19240 Shrouds of the Somme project launches

Every child in Devon is to be invited to take part in a Battle of the Somme centenary project not only to learn about the war but also to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Devon Primary and Secondary Schools will be invited to contribute by entering a project that will help their students consider the impact of the Battle of the Somme on their own community.

All projects will be displayed at Exeter Library and Exeter Cathedral during the week of the commemoration of the Battle of the Somme beginning on July 1st 2016 as part of the 19240 Shrouds of the Somme art project which will see 19,240 shrouded figures laid out in Exeter’s Northernhay Gardens depicting every man from the Allied side who fell.

The project is open to all schools and organisers are particularly inviting them to put together a 3 to 5 minute video or self running presentation that is specific to their community and the Battle of the Somme.

Chris Lorimer, Education Committee Chair for the 19240 Shrouds of the Somme Project, explained: “We want every school to be able to engage with their local communities, unearthing links with the Battle of the Somme or the Great War.  We are hoping they will find information, stories and photos from families whose relatives were directly affected.

“It will be a fascinating project that could really help to illuminate history and leave a lasting legacy for future generations to understand what impact it had on the history of the world they live in, not just on a national and international level but on a local and community level too.

“The first day of the Battle of the Somme was one of the most dreadful in British history and a significant number of those who fell were from the Devonshire regiment, from right here in this county. We hope that the Devon schools’ projects will help to commemorate those lives.”

Schools who enter will not only get the chance to have their project shown to the public but will also have a range of other opportunities including:

• Viewing the 19240 Shrouds of the Somme Project on Tuesday 5th July.
• Watching a documentary (Yr9 and above only) of the Battle of the Somme at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
• The chance to raise money for the charities and enabling the school to secure their own individual shrouded figure as a lasting legacy of the project.

For more information please visit www.thesomme19240.co.uk or view https://youtu.be/v4P0m2-n1GE