ABOUT:
Diversity House Heritage Project
The First World War was a global conflict and has an important and lasting global legacy. However, many of the commemorations fail to acknowledge the contributions, experiences and trauma of non-European countries, particularly that of Africans.
Aims:
This project aims to address this exclusion by highlighting the involvement of African people and the conflict played out within Africa.
This project will engage with people from the diverse communities and a mix of generations in Maidstone and Swale in undertaking research to uncover the involvement and contributions of African soldiers, porters and civilians to the Great War, through a series of activities which include using online resources, social media, examining oral histories, researching books and documents held in personal collections, visiting museums and unearthing archives to explore the four main themes of the project:
1) Present but not counted;
2) The aftermath – the scramble and partition of Africa;
3) Then & now – the legacy of the War on Africans - soldiers, civilians including women and families; and
4) The legacy as it pertains to current conflicts, migration and political structures in Africa.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
Events and activities for adults & young people (both in the community and local schools) in Swale and Maidstone include:
• Participating in guided tours and workshops at the Imperial War Museum; The National Archives; and Deville Wood;
• Creating artworks, blogs, newsletters, and wikis;
• Participating in role-play, poetry reading;
• Visiting WW1 Memorials, interacting within multi-generational groups;
• Developing online learning resources and worksheets;
• Training in advanced research skills;
• Planning and organising interactive workshops and seminars around the key project themes;
• Developing learning resources;
• Producing exhibition materials;
• Facilitating dialogue, round-table discussions;
• Exploring histories, arts, crafts, clothes and other objects available from Africa and Nigeria; and
• Interviewing historians, developing performances in partnership with members of the arts & performance groups;
If you would like more information or to be involved please contact Christine Locke via email info@diversityhouse.org.uk
The project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
