dr Frank Gray (Screen Archive South East) showing Sussex in WWI film clips, Dr Chris Kempshall discussing East Sussex in WWI, Gateways to the First World War, Dr Alison Fell on Women Workers in WWI, and further speakers to be confirmed. We’ll also have exhibitions in the main area, and a Q& A lunchtime session chaired by Dr Sam Carroll.
We’ll be encouraging people to both drop in, or stay all day, and sit and eat your lunch whilst hearing more about this fascinating period of history with a Brighton perspective. Watch this space for updates.
We’ll also be exhibiting our textiles from the project alongside a series of bespoke short films about the city in WWI (made by young filmmakers), for the BFEST Brighton Youth Festival starting on 28th May. This exhibition will continue until 4th July 2017 before touring to other city venues.
The Orange Lilies project runs until July 2017, and we have free events and activities taking place throughout the rest of the project. If you’d like to take part, become a research volunteer or come along to an event, visit our project site for further information.

Funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund

Arts, Books and Postcards, Editorial and design, Events, Heritage

Conversation Cafe – October