Breaking the Myths: First World War and Africa

"Breaking the Myths: First World War and Africa" was a Heritage Lottery-funded project delivered in the Sittingbourne and Maidstone areas of Kent. The project addressed the exclusion of the African contribution within the broader World War One commemorations, by highlighting the involvement of African people and the conflict played out within Africa. The First World War was a global conflict, with an important lasting global legacy that continues to affect current conflicts, migration and political structures within Africa. However, many of the commemorations fail to acknowledge the contributions, experiences and trauma of non-European countries, particularly that of Africans. The project engaged with people from 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 events and activities which include utilising on and offline resources, social media, examining oral histories, researching books and documents held in personal collections, visiting museums and unearthing archives. Adults and young people from the local community and schools around Swale and Maidstone participated in guided tours and workshops at IWM London, the National Archives and Deville Wood on the Somme battlefield. They created artworks, blogs, newsletters and wikis, as well as participating in poetry readings and role-play activities (including giving performances in partnership with members of arts & performance groups). The groups also developed online learning resources, produced exhibition materials, interviewed historians, alongside organising interactive workshops, round-table discussions and seminars around key project themes. This was aided by their research exploring arts, crafts, clothes and other historical objects from African countries, such as Nigeria.