Children from Stamshaw Junior School, Portsmouth, will be filming and interviewing 8 veterans all with very different experiences of conflict – from being a WREN Telegraphist in World War Two to a Marine in Afghanistan, an Engineer in the Falklands to a veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic, a Second World War Submariner to a Nurse in the first Gulf War and veterans who are still serving today.
The project is part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Heritage Lottery Project to develop new galleries telling the story of the 20th and 21st century Navy due to open in 2014.The new galleries will explore how the Royal Navy has shaped the modern world and its profound impact on national and international life. Currently there is no single exhibition in the country that examines and shares this story.
The £4.5m project, with support of £1.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, is creating new gallery spaces and exhibitions telling the story of the Royal Navy since 1900 whilst providing learning activities and new opportunities for participation. This project is part of the Storehouse 10 development engaging people locally and nationally with the story of the Navy.
The filming project follows on from the success of the award-winning Face to Face project, giving students a real taste of the work and effort that goes into creating TV and cinema. During the project they not only became interviewers but also took on the roles of directors, lighting and sound engineers and camera operators; learning some useful new skills along the way. The participants - veterans and children alike - had a thoroughly enjoyable experience during the project and got a lot out of being able to work together. Vic Walker, a D-Day veteran who took part, thought that ‘a rapport was built up in spite of the great age gap! Communication over a period of some 70 years has proved enjoyable and enlightening to children and veterans alike.’
