Tow Law Primary School WW1 Heritage Lottery Project

Youth Social Action / November 11th, 2022

Tow Law Primary School WW1 Heritage Lottery Project

Across the summer term we were delighted to work with the young people of Tow Law Millennium Primary School, in County Durham, on a creative writing and cultural heritage project, supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and North East Charity, Building Self-Belief CIO.

Our Aim

The aim of the project was for the children to create an anthology of historical research, creative writing and poetry in remembrance of the men from Tow Law, and the surrounding villages, who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War 1914-18, and to exhibit this to the local community.

New Skills

The children developed their creative writing, poetry, art, photographic, communication and historical research skills in bringing their anthology and the exhibition together. They researched the experiences of the men who fell in the Great War 1914-18, as named on the Tow Law War memorial, as well as studying the impact of the Great War on the Home Front at Tow Law and in wider community.

Primary Research

The children began their research by visiting the Tow Law War Memorial itself, and went on to use primary and secondary sources in order to understand the experiences of those who were named. The project also included a visit to Beamish Museum and historical records office, as well as working with the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum, to help them to piece together life at the front line for the soldiers from Tow Law. They used primary artefacts such as original letters, music, poetry, census records and photographs to develop their understanding of the period and to come to their own judgements.

The Presentation

The children’s research culminated in a packed exhibition and film premier event take place in Tow Law Millennium Primary school, to celebrate the conclusion of the project.
The children and staff at Tow Law Millennium Primary school were fantastic throughout. We are so pleased that they created such a thought provoking film, exhibition and anthology of work. The young people really developed their confidence and their literary and historical abilities, as they approach secondary school.

Testimonial

Lisa Jackson, Headteacher said ‘We are so proud of all of the students who took part and have really seen their skills and self-confidence flourish. We thank Building Self-Belief CIO, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Everything English Education Consultancy for their support in giving the children such an exciting opportunity. Our students were able to really develop their literacy skills and their cultural understanding of the impact of the Great War on the Tow Law community.’

The Exhibition

The exhibition can been seen in the Tow Law Community Centre across the summer and is then due to be displayed at Beamish Museum from September 2019.
The film of the project can be seen here.

The student anthology of historical research, poetry and creative writing can be seen here.

If you know a Primary School that may be interested in participating in such a programme please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We had a fabulous time working with Tow Law Millennium Primary School where the children researched the names on the local World War One Memorial, and analysed a range a historical evidence, to understand the impact that the conflict had on their local community. They visited Beamish Museum and took part in workshops with the DLI Museum. As a result of their work, the students produced a brilliant anthology of research, poetry and creative writing. With thanks to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for their support of this project.

The following anthology was created by the children of Tow Law Millennium Primary School throughout the 2019 summer term. They researched the experiences of the men who fell in the Great War 1914-1918, as named on the Tow Law War memorial, as well as studying the impact of the Great War on the Home Front at Tow law and the local community.

File name

Category

File type

File size

Download

First World War Memorial Anthology

Insights/Youth Social Action/First World War Memorial Anthology

529.76 MB

Consett Heritage Project / March 8th, 2024

Jean Simmons - Consett Heritage Podcast

Our volunteer, Maisie Dobson, conducts an interview with her great-grandma, Jean Simmons, aged 96, discussing life and work in Consett during the peak of the Consett Steelworks era. During the conversation, Jean mentions a royal visit to the steelworks, prompting Maisie to enquire about its accuracy. Upon researching, we discovered that the event did indeed occur. Listen in to enjoy this unique recording, offering insights into the social history of Consett.

Wellbeing and the Arts / December 19th, 2022

Travelling Home for Christmas | Robson Laidler Christmas Video 2022 - Featuring Building Self-Belief CIO

The Building Self-belief team were delighted to be invited to take part in the Robson Laidler Christmas video, which this year is a parody of Chris Rea’s 'Driving Home for Christmas' video, with a sustainability theme. We performed along with the County Durham Community Foundation and Oases Housing. Please enjoy the video, and feel free to share it!

Aspirations and Future Planning / November 30th, 2023

Maddy Parkin - Careers Podcast

Maddy Parkin, 32. Photographer running a business specialising in wedding photography. Her main job role is taking photos of my customers' weddings, however, there is a lot of work that goes into this: editing in creative software, creating online galleries, marketing, blog posts, liaising with customers, writing and amending contracts and creating shot lists, arranging client meetings, and more. Her passion is creativity, and feels her job encompasses all of this. Take a listen and find out more about a career in photography.