Three major arts projects to mark world wars

Tuesday 11 February 2014

The Arts Centre is marking the hundredth anniversary of the First World War with an art exhibition, a touring play and a challenge for local poets.

This month’s "Conflict" exhibition is the first of its three war inspired projects. Michael Dryden is one of five artists who have transformed the Arts Centre’s Berni Gallery, using the bare walls as a canvas. He was keen to get involved in a project which remembers the World Wars.

He said: “I was instantly drawn to the proposal for the Conflict exhibition. The task of making work in response to the Great War in just 36 hours was challenging on many levels.

“As time passes, it’s becoming harder for people in the West to enter into the reality of a world conflict. I think we should be looking for new ways of remembering the World Wars. Back in 2008, a group of boys from my school reenacted a trench battle in the grounds of Samares Manor. I remember them being really affected afterwards. Conflict exhibition is an equally commemorative act and I hope people engage with the work on a deep level.”

Director of the Jersey Arts Centre Daniel Austin is in the process of writing The Great Warrior, a play which uses the Great War as a starting point. The cast of the Theatre In Education (TIE) piece will tour around the Island’s primary schools in the Autumn giving students a whole day of theatre. As well as putting on the play, they will be organising 90 minute workshops for students in years five and six.

Mr Austin said: I think the TIE show will fuse three wars – the first, second and the Afghan war, and will explore three different soldiers from each war.

 “It’s important to remember and commemorate and there has been great literature in history and particularly when it comes to the Great War.The hundredth anniversary raises big questions – what is a hero, how do we define heroism?”

Schools and local poets will be encouraged to get involved in the Arts Centre’s final project ‘100 poems’.  It is looking to publish 100 poems.

The Arts Centre will also be working on a big poetry project later in the year. Mr Austin hopes schoolchildren and local poets will come up with ‘100 poems’ for a book which he hopes to illustrate with A level artwork.

The ‘Conflict’ exhibition continues until 22 February when the walls of the Berni Gallery will be re-painted.