Chichester in the Great War

'Chichester in the Great War' was a project funded by 'Gateways to the First World War' Engagement Centre at the University of Kent, through the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Led by Dr Ross Wilson from the University of Chichester, it was a local volunteer project organised with the Chichester Community Development Trust. Other partner organisations included the Prebendal School, the West Sussex Record Office, the Novium Museum and the New Park Cinema. Running from September 2015 to August 2016, the project examined the ways in which Chichester was transformed by the experience of the First World War and turned into a place of mobilisation, a site for care, charity and recuperation and a space for remembrance. Working with local charities, businesses and institutions, this project provided a ‘community history’ of the conflict for the city by demonstrating how the war reached all parts of residents’ lives and still persists through memorials today. Each volunteer worked with Project Co-ordinator Dr Maureen Wright on themes of 'Mobilisation', ' Charity and Care' and 'Commemoration'. The team developed an exhibition and walking trail of Chichester that explored the history of the First World War in the city.