Once Upon a Wartime Exhibition
When
11 February 2011 -
30 October 2011
10am - 5.45pm
Where
Imperial War Museum
Nearest Tube
Lambeth North
Cost
£3.95-£5.95
Age Restrictions
n/a
The Once Upon a Wartime exhibition at Imperial War Museum invites children and adults to see war through the eyes of children's literature. Bringing to life various scenes from several famous wartime books, the exhibition takes a new look at different wars, battles and landscapes, and sees the effects of these conflicts on the characters inhabiting the stories.
Once Upon a Wartime exhibition
Featuring five different classic wartime stories, the exhibition is made up of several life size sets which feature scale models and interactive exhibits, each of which represents the world of War Horse, Little Soldier, Carrie's War, The Silver Sword and The Machine Gunners. Here you can sit in Hepzibah's kitchen like the evacuees in Carrie's War, discover the secret fortress from The Machine Gunners, and experience the bleakness of the landscape in War Horse, as visitors are taken on a journey through the theatre of war from the First World War onwards.
Narrative themes
Within each of the different book sets, kids and family are able to expore the themes of the novel as dictacted by the war in which it is set. With loyalty, excitement, survival and identity all common themes, visitors will be able to get under the skin of the characters as well as going behind the scenes of the novels, and seeing how and what the authors were inspired by. Objects such as manuscripts, early sketches, interviews and photos are all included in the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition, helping to explain how the stories were developed.
History on show
Along with the authors' inspirational material visitors can see important historical articles, that give context to the stories on show. Including objects such as evacuee labels, letters, aircraft recognition cards, and a tail fin from a German incendiary bomb, kids and family will have the chance to see many genuine artefacts that shed light on the ways in which the stories' characters would have lived.
Children's War Literature Festival
A Children's War Literature Festival will also take place to mark the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition. Kicking off over the summer holidays, the festival invites kids to explore further their favourite wartime books with a series of author talks, discussions and workshops for all. The museum has also commissioned a brand new story from War Horse author Michael Morpurgo, which will take inspiration from the exhibition and tell another fascinating tale of wartime action.
The Once Upon a Wartime exhibition takes place from 10am - 5.45pm, Friday 11th February - Sunday 30th October 2011. Tickets are £5.95 or £3.95 for children.
If you would like to book tickets for this event, click on the link below for more information.
Imperial War Museum Official Website
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