Air Raid Archie

In 2005 the St.Helens Education Action Zone decided to seek funding to provide a group of specially selected schools with an innovative and topical project to mark the Sixtieth Anniversary of the ending of World War Two. The Home Front had been part of the National Curriculum History Programme and it was decided to aim the project at KS 2 children. The aim of the research was to create a book and a suite of performances which would support understanding and bring to life how local people lived in this period. The first stages involved a consortium of creative artists discussing the format of the presentation alongside thirty individuals from Age Concern from Mansion house in Windle. Karen Jaundrill-Scott and Geoff Bennett presented with a play that would look at various aspects of the period. A group of graduating students from Edge Hill University from the Drama Department assisted with the research and became part of the presentation. The research was transferred into a book outlining the project to act as a further resource for schools. This approach was an exploration to capture the success of how children could learn from direct hands-on experience and how well they could assimilate and interpret this learning alongside a written narrative. The book outlining the project was produced and continues to be a resource for schools.