Archives for November 2017

On Wednesday 22nd November 2017  6:30pm- 8:30pm there is an event to be held at the Ogden Lewis Seminar Suite, Fielding Johnson Building, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH

Tickets can be obtained here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-will-remember-them-leicester-tickets-39831951439

NOTTINGHAM BLACK ARCHIVES, PROFESSOR SHARON MONTEITH & RENAISSANCE ONE PRESENT

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: Raising Public Awareness of Commonwealth Troops in World War One

2018 marks a century of WW1. Empire troops fought in the most infamous battles of the war, including Ypres and Passchendaele.

This archive exhibition and spoken word project commemorates the hidden histories of the commonwealth troops from Africa the Caribbean and South Asia. Between September to December it tours extensively to arts centres, libraries and community venues in Nottingham, Leicester, Derby and London.

Featuring original artwork from Barbara Walker and Keith Piper and contributions from Dr Irfan Malik, Panya Banjoko, Dr Corinne Fowler and a newly commissioned poem on WWI performed by Michael Brome.

Photograph of British West Indian Regiment in Egypt WWI courtesy the Imperial War Museum

Leicester City, County & Rutland At Risk War Memorials Project Open Day

Saturday 18th November 2017- the final scheduled Open Day of 2017 will be held between 11am and 4pm in the Chancel, to the rear of All Saints’ Church, Highcross Street Leicester LE1 7PH.

Information on the fascinating and vital rescue work of this organisation can be found on their website http://leicester-rutlandatriskwarmemorials.btck.co.uk/

On Thursday 30th November there will be a talk on the work of Edwin Lutyens, given by Tim Skelton, author of ‘Lutyens and the Great War’. The talk is to be held at the Victoria Room, New Walk Museum, from 17:00-19:00 and tickets are free, but must be booked in advance:

Click here to book your place

City Series is a new public lecture series in Leicester that delivers free events relating to a wide range of urban topics, such as architecture, history and geography. This is a collaboration between Leicester City Council, De Montfort University, University of Leicester, and Loughborough University, with speakers from those institutions and from the wider community.

The latest talk will be delivered by Tim Skelton, author of ‘Lutyens and the Great War’. Tim has written on a wide range of subjects, including travel and history, but has researched the work of Lutyens extensively and is a member of the Lutyens Trust.

The work of the eminent architect Sir Edwin Lutyens is central to the way in which we now remember those who have given their lives in the service of their country. His Cenotaph forms the centrepiece of Remembrance Sunday and the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval is the largest British war memorial in the world.

Less well known is the work that he did for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the design of cemeteries on the Western Front and the 50 memorials that he designed at home and abroad including Leicester, which was the largest of all. As well as inspiring architecture, the commissioning of the memorials tells interesting stories about British communities as they sought the best way to mark the loss that they had suffered.

This event has been part-funded by the ‘Story of Parks’ project. More details of the wider programme, which has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Leicester City Council, can be found here: http://www.storyofleicester.info/explore-leicester/story-of-parks/

Further details on forthcoming City Series events can be found on: https://leicesterurbanobservatory.wordpress.com/events/