WIREDGOV

Arts centres, libraries and museums across the country are set to have a central role in the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, thanks to a £2 million investment by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to be managed by Arts Council England.

Victory in Europe (VE) Day, which takes place on 8 May, marks the Allied victory in Europe. It was a moment in history that led millions of people to come together to celebrate the end of the war, with street parties, dancing and singing right across the country. Victory over Japan (VJ) Day happened on 15 August and signalled an end to World War II.

All the activities planned as part of the commemoration will pay tribute to the millions of people across the UK and the Commonwealth who served in the Second World War. They will tell the stories of those who fought, the children who were evacuated, and those who stepped into essential roles on the home front.

The investment

From April onwards, we will be investing £2 million to support arts centres, libraries and museums across the country to work with their local communities to develop creative activities that commemorate, celebrate and reflect on the VE and VJ Day anniversaries.

• Arts Centres and Libraries Programme, £1.5 million: Futures Arts Centres, the national network for arts centres, will be leading a programme of work under the title ‘Our Freedom: Then and Now’. Working across the UK with 40 arts centres and 20 libraries, in partnership with Libraries Connected, communities in each location will explore what the end of the war meant for them, working with artists to create public-facing events distinct to their place.
• Museums Programme, £500,000: Our network of Museum Development (MD) Partners will deliver a programme across our five areas, supporting up to 20 museum projects to enable creative and cultural activity in response to VE/VJ day

The VE and VJ Day commemorations are important moments for people across the country to reflect on a significant time in our history. We’re proud that our investment through Future Arts Centres and our Museums Development Providers will create vital opportunities for communities to get involved—not just as audiences but as participants, helping to shape local offers based on what the war meant to them.

In addition to the programmes supported by the Arts Council, there will be a wide range of opportunities for people and communities across the country to participate in the commemorations: from Tip Top Towns, Letters to Loved Ones by the Imperial War Museum, to Our Shared Story in Schools across the country.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, yesterday said:

“Arts centres, museums and libraries play such an important role in our lives, right across the country, so it’s wonderful to invest £2 million in these anchors in our communities, on behalf of Government, to mark the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day. The projects they will host in communities, will provide us with the opportunity to reflect and to remember, as part of the wider programme of commemorations that are planned.”

Annabel Turpin and Gavin Barlow, Co-Directors of Future Arts Centres, yesterday said:

“Being part of the VE and VJ Day 80th anniversary programme is an incredible opportunity to bring communities together through creativity. Across the UK, we’ll be working with arts centres and libraries to ensure this anniversary is marked in ways that resonate with local people—giving them the chance to work with artists to shape and participate in events that hold real meaning for their own histories and places. In partnership with Libraries Connected, Our Freedom: Then and Now will support 60 arts centres and libraries to create powerful, public moments of reflection and connection that honour the past while inspiring the future.” 

Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, yesterday said:

“As shared spaces at the heart of their communities, public libraries have a long tradition of marking national events through local culture and creativity. Our Freedom: Then and Now is a valuable moment for libraries to join with their communities in paying tribute to the Second World War generation and reflecting on what this means for them now in their local area, across the UK and beyond. We’re looking forward to an inspiring programme of events, exhibitions and performances that connect communities and tell stories which resonate with people up and down the country.”

“Museum Development North, Michael Turnpenny (Head of Museum Development North), said: “Museums are key places where communities come together to commemorate and celebrate cultural moments that are important to them. The £500,000 of grant funding available as part of this programme will allow museums to deliver a wide variety of creative and cultural activities, enabling communities to share and reflect together in meaningful ways. It will also help to ensure that these stories are passed to future generations as part of the programme’s legacy.”