First World War Exhibition Awarded Heritage Lottery Funding

A poignant project which will capture the harsh reality of the First World War has received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Anglesey Archives and Oriel Ynys Môn are currently working together on the ‘Bara Brith a Menyn Cartref’ exhibition; and they’ve just received a funding boost of £6,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By creating an exhibition of Archival records and objects linked to the Great War, the project aims to tell the stories of Anglesey residents during the conflict. Items donated by the public, which include love letters from a soldier to his wife back home on Anglesey, and items from the museum and archive collection, will be on display at Oriel Ynys Môn from July 16th 2016. The exhibition will also be shared with the community through two special open days and a series of creative writing workshop and intergenerational art workshops. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The community open days will be held at Canolfan Ebeneser, Llangefni and Holyhead Town Hall to give Anglesey residents insight into the objects that will be on display in the exhibition. The project will also involve school children and an Age Well group from the island who will work collaboratively with an artist to create art work and creative writing work inspired by the objects on display. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The ‘Bara Brith a Menyn Cartref’ exhibition takes its name from a letter in which a soldier yearns for the home comfort he misses so much (bara brith with home-made butter). By displaying a collection of letters on loan for this exhibition this joint project hopes to showcase the power of archives and objects in telling a story. The art and creative writing workshops which coincide with the exhibition will offer children and adults the opportunity to learn more about the experiences on Anglesey during this turbulent time and also to offer their reaction to it through art and prose. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Principal Archivist Hayden Burns said “We are delighted to have received this grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and confident that this exhibition and the associated outreach work will offer a new perspective on this important period in history. By working with partners in the community, we will be able to share our collections to a wider audience.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Lifelong Learning portfolio holder, Councillor Kenneth Hughes, added, “This exhibition will provide an invaluable perspective of life at the front and the home during the First World War. I’d like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund for its support and look forward to visiting the exhibition when it opens in July. I’m certain it will make for a very poignant, but popular exhibition with many Anglesey residents and visitors alike.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The head of the HLF in the Wales, Richard Bellamy, said: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already invested more than £70million in projects – large and small – that are marking this Centenary. Thanks to National Lottery players our First World War: then and now small grants programme is enabling even more communities like those involved in the Bara Brith a Menyn Cartref project to explore the continuing legacy of this conflict and help people to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​