Seminar Event: Reflections on the First World War commemorations of British and German descendants

28 February 2018
17:30, John S Cohen Room, N203, Second Floor, IHR

Making Histories in No Man’s Land:
Reflections on the First World War commemorations of British and German descendants

Michael Roper (University of Essex), Rachel Duffett (University of Essex), David Savill (Age Exchange)

 

In early 2016, the Artistic Director of the reminiscence organisation Age Exchange David Savill collaborated with Rachel Duffett and Michael Roper from the University of Essex in hosting a five-day event in Bavaria which explored the family legacies of the First World War among British and German descendants. In this seminar, we talk about our experience of bringing together family stories from across the national boundaries of ‘no man’s land’, and reflect on our experience as practitioners working across the boundaries of heritage and history.

Find out more about the project here: http://www.age-exchange.org.uk/what-we-do/arts-projects/current-projects/meeting-in-no-mans-land/

British and German medals, kept by the families of those who fought.  Copyright: Age Exchange

 

Michael Roper is currently working on a Leverhulme Trust funded project about childhood and family legacies of the Great War in Britain, and a study of the war’s impact across three generations of his family in Australia. He is a Co-investigator in the University of Hertfordshire’s AHRC/HLF Engagement Centre, ‘Everyday Lives in the First World War’, which funded the collaboration with Age Exchange.

 

Rachel Duffett has a particular interest in the material culture of the First World War and its legacies in the interwar years and is a researcher in AHRC/HLF Centre, ‘Everyday Lives in the First World War’.

 

David Savill is the Artistic Director of the British charity Age Exchange, specialising in Reminiscence practice with older people in care and community settings. David joined Age Exchange in 1998 and his work with older people and with intergenerational groups has resulted in many theatre productions, exhibitions, documentary film, and most recently dance. David has lectured and presented on the work of Age Exchange at Universities and drama schools in the UK. He has also worked on various projects, productions, and conferences with partners in Germany, Poland, Ireland, and Australia.

See a listing of our other seminars this semester here.