Say 'thank you' to the generation who shaped our world. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery open their doors and welcome the public to share their stories

100 years ago the guns fell silent on the first truly global war. It was a war that cost millions of lives - and shaped the future of our world forever. This year you can do your part to show your gratitude to the generation who served, sacrificed and made Britain what it is today.

To commemorate the final year of the World War One centenary, Worthing Museum and Art Gallery join forces with the Royal British Legion in inviting the public to take part and say ‘Thank You’ to all who served, sacrificed and changed our world 100 years ago. The movement’s campaign calls on the public  to remember those who lost their lives and express gratitude to those who gave themselves to the war and rebuilt a nation from its darkest hour.

Worthing Museum and Art Gallery are inviting local members of the public to share their ‘Thank You’ to camera and become part of their upcoming exhibition; WWI Centenary: 100 Years in a unique film project.

The exhibition commemorates and remembers the men and women who fought on the front line and on the homefront; with a key focus on Worthing during WWI and the story of the men both young and old from Worthing fighting in the Sussex Regiment, with archive images encapsulating these courageous troops. This includes a narrative of events 1914-1918, covering the war from the perspective of those at home in Worthing, and those who were fighting in France & the Middle East.  A collection of diaries, “trench art”, posters, personal letters and more from the museum’s collections heighten this narrative and will give attendees a chance to delve into the real life experiences of our Worthing heros.

The museum has a rich social history collection showing how those on the homefront were affected by the war from family photos, postcards and letters.  Additionally the exhibition will focus on the training of the men who went to war, with a particular emphasis on the large camp near Shoreham-by-Sea that so many thousands passed through on their way to France and beyond. The project led by Worthing Museum and Art Gallery and funded by the heritage lottery explores the war training camp in Shoreham and the effect that training camp had on the local communities. The project produced a wealth of new information that forms part of this WWI commemorative exhibition.

The film project will be made up of a sequence of video interviews to camera with local people within the Sussex area, real-life photographs and exhibition items, recognising the ordinary people who did extraordinary things for our country.  The  exhibition and film campaign narrative will encapsulate the Legion’s motto: 'Live On – to the memory of the fallen and the future of the living' and inspires the public to show appreciation to our military, veterans and fallen heroes for the legacies they have left for us that were born out of the First World War.

The exhibition will be running from 13th October 2018 until 2nd February 2019 with various events and activities taking place throughout this time. Although Worthing’s WWI collections are rich in social history, the museum are keen to add items directly relating to the front line.  As part of the ‘ThankYou’ project WMA welcome those coming to the museum to film their thoughts to bring in and share any items that are directly linked to the front line to help increase their battlefield display, ideally with a local connection, anything from bullet casings to tobacco tins.

As part of the film project WMA are keen to collect a wealth of voices so encourage everyone to come forward, in particular they would love to hear from those with stories about the following: The Commonwealth: British Forces included Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims whose descendants contribute to life in the UK today. WMA invite them to join in saying Thank You to their ancestors who served so honourably. Women played a huge role in the First World War; and this, in turn, significantly influenced the role of women in Britain. In 1918 women were finally given the vote for the first time. Equally WMA welcome each and everyone to share their stories.

The museum are inviting members of the public to drop into the museum every Thursday 10.00am - 12.00pm, until 16 August 2018. For more information, visit www.worthingmuseum.co.uk.