New generation to create a lasting legacy of Wales at War
27 Jun 2014 04:21 PM
A collaborative project which will see pupils
from across Wales create a fitting legacy to commemorate those who served in
the First World War, will be launched today by the First Minister, Carwyn
Jones.
The
Wales at War (W@W) project is led by the National Library of Wales, with
support from the Welsh Government, the Royal Navy and Heritage Lottery fund.
The project aims to produce an online archive of the impact of the First World
War on life and communities in Wales via a dedicated
platform/app.
The
project centres on a First World War commemoration activity for schoolchildren
in Wales who will use the documentary heritage in the libraries and archives of
Wales to develop and publish the biographies of the 40,000 Welsh casualties of
the War, with a focus on those named on their local war
memorials.
The
project is a highlight of the Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918
programme of commemoration taking place across Wales. The Welsh Government has
committed £76,500 to create a Wales at War app, which will include a
timeline of the First World War, using maps, statistics, diaries, newspapers,
photographs, audio and moving image materials. This information will have a
particular Welsh resonance.
The
app will use the latest technology to show pupils where soldier, sailors and
airmen fought, fell and are buried. It will also provide a guide on the
conditions that service personnel faced during the war.
The
app will bring together and support the educational material being produced by
the National Library and help pupils in their research. It will also direct
users to local archives and record offices and develop training activities
using these materials for teachers, families and pupils.
The
project is also being supported by £85,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund
and £70,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the project on HMS
Enterprise, docked at Cardiff Bay, the First Minister said:
“The centenary of the start of the First World War
is an opportunity for us all to pay tribute and remember the sacrifice and
bravery of those involved in the war. I am honoured to be leading Wales’
programme of commemorative events, Cymru’n Cofio / Wales Remembers
1914-1918, a major objective of which is to get our young people to take an
active interest in the events and consequences of this
conflict.
“This special project does just that. So much more
than just an education project, Wales at War will use local war memorials to
make clear to children the impact the First World War had on their community
and engages pupils in local history they can see and visit with their class and
family, ensuring the learning experience is wider than the
classroom.
“The result will be a lasting digital record that
will act as a legacy and remind future generations of how we in Wales
remembered the sacrifice of our people during the war, 100 years
on.”
Professor Lorna Hughes, University of Wales Chair in
Digital Collections, National Library of Wales, said:
"We wanted to develop an inclusive commemoration
activity for all children in Wales, one that focuses on the impact on the war
on all communities, and also connects children with heritage in the form of
local war memorials, and highlights the importance of Wales’ libraries
and archives in uncovering the hidden histories of the First World War. Wales
at War will do this while also giving children valuable skills to carry out
historical research in a digital way."
Jennifer Stewart, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in
Wales said:
“HLF has awarded a grant of £85,000 to the
National Library of Wales for the Wales at War project. We were impressed
by the genuine partnership approach the project has taken and its aim to
provide an over-arching resource to record information about war memorials
across Wales. Largely led by schoolchildren, it will identify locations,
tell the stories and prepare biographies of the names featured on all Welsh War
memorials.
“This project has the real potential to
demonstrate the impact and history of the conflict, not just on the
battlefield, but for those at home, too. The resources created as part of
the project will provide new opportunities to explore and share the heritage of
the First World War which will help us all to better understand the conflict
and its impact in Wales. This is particularly important in this Centenary
year.”
Deputy Naval Regional Commander for Wales and Western
England, Commander Tom Herman, OBE Royal Navy:
“The great strength of this project is that it
includes all theatres of war and all three services set in the context of the
child’s own community. We are hugely proud to be a part of
it!”
Links
Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers
1914-1918