ABOUT THE WEEPING WINDOW Weeping Window is a cascade comprising several thousand handmade ceramic poppies seen pouring from a high window or vantage point to the ground below. One of two sculptures, by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, marking the centenary of the outbreak of war, they are now on tour at venues across the country as part of the 14-18 NOW programme. As with all 14-18 NOW projects, the presentation of these sculptures to new audiences across the United Kingdom aims to prompt a new, nationwide dialogue around the legacy of the First World War. The breath-taking sculptures were initially conceived as the key dramatic sculptural
elements in the installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London in the autumn of 2014. Over the course of their time at the Tower, the two sculptures were gradually surrounded by a vast field of ceramic poppies, each one planted by a volunteer in memory of the life of a British and Colonial soldier lost during the First World War. In their original setting they captured the public’s imagination and were visited by over five million people. The original installation was conceived as transitory, the sea of poppies growing in size until the final one was planted on 11 November 2014. On completion, however, it was agreed that the works of art at the heart of this broader act of memorial should be preserved for the nation. 14-18 NOW is grateful to the Backstage Trust and Clore Duffield Foundation for their support in securing these sculptures for posterity. For the remainder of the 14-18 NOW programme, both installations will be on view at selected locations around the United Kingdom. They will then be gifted to the Imperial War Museums and displayed during the autumn of 2018 at IWM North and IWM London. To find out about the Poppies Tour and all future locations visit www.1418now. org.uk/poppies Weeping Window is from the installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. Copyright Richard Lea-Hair and Historic Royal Palaces.
ST GEORGE’S HALL – HOME OF THE POPPIES
Located in the heart of Liverpool city centre, opposite the gateway to the city, Liverpool Lime Street Station, St George’s Hall sits proudly within Liverpool’s cultural quarter and its UNESCO World Heritage site. The Grade I listed building was built in 1854 and is regarded today as one of the finest examples of neo-classical architecture in the world. This iconic building has long been the place for the people of Liverpool to meet at times of great sorrow and great celebration and this year becomes home to Poppies: Weeping Window.
During the First World War, St George’s Hall became the rallying point for the famous Liverpool PALS, when speakers including Lord Derby and Lord Kitchener appealed for 100,000 men to form a new army. Kitchener returned to Liverpool in March 1915 to inspect nine Battalions on the Plateau outside the Hall. Men from all over the region who worked together enlisting in Lord Derby’s ‘PALS’ Battalions would travel to St George’s Hall to sign the attestment papers.
the stunning halls became the home from home for concerts which were put on for American soldiers in the area with a Thanksgiving service and march past on the Plateau.
Liverpool Pals inspection by Lord Kitchener, 20 March 1915
Throughout the war, public lectures were given at St George’s Hall including a 1918 speech by Lord Denbeigh who spoke on ‘German aims and the causes of the war and the dangers of a premature peace’. Exhibitions, such as the Welfare Exhibition of February 1917, concerts and performances for wounded servicemen and nurses continued at the Hall as it maintained its importance as the hub of the community of Liverpool. In November 1915 a captured German gun was exhibited on the Plateau outside St George’s Hall and less than one year later, in October 1916, a Fokker plane was also exhibited outside the Hall before being moved inside with other war memorabilia due to high winds. Throughout the war, St George’s Hall continued to act as a rallying point for Liverpool residents with ‘Julian’ the tank being housed on the Plateau in 1917 to advertise war savings. Crowds would flock to see the tank and ‘feed it’ war savings and bonds. During 1917, the King and Queen travelled to Merseyside to visit Cammell Laird, a munitions factory, hospital and Liverpool Town Hall before visiting St George’s Hall to present military medals. Looking after the health and safety of the recruits sometimes fell on the Hall itself with the YMCA helping to provide refreshments for young soldiers enlisting on the Plateau of the Hall in 1918 before
The Plateau at the front of the building features the Liverpool Cenotaph, established in 1927 which is regarded as one of the most noted and respected in the country, recently being awarded Grade I status. Transitioning from the classic to the contemporary, Lime Street Station, opposite the Hall, now proudly houses the Liverpool PALS Memorial, unveiled on 28 August 2014, 100 years since the formation of the PALS Battalions.
The inspection of the Liverpool Pals, 1915
For information relating to St George’s Hall please use E: cultureliverpool@liverpool.gov.uk Tel: 0151 233 2008 ` St George’s Hall Liverpool t @sghlpool www.stgeorgesliverpool.co.uk
VISITING TIMES & ADMISSION Poppies: Weeping Window is a free visitor experience at St George’s Hall. The Poppies will be available to view at all times throughout the day and night, however we would advise you to plan your visit between 10.00am – 6.00pm where possible (excluding bank holidays). There will be additional musical events, workshops and performances in and around St George’s Hall, a small charge may be applicable. For full details and the latest events please check www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/poppies Please do not leave cards, gifts or mementos at the Weeping Window installation as these will be removed. If you would like to show a token of remembrance why not participate in any of the workshops / activities taking place, or be part of the city’s Remembrance Service on Sunday 8 November. SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE The Annual Service of Remembrance & Dedication will take place on Sunday 8 November on St George’s Hall Plateau adjacent to the Weeping Window. The proceedings begin with musical performances from 10.40am before the Service starts at 10.55am. The Last Post and firing of a gun at 11.00am signifies the start of a two minute silence across the city, followed by the laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Visiting the Weeping Window provides an opportunity to reflect, commemorate and remember the lives lost through war. Today’s technological tools make it possible to share and reflect on your memories and unite children, families and community groups around the world by sharing photographs. If you want to join the international conversation, don’t forget to use #PoppiesTour when posting your photographs and comments on social media so that your memories can be shared on the 14-18 NOW website. If you would like to learn about the history of the Poppies, St George’s Hall or about the impact of war on Liverpool – why not download our learning links guide. Simply scan the QR code here and look for it at St George’s Hall for more information or visit www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/poppies ENQUIRIES If you have any questions or enquiries relating to Poppies: Weeping Window or St George’s Hall please contact us. E cultureliverpool@liverpool.gov.uk Tel: 0151 233 2008 #PoppiesTour ` Culture Liverpool t @culturelpool ò Culture Liverpool Culture_Liverpool
WHO WILL YOU REMEMBER A city-wide education and participation programme enables people of all ages to explore the monuments, buildings, exhibitions and archives of the city, opening up the hidden history, art and literature of WWI, encouraging personal remembrance and reflection inspiring a debate on past and present conflicts and wars. This unique cultural programme involves schools, universities, libraries, museums and arts organisations from across the city. A full up to date calendar of activities can be found online at www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/poppies with a selection of activities highlighted on the following pages. For a full up to the minute programme of what’s on and where, please visit us online or follow the social media feeds for Culture Liverpool. STORIES IN STONE - A LITERARY WALK ABOUT LIVERPOOL AT WAR This walking tour around the monuments and memorials of St George’s Plateau and adjoining St John’s Gardens tells the stories of Liverpool at times of war through the eyes of local and visiting writers, including Helen Forrester, Wilfred Owen, Charles Dickens, Shirley Hughes, Nicholas
Monsarrat, Beryl Bainbridge and more. Led by Deborah Mulhearn Dates: 11 Nov – 30 Jan 2016 (Wed & Sat) Time: 2.00pm Duration: Approx. 1 hour Distance: Approx. half a mile Cost: Adults £5 / 16yrs & under £3 (free for under 5s) Booking Required: Albert Dock TIC 0151 707 0729 Meet at cenotaph in front of St George’s Hall ENSURE WE REMEMBER – THE HISTORY OF THE CHINESE LABOUR CORPS During the First World War, more than 140,000 Chinese workers were recruited and transported to Britain and France to join the frontline working on a variety of projects including digging trenches to repairing tanks, uploading ships and trains, building roads and laying railway tracks. Once the War was over many of the workers stayed on to help recover bodies of the deceased, an estimated 20,000 individuals who remain unnamed. This exhibition explores the work of these recruits, the largest nonEuropean workforce from China on the Western Front. Dates: 19 Oct – 19 Dec Time: Mon - Sat, 10.00am - 4.00pm (closed Fri) Sun 12.00pm - 4.00pm Location: Pagoda Arts, Henry Street, L1 5BU www.pagodaarts.org.uk ` Pagoda Arts t @PagodaArts
NANJING ROAD 1901 This silent film forms part of the “Ensure We Remember” exhibition and will be premiered by PCYO along with The Last Post. Focusing on the work of the Chinese Labour Corps during World War One the film will be accompanied by a slide show and short films detailing the work of the recruits. Dates: 24 Oct Time: 4.30pm – 5.15pm Location: Pagoda Arts, Henry Street, L1 5BU LETTERS FROM THE FRONT During conflict, letters sent are often emotional connections to loved ones. Liverpool Central Library will be bringing these to life with actor Nick Hale who will perform war poetry and read from letters sent from the front at Liverpool Central Library. Nick’s great grandfather fought in the trenches in World War One and he will also be reading an original letter his great grandfather sent home. Nick will also be reading out letters sent in by the public by special request. Dates: 6 – 7 Nov Time: 2.00pm and 4.00pm Location: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown St, L3 8EW www.liverpool.gov.uk/libraries ` Liverpool Central Library t @Liverpoollib
BLACK POPPIES: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS WITH LEVI TAFARI Writing on the Wall present a fascinating archive of letters and documents highlighting the plight of black soldiers, seafarers, and workers in Liverpool following demobilisation in 1919. This archive contains testimony of men from the Caribbean, West Africa and other colonial territories, who had fought for England on land and at sea during World War One and were then left stranded, destitute and subject to racial violence on the streets of Liverpool. Join internationally renowned poet Levi Tafari in exploring the lives of these men and their families and to respond creatively through storytelling and poetry. These creative writing workshops will include a guided tour of the archive. Date: 7 and 14 Nov Venue: Liverpool Central Library Date: 21 and 28 Nov Venue: St George’s Hall exhibition space Tour of exhibition - 1.00pm Creative Writing Workshop 1.30pm - 3.30pm www.writingonthewall.org.uk
DAZZLE SHIPS Visit Liverpool’s two dazzle ships, created by contemporary artists as part of First World War commemorations. British pop artist Sir Peter Blake has painted the Mersey Ferry Snowdrop with a distinctive pattern in monochrome and colour. “Everybody Razzle Dazzle”, transforms the ferry into a unique moving artwork as the vessel continues its regular service. Visit the on-board exhibition, where you can learn more about Sir Peter Blake, the story of how two Mersey Ferries were involved in World War One, and the history of dazzle camouflage.
DAZZLE IT Fancy creating your very own Dazzle Designs? You could channel the work of Pop Art Godfather Sir Peter Blake and produce your very own camouflage designs by downloading Dazzle It – a new app where you can remix art work. At the same time you can learn more about Dazzle ships and the artists behind them. Download the app “Dazzle it” today and unleash your own unique dazzle designs online! www.1418now.org.uk/dazzle
Also on the Liverpool waterfront is “Induction Chromatique à Double Fréquence pour l’Edmund Gardner Ship/ Liverpool. Paris, 2014” by Carlos Cruz-Diez. The Franco-Venezuelan artist has dazzled the Edmund Gardner, a historic pilot ship, which is owned and conserved by the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, 14-18 NOW: the First World War Centenary Art Commissions and Tate Liverpool, in partnership with National Museums Liverpool and Merseytravel. www.biennial.com/collaborations #DazzleFerry #Dazzleship
REMEMBRANCE: REFLECTIONS ON THE FIRST WORLD WAR COMMEMORATION This exhibition draws from the Liverpool John Moores University Special Collections and Archives to look at themes around Remembrance including the history of how the poppy came to be used as the symbol of commemoration. Date: 26 Oct – 29 Nov Time: 10.00am - 7.00pm Daily Venue: Aldham Robarts Library, Maryland Street, L1 9DE t @LJMUlibrary
EVENTS AT MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL POPPIES: WOMEN AND WAR
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Every year thousands of women suffer as a result of war, but their stories are lost behind the dramatic headlines from the battlefields. The Museum of Liverpool explores the personal stories of women affected by war with a photographic exhibition by Lee Karen Stow. The exhibition combines a portrait series of women, with striking botanical images of poppy flowers growing in the wild.
Join photographer Lee Karen Stow to discover more about the images featured in the Museum’s exhibition Poppies: Women and War. Bring your camera to this interactive workshop focusing on different photography techniques and find out more about planning an exhibition.
Suitable for children Dates: Now – 5 Jun 2016 Cost: Free
Suitable for adults Date: 10 Oct / 14 Nov Cost: Free Time: 10.30am – 1.30pm Booking Required WATCHING AND WAITING
EXHIBITION TOURS Join photographer Lee Karen Stow for a guided tour of the exhibition – Poppies: Women and War. Find out more about her inspiration for the exhibition and discover the fascinating stories behind the photographs. Suitable for adults Date: 10 Oct / 14 Nov Cost: Free Time: 2.30pm INTRODUCTORY TALKS Join the museum’s education team for a short informal introductory tour of the exhibition looking at the different roles of women during conflicts from 1914 to the present day. Suitable for adults Date: 22 Oct / 8 Nov / 19 Nov / 6 Dec 2016 - 21 Jan / 7 Feb / 11 Feb Cost: Free Time: 3.00pm
Hear the charming true story of local couple Fred and Grace Sellars in a performance based on 2,000 letters they sent to each other during the course of World War One. Suitable for adults & older children Date: 12 Oct / 9 Nov / 8 Feb Time: 2.30pm & 3.30pm Date: 7 Nov / 6 Feb Time: 11.30am FROM WATERFRONT TO WESTERN FRONT This special exhibition, From Waterfront to Western Front explores the story of the Liverpool PALS in World War One. The First World War cost the lives of more than 13,000 men from Liverpool. Discover how the war affected not only those serving at the Front, but also the city, and the people left behind in this special exhibition. Dates: Ongoing
MAGICAL HISTORY Find out more about the exhibition by exploring the Museum of Liverpool’s World War One objects. Suitable for adults & older children. Dates: 29 Nov / 31 Jan / 28 Feb Time: 1.30pm – 2.30pm CRAFTERNOON Join the team at Museum of Liverpool for a host of family-friendly craft sessions. Make poppies, decorate embroidered postcards or create your very own Princess Mary Tin to take home. (Suitable for children aged 3yrs+) Dates: 7 Nov / 30 Jan / 27 Feb Time: 1.30pm – 3.30pm CITY SOLDIERS The City Soldiers Gallery tells the story of the King’s Regiment - one of Britain’s oldest regiments, created in 1685, and Liverpool’s regiment since 1881. In 2006 the King’s Regiment became part of the new Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the infantry regiment of the North West. Dates: Ongoing Suitable for children FIRST WORLD WAR FAMILY HISTORY DAY This free family history event helps you to research relatives who served in World War One via a research database at the Museum of Liverpool, which contains the biographical details of around 90,000 men who served in The King’s Regiment. The day will also include family-friendly activities such as object handling and craft. Dates: 21 Nov Time: 10.30am – 4.30pm www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk ` museumofliverpool t @MuseumLiverpool #poppieswomen
MERSEYSIDE AT WAR 1914-1918 PROJECT During the conflict, thousands of men from Merseyside served in the armed forces or in the merchant navy with many troops, including American forces, passing through or based in Liverpool and Wirral. The Merseyside at War website commemorates both the men who fought overseas and those on the home front whose lives were affected by the war; from the men working in Reserved Occupations on the docks and in the mines to the conscientious objectors with their own religious and moral beliefs. The website also remembers the experiences of women during war who took on a diverse range of roles from working in factories to volunteering and raising money for local and national organisations including the Red Cross and the Women’s War Service Bureau, and not forgetting those engaged in the nursing and medical profession. This online archive is about Merseyside’s experience of the First World War, supported by Liverpool John Moores University and the office of the LordLieutenant of Merseyside. If you have any stories or memorabilia from that era that you would like to share you can do so online in order to create a lasting memorial. These records will commemorate your ancestors and add to the local history of communities of Merseyside showing the effect of the war that many hoped would end all wars. www.merseyside-at-war.org