World War I commemorative workshops welcome avid historians
To mark the 100th anniversary of World War I, the University of Warwick is inviting the public to a specially commissioned series of workshops.
One hundred years after the outbreak of the First World War, it continues to play a significant part in British culture and memory. But the Great War was more than just ‘mud, blood and endless poetry’, as depicted in the BBC series Blackadder. It marked a significant shift in cultural perceptions and artistic representations about war and society.
Dr Stuart Jennings, coordinator for the series of four workshops said: “1914 will always be memorialised across the UK. Most families have their own personal history of the war and 2014 will be a year in which many will seek to fit these into the wider context.”
All of the courses begin next year and are available to anyone with an interest in the period. They will stand as one off sessions but are excellent as a starting point to pursue studies further in this area and a full Certificate course will take place after the workshops next year.
The first workshop, ‘Records from the Great War, 1914-1918’ aims to familiarise students with the variety of material and evidence available in record offices, contemporary photographs, songs, newspapers and the Imperial War Museum.
In order to understand the poets of World War I, ‘Ode to a rat?’ workshop seeks to challenge the traditional way of approaching the Trench poets.
‘Painting the Great War’ introduces the work of a number of artists and the way they painted British society and the conflict in the trenches. The day ends with a session on how war art was collected and curated after the First World War.
The ‘Animal Farm: humans and animals in modern European history’ workshop will explore and analyse the roles and representations of wartime animals in documentary sources, art and fiction. The focus will be on the roles of animals in the war effort and the day will conclude with a discussion of George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm (1945).
Dr Will Curtis, Director of the Certificates programme at the Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at Warwick, said: “We are really excited to be offering this series of workshops to mark this nostalgic anniversary. The Certificate programme offers a vast selection of subjects including History, English Literature, Child Psychology and Film Studies.”
Online bookings can be made through the University of Warwick website. For more details about the World War I workshops please contact: Dr Stuart Jennings, Workshop Coordinator, S.B.Jennings@warwick.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)24 76 523520 Mobile/Cell: +44 (0) 798 9579858
Notes to Editors
For more information contact: Melissa Holloway, Assistant Press Officer, University of Warwick, Melissa.Holloway@warwick.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)24 76 575601 Mobile/Cell: +44 (0)7824 541142
For more information:
Melissa Holloway, Assistant Press Officer, University of Warwick, Melissa.Holloway@warwick.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)24 76 575601 Mobile/Cell: +44 (0)7824 541142
Useful Links:
Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL)