PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 20 th June 2013
Hackney Pupils and local volunteers get ready to launch their WW1
Exhibition at Hackney Museum!
A WW1 Exhibition will launch at Hackney Museum on Wednesday 17 th July 2013 from 3-5pm. Curated by Children from two Hackney schools and community volunteers the exhibition is a culmination of a local heritage project called Hackney
Remembers and is open to the public from 16 th July- 28 th September 2013.
Hackney Remembers is a project being run by award-winning theatre company
Fifth Word in partnership with Hackney Museum, the Jewish Military Museum and
Hackney Archives. The exhibition uncovers the story of how the First World War changed the lives of people in Hackney. This project has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Over a period of 6 months local volunteers have received training and been preparing and cataloguing a list of archive materials, both in-site at both museums,
Hackney Archives and in external locations. After this Fifth Word Theatre led two, week long intensive school sessions where pupils selected the themes and sources they found most interesting. Using specialised drama techniques, the children delved deeper into what really happened in hackney during WW1. At the end of the sessions each school created mock exhibition panels ready to be turned into professional printed panels.
Year 6 pupils from Springfield Primary School transformed their classroom into an office where they were known as ’The Design Exhibition Team’. As ‘experts’ they researched the effect the war had on East London Jewish soldiers serving in the
British army. The Jewish Military Museum helped them with their detective work and children were able to delve into personal le tters, soldiers’ diaries, memoirs, official documents such as call-up notices and killed-in-action telegrams. They imagined what it might have been like to be in their shoes and used the expertise of drama practitioners to build up a picture of life on th e frontline during the ‘War to
End All Wars’.
The second design Team came from St John and St James Primary School. Their
Year 6 class were known as
‘Designs for Life Ltd’
and looked at the families left behind while the men were fighting in the trenches. With help from Hackney
Archives and volunteers, children were able to analyse and interpret images, film, sound, newspapers cuttings and Art to tell the story of life on the home front hundred years ago.

The exhibition is open to everyone and links to a website containing more information and a documentary film about the project. The exhibition will transfer to the Jewish Military Museum in October 2013 and then travel to local schools in
Hackney through to 2014. A digital resource pack for teachers will be available online to help local schools plan their projects in time for the centenary of WWI in
2014.
For Fifth Word Laura Ford said: "Using drama teaching methods and resources from local museums, we quite literally brought to life the personal stories of
Hackney soldiers and their families. The children, volunteers and museum partners are so incredibly proud of what we have achieved. We are excited to share our interesting findings with the public through this travelling exhibition”.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
For further information or to request an interview with project manager of Hackney remembers
please contact: Laura Ford. If you or a colleague would like any publicity photographs or would like to come to the launch please get in touch.
Tel: 07747895384
Email laura@fifthword.co.uk
Exhibition dates:
Hackney Museum
16 th July-28 th September 2013
Launch: Including Screening of Documentary Film and red ribbon opening.
Wednesday 17 th July (3pm – 4pm) Springfield School pupils and parents/volunteers and special guests (4pm-5pm) St John and St James pupils and parents/volunteers exhibition and special guests.
Admission Free:
Tues, Wed, Fri,, 9.30-5.30pm
Thurs 9.30-8pm
Sat 10-5pm
Sun,Mon,Bank Holidays Closed
Hackney Museum
Technology and Learning Centre
1 Reading Lane
London E8 1GQ www.hackney.gov.uk/hackneymuseum

2014 is the beginning of a series of centenaries marking the First World War.
Key events and developments relating to the conflict will be commemorated, including the Battle of the Somme, the Gallipoli campaign, the changing role of women, the Armistice and the dedication of the first war memorials.
The Heritage Lottery Fund can provide funds to help organisations mark these important anniversaries by exploring the history and legacy of the war and helping people understand how it impacted on communities across the
UK, especially their own.

 HLF is working with Imperial War Museums (IWM), who are leading the UK’s cultural commemorative programme for the centenaries. HLF applicants can access IWM expertise and resources by joining the centenary partnership.
There has recently been increased interest in the condition of war memorials across the UK. There are a number of sources of funding available to help people look after and learn from their local war memorials and to commemorate the heritage of sacrifice and conflict. Please visit the HLF website – www.hlf.org.uk
– for further information.

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund
(HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than
33,000 projects, allocating over
£4.9billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk
Partners and Supporters and Funders: