Our Place in The First World War
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Lincoln
Department Name: College of Arts
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Jane Chapman (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The main findings have been over 850 forgotten soldier cartoons, produced at the fronts, and published originally in the armed forces own trench publications/newspapers. These have provided new insights into the thinking and experiences of everyday life as viewed by mostly ordinary soldiers, rather than the officer class. Mentality and outlook in these drawings gives us a picture of the Great War that contrasts starkly to Home Front propaganda. It also gives us insights into what the men at the Front considered to be the misconceptions of their families and the public back home about what exactly they were doing. General publics have found this fascinating and original, gaining insights into how cartoons can be used as an accessible, and relatively democratic historical record. |
| Exploitation Route | By looking at soldier records more closely, to present alternative viewpoints on WW1, and insights into endurance, courage, humour, and outlooks of the ordinary member of the armed forces. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nhwgx |
| Description | The findings from AH/10221201/1 were used in this grant to advise and inform impact activities conducted in partnership with the BBC for their series 'World War One at Home'. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nhwgx Findings were also used by the PI as an advisor for the BBC Radio 4 drama series 'Home Front' - |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Everyday Lives in War: First World War Engagement Centre |
| Amount | £644,654 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/P00668X/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | BBC World War One at Home |
| Organisation | British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | My contribution was knowledge and subject expertise, and ability to translate this into media products, due to previous experience as a TV producer. I attended collaborative workshops and conferences organised by the BBC and by the IWM to discuss plans and , later, achievements of the Centenary partnership. The IWM contributed information about their holdings that were available for use by the BBC for the Centenary, and I advised the BBC teams that I worked with, on which items/aspects would be useful for programming and website use. I contributed to road shows organised by the BBC, at which the IWM also took part. There was cross-over of staff between the BBC and IWM (e.g. researchers), with whom I worked. The public profile of our collaborative activities was, and still is, very high. |
| Collaborator Contribution | See above |
| Impact | e-book published by BBC conferences and publications by IWM TV, radio and website by BBC |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | BBC World War One at Home |
| Organisation | Imperial War Museum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | My contribution was knowledge and subject expertise, and ability to translate this into media products, due to previous experience as a TV producer. I attended collaborative workshops and conferences organised by the BBC and by the IWM to discuss plans and , later, achievements of the Centenary partnership. The IWM contributed information about their holdings that were available for use by the BBC for the Centenary, and I advised the BBC teams that I worked with, on which items/aspects would be useful for programming and website use. I contributed to road shows organised by the BBC, at which the IWM also took part. There was cross-over of staff between the BBC and IWM (e.g. researchers), with whom I worked. The public profile of our collaborative activities was, and still is, very high. |
| Collaborator Contribution | See above |
| Impact | e-book published by BBC conferences and publications by IWM TV, radio and website by BBC |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Everyday Lives at War Centenary Commemoration Centre |
| Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PI Prof. Jane Chapman (and one of her ECR team) became a CI for the above Centenary Commemoration Centre for stages 1 and 2 of further AHRC /HLF funding |
| Collaborator Contribution | We conducted original research in the South Lincs area, as collaboration with community groups, producing a free booklet for distribution amongst the general public. |
| Impact | 2 monographs, with research funded by 2 Centenary Centres |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | POW Cartoons Exhibition, south Lincolnshire |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The small collaboration research grant on POWs in south Lincolnshire recently exhibited their findings at an event hosted by the local golf course. The exhibition was organised by leading members of the CBPR community partner group, the Long Sutton and District Civic Society and was successfully attended by over 150 members of the public. Three members of the academic research team travelled from Lincoln to the Norfolk border in south Lincolnshire for the event. The findings and primary source materials were displayed as a series of posters and a full colour pamphlet was distributed. Public comments and feedback on the event were overwhelmingly positive, with many taking the opportunity to engage in discussion about the research process with members of the team and the Civic Society, sharing stories of their own family history and knowledge about local home front life during the First World War. Additionally, the event included a guided tour of the golf course grounds that encompass some of the key structures related to both First and Second World War heritage connected with the local area. This incorporated the warehouse of the former docks in which, the team believes, the POWs were billeted. The exhibition was considered so successful that the Civic Society voiced the intention to repeat the poster exhibition at a subsequent public engagement event at the local Parish Council. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Trench Talk at Chichester Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof. Jane Chapman, University of Lincoln, and Prof. Ross Wilson, University of Chichester, gave a talk as part of the Chichester Festival discussing the importance of trench newspapers. The key focus areas of this talk were the topics of humour and morale during the First World War. The talk took place after the theatre production of The Wiper's Times, on the same stage and utilising the same scenery. The event included an opportunity for the audience to see archive material and to ask the panellists questions about the impact of satire from the trenches. Chichester Festival organisers collected feedback and responses via email from the audience of around 150 people. The feedback gathered indicated positive changes in views and opinions as a result of the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | conference paper at Te National Archives, to audience that included non-academic people interested in First World War |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Conference paper to audience that included non-academic people engaged in commemoration of World War One - on my original research, as published in a new book. The content involved original letters written by African and Afro- Caribbean people who were protesting about repatriation in the aftermaths of the war. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://everydaylivesinwar.herts.ac.uk/category/news/ |
| Description | presentation of research findings by publication of booklet and discussion with community readers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Discussions with a new local history group from South Lincs, as a result of their participation and co-authorship in the production of a research booklet for dissemination within the community to people interested in local history. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |