Meaning in the Mud: exploring the cultural legacy of The Great War

Roland & Natasha

This workshop looks at the way poets, dramatists, artists and novelists responded to the First World War 100 years ago, and how the legacy of that war continues even now to influence writing and other art forms like cinema.

The core of the workshop is the famous First World War poets, and the changes in style from the lyrical and conventional, like Rupert Brooke’s, to harsher and more experimental forms of writing like Wilfred Owen’s. We also look at the response of artists like CRW Nevinson and Paul Nash, the playwright Peter Whelan (The Accrington Pals) and the writer JRR Tolkein.

The workshop offers many opportunities for follow up and in particular provides an excellent starting point for an investigation with students of how this artistic response to the war has influenced writing and art ever since, from T.S Eliot’s The Wasteland, to plays like Waiting for Godot, novels like Catch 22, musicals like Oh What A Lovely War! films as different as Apocalypse NowThe Lord of the RingsWarhorse and the TV comedy Blackadder.

The workshop is suitable for Year 5 & 6, KS3 and KS4.

Duration 90 minutes. We can present up to 3 workshops in one day

Audience maximum: KS2 and KS3 60 students, KS4 100 students

Prices: 1 presentation £450, additional presentations £250 plus VAT plus travel costs if outside the London area

Acrington Pals1
 
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