• 10.00am - 5.30pm
  • FREE
  • Chelsea, London
  • 10.00am - 5.30pm
  • FREE
  • Chelsea, London

Are we getting Remembrance right? An evening to remember at the National Army Museum

A member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in a graveyard at Etaples, France, 1918
A member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in a graveyard at Etaples, France, 1918

As the First World War centenary period draws to a close, the National Army Museum hosts its November 'museum late', asking the pertinent question: Are we getting Remembrance right?

Taking place on Wednesday 7 November, from 6pm until 9pm, museum experts and industry peers will look at the variety of ways conflict is remembered in an evening of discussion, music, poetry and crafts. Entrance to the museum is free of charge, with a cash bar available for the evening.

The evening focuses around a panel discussion, hosted in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), on the different ways the First World War has been depicted and commemorated through architecture, arts and culture.

The discussion begins at 7pm and is chaired by Dr Glyn Prysor, Chief Historian at the CWGC. Guest panellists include Dan Cruickshank, architect and TV presenter, Emma Chambers, curator of Modern British Art at Tate, and Dr Santanu Das, Professor of English Literature at King's College London.

The Museum hopes to encourage conversation and participation, inviting both regular and new visitors to be the first to explore the galleries through a new First World War trail. Visitors can view the revised display of cap badges from the period, and vote for an object from the #CentenaryCollection.

Guests will have the opportunity to get creative with Remembrance through brooch-making and writing poetry with poets-in-residence Lieutenant Colonel Jo Young and Isabel Palmer. There will be poetry readings by the Chelsea Pensioners and an open-mic session for those wishing to present their own.

Throughout November, all events programmed at the Museum are centred around Remembrance and the First World War, bringing this important subject to life for all ages and experience levels.

For today's younger generation, this incorporates a variety of skills, from virtual reality in the trenches to poppy-making, and curating their own activity day with the Kids in Museums takeover by St Joseph's Primary School. For adults and experts, the academic conference also addresses whether we are getting Remembrance right, with keynote from Sir Huw Strachan.

The National Army Museum remains a constant place for commemorating the British Army, for remembering the personal experiences of the soldiers who have served in it, and for exploring how the Army is still relevant today. 

Notes to editors

  • Centenary Remembrance Late is free, Wednesday 7 November 2018, 6pm – 9pm
  • Nearest tube: Sloane Square (Circle & District)
  • Public programme events for Remembrance are listed below
  • The Museum's curators and other staff have selected 100 significant First World War related objects from their collection. One of these objects is being shared on the Museum's Twitter account every day until 11 November - the centenary of the 1918 Armistice
  • General admission to the museum is free of charge, special exhibition prices vary.
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For more information:

Claire Blackshaw, PR & Communications Manager | cblackshaw@nam.ac.uk | 020 7881 2433
National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HT

National Army Museum

The National Army Museum is the leading authority on the history of Our Army. Founded in 1960 by Royal Charter and established for the purpose of collecting, preserving and exhibiting objects and records relating to the Land Forces of the British Crown, it is a museum that moves, inspires, challenges, educates and entertains.

The Museum seeks to tell the story of Our Army, the personal experiences of the soldiers who have served in it and to connect the British public and its army, demonstrating how the role of Our Army and its actions are still relevant today. 

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