Author: Susanne Crosby

Back in Action

We’re back and developing new projects!

After lockdown was finally over, the world was of course rebuilding the essential things. While we were finishing one project off, which had an untimely pause due to lockdown happening, we concentrated on making sure everything could tick over until everyone was ready for wider community life and engagements to start again.

The funding landscape has completely changed, but we are confident that over the next few months we’ll be looking at what projects we can do and which members of the community we can work with.

Watch this space!

Temporary Pause

This is an uncertain time for us all and as such we are temporarily pausing our work on our projects.

We understand that this comes after another period of pausing due to the health issues faced by CEO Susanne Crosby’s daughter during 2019.

We apologise for any frustration in delays that this causes you.

Please be assured that we will return after the health situations of the nation and the world are more stable. In the meantime, we wish you health, and look forward to seeing you soon.

World Wars Day: Juliette Pattinson

Introducing our second speaker to World Wars Day tomorrow: Dr Juliette Pattinson, who is speaking about the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.

The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry is today the only all-female military unit in Britain, all other women’s units having been absorbed into their male counterpart. Formed in 1907, it was one of the earliest women’s organisations to be formed, remains the world’s longest-running organisation for women, was the first quasi-military female force, the first to wear military uniform as well as the first to adopt khaki, was the first to prepare for war service and was a forerunner of the many uniformed women’s organisations that proliferated in the two world wars. With the onslaught of the First World War, during which time a large number of organisations formed to enable women to contribute to the war effort, the FANY was the first women’s military organisation to have a presence in Belgium before it fell, the first to staff a regimental first aid post near the front line, the first women’s ambulance convoy to drive in Northern France for the British Army as well as the Belgian and French armies, the only British unit to be sworn in as soldats of the Belgian army and were the most decorated women’s Corps of the war. As one British soldier noted their acronym stood for ‘First ANYwhere.’ In this talk, Dr Juliette Pattinson will examine the context in which the Corps was formed, its membership and its First World War service.

Juliette is Head of the School of History at the University of Kent. She is the author of a number of books including Behind Enemy Lines (an oral history of SOE agents in Nazi-occupied France) and Men in Reserve (an oral history study of the reserved occupations) and has appeared on British, Australian, Indian and American television and radio.

 

World Wars Day Speaker

We’re excited to tell you about our amazing first speaker: Dr Chris Kempshall, and his talk about East Sussex and the end of the First World War.

At 11am on 11 November 1918, the fighting stopped on the Western Front. The First World War had, after over four years of warfare, drawn to an end. Social pressures within Britain in the final years of the war were visible in the towns of East Sussex as food shortages and economic damage threatened to bring the country to its knees. In France and Belgium, British soldiers fighting alongside their allies were also brought to the brink of defeat before achieving a military victory that could scarcely be believed. When news of the armistice broke it was spread by mayors, town criers, and newspapers throughout East Sussex. How was this news received throughout the county? What was to come next? This talk by Dr Chris Kempshall will explore the lead-up to the final day of the conflict and examine both how and why the war ended when it did.

Dr Chris Kempshall is a Teaching Fellow in European History at the University of Sussex where he specialises in the First World War. He has also taught on war, conflict, and European history at the universities of Brighton, Kent, and Goldsmiths College, London.

World Wars Day at Newhaven Fort

We’re excited to announce our next event with amazing speakers and best of all – it’s FREE!

Here is the official press release:

World Wars Day at Newhaven Fort

Local charity Sound Architect Creative Media are holding a ‘World Wars Day’ at Newhaven Fort as part of their projects on the First and Second World Wars, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. “We have been running a number of projects over the commemoration of the Centenary of the First World War” says Susanne Crosby from Sound Architect, “we’re hoping that this free open day will encourage anyone who is interested to come along.”

These projects with children and young people have taken place all over East Sussex, from rural schools on the border of Royal Tunbridge Wells to students from St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne and have been over a wide range of subject matters in the First World War including life on the Home Front, Animals, and ‘The Day Sussex Died’. The current project about the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry spans both conflicts, and there is research being undertaken in Sussex and in Scotland on women who were part of this unique volunteer service which of course still exists today.

“We are excited to have two really engaging and excellent speakers: Chris Kempshall is an expert on the First World War and he’s spoken all over, plus Juliette Pattinson who has just finished major research on the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry” says Susanne. “Plus we will have a preview of our new film on our last project: ‘Crime and Punishment’ and lots of free materials for people.”

The organisers hope that this will encourage people to come along and share what they know, as well as learn more. Susanne says “I really hope that anyone with a family connection to either conflict comes along to share their stories. The centenary of the First World War may be over, and they all should continue to be remembered with honour and respect. This year is of course the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, and we need to keep learning from our nation’s scars, and making sure that the young people growing up learn about it all too.”

World Wars Day is at Newhaven Fort on Friday 26th April between 1.00 and 4.00.

More information – including the times of the speakers – available very soon!

Honouring Heroes at Westminster

Susanne Crosby from Brighton and Jenny Clifton from Eastbourne are attending The National Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 2018, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.

Susanne and Jenny both took part in Eastbourne PALS and Sound Architect Creative Media’s ͞The Day Sussex Died͟ project with St Catherine’s College, Eastbourne, which researched the Sussex men who were at the Battle of Boar’s Head on 30th June 1916.

Members of the Royal family, and religious and political leaders will be joined by members of the public who have contributed to the Centenary on a national, regional and local level. Susanne Crosby, project manager and teacher with Sound Architect Creative Media will be accompanying Jenny Clifton, joint Head of History at St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne.

Recognising the huge contribution the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and its First World War projects have made to the Centenary, the Department for Digital, Media and Sport invited HLF to nominate people to attend the Service. As a result over 300 people who have been involved with HLF funded First World War projects across the UK will be attending the Service on Sunday.

“It’s a huge honour to be invited to attend the service at Westminster,” said Susanne, who has led on five different First World War projects over the past four years. “I have learned so much about the First World War and it’s learning about the individuals who were there that has been the most important to me. These are not just stories, these were real lives. I’ve learned of bravery that I could never have imagined, about surviving with humour and grace above the odds, in a war that did not respect dignity.͟” Both Jenny and Susanne have witnessed the impact the projects have had on the young people they have worked with. Susanne says “The students got to stand on the battlefield of the Battle of the Boars Head, near Richebourg in France, 100 years to the day. That had a profound effect on them. These were young soldiers, young men, some not much older than the students, and they could walk where they walked, really imagine what it was like. These are life changing experiences for these young people, and they will be carrying that to the generations to come, making sure that the people of the First World War are never forgotten.”

The Day Sussex Died Project was made possible by a grant of £9,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which distributes the heritage share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide variety of projects across the UK. HLF has invested £97million in 2,200 First World War Centenary projects.

First World War Research by St Catherine’s Students

St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne are involved in an exciting new First World War project thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant for Sound Architect Creative Media.

This new project centres around “Crime and Punishment” within the various British armies, which is still debated today, and is still perhaps controversial. How best to deal with those men who broke, or were perceived to have broken, military laws and expectations would see some soldiers being sentenced to death. The students will be examining and researching the laws by which soldiers had to abide with a particular focus on tracing soldiers from the local Sussex Regiment. They have begun by researching all about the First World War, including a trip to the Imperial War Museum in London, where they began making their own documentary films.

The War saw giant leaps in understanding mental health, from the first awareness of “shell shock” which has led to the understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD, as we know it today. The students will be able to research those men who were sentenced for cowardice and desertion, with new understanding of some of the causes. The stigma of being court marshalled and sentenced stayed with families, sometimes for generations, and the students will hopefully be tracing the descendants of some of these men to interview them with today’s understanding.

Joint Head of History at St Catherine’s Jenny Clifton said: “In this current age it’s hard for the students to really understand how it was to live through war. The First World War is sadly slipping from living memory, and it’s important to capture that before it disappears. This is an exciting opportunity for them to research an important subject and help to keep history alive and current for themselves, and for future generations.”

In addition to the students at St Catherine’s, the project is also supporting a number of local volunteers to research, learn new skills, and become part of this important heritage project. The charity Sound Architect Creative Media which is co-ordinating this project has 15 years’ experience in creating multimedia projects and making history come to life. Anyone who would like to be involved with the project, or anyone who has any memorabilia: letters, medals, or photographs for example, is encouraged to get in touch with them, on Twitter, Facebook, or via their website: www.soundarchitectcreativemedia.co.uk.

Michelle Roffe, Head of HLF South East said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, local communities are able to explore the continuing legacy of the First World War, in this important centenary year. We are pleased to support these young people as they explore the impact of military discipline in Sussex, and what war was like for local people 100 years ago.”

It was a very different time with different attitudes towards discipline and punishment. The students will be able to look at how attitudes were then, as well as how they are today, while honouring these brave men who were fighting in a terrible war in horrible conditions. It is important to honour their contribution to the world we live in today.

Cabinet Minister drops into Swift Project

 

Sajid Javid visit croppedSajid Javid called in to meet participants on the Swift Project being run by Sound Architect in partnership with ESCC and MDHUB.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport spent time chatting to the women entrepreneurs who are all participating in the project which aims to support self-employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by enhancing their digital skills and enabling them to take advantage of the faster and more reliable broadband that ESCC is putting in place, particularly in rural areas.

Well over 40 women have signed up to access the part-time training and support between October and March 2015.  Those involved come from varied backgrounds with some already running established businesses and some who have a germ of an idea but want some help and advice to get started.

Said the Minister, “Our nationwide rollout of superfast broadband is a central part of this government’s long-term economic plan and is transforming the digital landscape of the UK.  An additional 28,000 East Sussex homes and businesses can now access superfast speeds as a result of our investment, and we’re reaching more and more people every week.

“The Government’s Women and Broadband programme is designed to help women develop the skills and confidence to use superfast broadband to expand or set-up new businesses, and I’m delighted to see workshops such as this one helping these ventures to prosper in our new Superfast environment.”

Click here to find out more about the Swift Project