Community Projects

Home Front Recall

An exciting project to commemorate the end of World War II

How it all began

In January 2005 the Grosvenor Museum successfully applied for a grant from the Home Front Recall Fund, specifically designed to fund events that celebrate the end of the Second World War.  This is a multi-layered project, culminating in a major exhibition at the Museum in November 2005, developed in partnership with the local community.

Who is involved? 

The Museum Service is working with the Ashton Heyes and Kelsall Time Bank reminiscence groups, along with children from Kelsall Primary School to record memories and produce a piece of art work to be displayed in the exhibition.  The Service is also working with the Evacuees Reunion Association to host a reunion and deliver talks to local schools.  It is requesting members of the local community to get involved with the exhibition by loaning material for display or helping us to preserve their memories of the Home Front.  It will then use the exhibition to work with local schools covering the National Curriculum theme of Britain Since 1930.

What does it involve?

Working in school, the Museum will take some of its World War II collections for the children to explore and investigate.  A living history workshop will then introduce the class to life on the home front, before they meet with older people from the Time Bank groups to hear first hand experiences.  They will then work together to start to develop this information into art work.  The groups will have the opportunity to work with a professional artist and produce a piece of work that will help to interpret life on the Home Front in World War II.  The memories of the older people will be recorded to produce oral history tapes that can be accessed as part of the exhibition.

The Museum will develop an exhibition using the information and art work, along with objects local people have donated and loaned.  During the exhibition's run there will be a number of activities and events, including a reunion meeting run by the Evacuees Reunion Association, talks and lectures from members of the Association, living history and object handling workshops for schools and related activities for the general public.

What are the outcomes? 

The Museum will produce a multi-sensory exhibition that has been created and influenced by the local community and can be enjoyed by all its visitors.  It will give school children and older people the opportunity to work with each other and have the benefit of developing a piece with a professional artist.  It will help to both record and interpret local people's memories.  It will support the National Curriculum through talks and workshops, and help people to remember and learn about what it was like on Chester's Home Front.

For further details about the project contact:

Sue Hughes, Museum and Education Manager on 01244 402012 or Hannah Crowdy, Keeper of Social and Local History on 01244 402014 or email: grosvenormuseum@chester.gov.uk.