Yours Sincerely

This project worked with twenty young people who were taking part in a vocational course at Tynemet Gateway at Tynemet College. Tyne and Wear Museums provided us a 'box of delights' that included copy World War One-era relics and letters. Participants attended a letter-writing workshop at Beamish Museum, which outlined more information about the roles women experienced during the conflict. Then using those war-time letters written from the trenches to people on the Home Front, the students drafted replies which were subsequently portrayed within a short drama production. The work and research leading up to this drama piece focused upon local community life, especially the changing roles of women who were taking on more masculine jobs to help the war effort. We also worked with 'Time Bandits', a living history group who assisted us with making the drama and sourcing costumes. They gave the students an insight into what life was like in the trenches, through stories and making trench soup. We made use of the information contained on the Northumbria World War One Commemoration Project website and its interactive map to research local fallen soldiers. Backworth Colliery Band, a traditional brass band that started life in 1886 as a military band, supported by making a special recording of 'Abide With Me' for us to use within the drama production. The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.