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Poppies connect pupils at Remembrance school service

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St Lawrence's Church, Scunthorpe, 11 November 2014

It’s personal for the 200 primary school children attending a special school remembrance service at St Lawrence’s Church in Scunthorpe on Tuesday 11 November, who each made a poppy to remember the life of a soldier from the region who died during WW1. These poppies now feature in a new remembrance art installation in the church which will provide a focal point for reflection during the service.

Six primary schools in North Lincolnshire responded to Hull-based artist Martin Water’s call for help to create over 10,000 paper poppies for a series of remembrance artworks across the Humber region commissioned by Joining Up the Humber Museums to commemorate the First World War.

The service starts at 10.45am and it will be the first time pupils from St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College, Oasis Academy Henderson Avenue, Scunthorpe Church of England, Crowle Primary Academy, Bottesford Juniors and Priory Lane Community School will be able to see how their poppies contributed to the artwork. To help the children grasp the significance of Remembrance, they will also take part in a series of activities on the day including a tour of the For King and Country Exhibition at North Lincolnshire Museum, which focuses on the experiences of local people both on the Front Line and back home in Britain.

The Reverend Moira Astin, vicar of St Lawrence’s Church says: "I am looking forward to welcoming the school children, to gather and remember the struggling of the previous generation to enable them to be free. It’s important that each generation honours those that have gone before us and teaches the next generation about the things that matter in our society. This event will help these children reflect on the sacrifice of 100 years ago."

The poppy artwork at St Lawrence’s Church was installed on 7 November and completes a set of five artworks by Martin across North Lincolnshire, the East Riding and Hull as part of the Joining Up The Humber Museums initiative. The venues are: Beverly Art Gallery (until 22 November), Beverley Minster (until 19 November), Ferens Art Gallery in Hull (until 23 November) and Holy Trinity Parish Church in Hull (until 28 November). Entry to each is free.

The Joining Up the Humber Museums outreach team sent poppy-making packs to every school throughout the East Riding, Hull and North Lincolnshire; additional opportunities for members of the public to get involved were provided at dedicated poppy-making stations within many of the region’s local authority museums and galleries.  

Alongside the poppy installations, the Arts Council England funding has enabled Joining Up the Humber Museums to support a series of commemorative World War I-themed exhibitions at local authority museums and attractions throughout the Humber region. These include:

  • For King and Country at North Lincolnshire Museum (until 14 June 2015), which focuses on the experiences of local people both on the Front Line and back home in Britain.
  • When War Hit Home at Ferens Art Gallery (until 4 January 2015), which explores the effects of the First World War on Hull and its people.
  • In Memoriam: Reflections on War at Beverley Art Gallery (until 22 November) , which explores the theme of memory and conflict featuring objects from the Museum collections.
  • Goole and the Great War at Goole Museum (until 25 November), which looks at the role of Goole as a port during the First World War and its effects on life in the town.

For more information on the art installations and World War I themed exhibitions across the Humber region, please visit www.joiningupthehumber.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Joining Up the Humber Museums is supported by a £1 million grant from Arts Council England. The initiative runs until 2015, and will support commemorations of the centenary of the First World War in the Humber region. The money will be used to improve galleries and facilities across the three council's services in preparation for exhibitions in 2014 and beyond, including the opening up of Georgian Houses, part of Wilberforce House inHull.

There will also be funding made available to engage with a number of additional partners from the region who wish to engage with WWI centenary projects, including opportunities for volunteering, education and other outreach projects.

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins/Sam Orange

Pyper York Limited

Tel: 01904 500698/Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk/sam@pyperyork.co.uk

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