Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Printable version E-mail this to a friend

First World War Centenary events calendar

From poignant plays to fascinating talks and public exhibitions, 2014-2018 will host a raft of unique cultural experiences to highlight and commemorate the First World War.

To help you plan how you’ll experience the Centenary, this guide lists just some of the events near you taking place during 2014 and beyond.

January 2014

Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF at the Royal Air Force Museum

01 November 2013 - 20 April 2014 Event information

Through this new free exhibition, curated in partnership with the Black Cultural Archives, the Royal Air Force Museum tells the inspirational story of these volunteers, commemorating and celebrating their vital contribution to the defence of Britain, her Empire and Commonwealth.

What The Women Did at the Southwark Playhouse, London

22 January – 15 February 2014 Ticket information

Two’s Company’s sell-out 2004 production exploring the lives of women during First World War reopens for the 1914 Centenary.

First World War: Stories of the Empire at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

24 January 2014 Event information

Start the centenary year with an evening of talks and films at the V&A, exploring the role of Black and Asian soldiers from the Empire during the First World War.

February 2014

Oh What A lovely War at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East

1 February 2014 – 15 March 2014 Ticket information

Theatre Royal Stratford East presents a new production of ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ in its 50th anniversary year to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

Everybody’s Darling – The First World War Nurse Exhibition, Mansfield

8 February 2014 – 29 March 2014 Event information

As part of the Trent to Trenches programme, this free exhibition looks at many of the different nursing organisations that served during the war and the nurses’ personal experiences.

Europeana Collections 1914 – 1918 at the British Library, London

24 February 2014, 18.00-19.30 Ticket information

The British Library and the Society of Authors co-host a masterclass for writers who want to use original source material relating to the Great War in their work.

27 February – 15 June 2014 Event information

This free exhibition views the First World War through images of many of the individuals involved

March 2014

The Disasters of War at The Beaney Art Musuem and Library, Canterbury

6 March 2014 Event and ticket information

In this talk, Dr Antonio Lazaro-Reboll, Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at the University of Kent, looks at contemporary reactions to Francisco de Goya’s ‘Disasters of War’ prints, and at artist traditions within and against which the artist was working.

Great War Fashion – Meet the Author: Lucy Adlington, York Castle Museum, York

19 March 2014 Booking and ticket information

This delightful ‘costume in context’ presentation celebrates the publication of Lucy’s new Great War Fashion book. The event will guide you through a fascinating transition from the structured layers of the Edwardian era to the relaxed fluidity of ‘flapper’ fashions.

Voices of the First World War, Hampshire Archives and Local Studies, Hampshire

26 March 2014 - 30 April 2014 Find out more

This workshop looks at the range of archives held by Hampshire Record Office and how they can be interpreted creatively and historically to mark the Centenary of the First World War.

Enfield at War 1914-1918 at the Enfield Museum

27 March 2014 - 11 January 2015 Event information

This free exhibition explores the role Enfield residents had in the war and how it affected their daily lives.

April 2014

Food and the First World War, Liverpool Hope University

2 April 2014 Event and ticket information

This one day symposium explores the unique role of food and drink on the Western Front looking at its moral, nutritional, social and economic effects on the First World War.

Valiant Hearts: World War One - Woburn and its Stories, Woburn Abbey and Gardens

11 April 2014 - 28 September 2014 Plan your visit

This free exhibition focussed on the roles played during the First World War by the 11th Duke and Duchess of Woburn, the Abbey and the people surrounding it. Examine the artefacts, photographs and archive materials which tell the unique and moving stories of men and women from the area during the First World War.

Sir Edward German Music Festival, Whitchurch, Shropshire

28 April - 2 May 2014 Programme and ticket information

This community led classical music extravaganza will include performances of works by Sir Edward German and his contemporaries including composers who failed to return from WWI plus guided walks of local First World War heritage sites and pre concert talks.

Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story