Throughout the project, our Volunteer Research Group will be looking into the history of each of The Orange Lilies and Brighton and Hove during the period of the Somme. If you have some information about The Orange Lilies that you think might help the group, don’t hesitate to contact us on theorangelilies@gmail.com or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
The Volunteer Research Group will be based at Strike a Light’s studio at Brighton’s Open Market, Brighton’s Jubilee Library and The Keep archive, Brighton.
At Strike a Light, they will use the space to meet regularly, research and discuss Brighton and Hove in WWI specifically related to The Somme and its effects on he city. At the library the group will be able to access physical and online resources.
Research will bring the commemoration and soldiers’ stories to life, discovering where the soldiers lived and worked in the local community before and following the war, whilst also recognising the contribution in Brighton and Hove on the Home Front and the lives lived during this epic battle.
The Group will undertake research, training and informal meetings at Brighton’s Jubilee Library and Hove Library. Jubilee Library is a recent addition to the city centre and has become an informal hub for different community groups. Utilising this space will encourage ownership and familiarity of the library and it’s collections. Hove Library opened in 1908 and is a Grade II Listed building with a rich architectural and community history. The Volunteer Researchers will receive a special talk about the building and a WWI memorial plaque located within the library as part of the project, and have access to Hove Library’s specialist WWI archives.
Further research and training will be carried out at recently opened county archive, The Keep. A purpose built world-class centre for archives, The Keep provides access to all the collections of the East Sussex Record Office, the Royal Pavilion & Museums Local History Collections and the internationally significant University of Sussex Special Collections. It is also a centre of excellence for conservation and preservation and represents the new generation of archive buildings in the UK.
Heritage researched at these venues will feature in a a series of short films, postcards, a blog, a textiles project and a series of study days and related activities. This will all be for dissemination at the end of the project and available for visitors to each of these venues in the future.
Online Resources will additionally inform our project. Several websites, projects and online exhibitions have focussed on WWI Centenary in recent months, and volunteers, staff, facilitators and participants will be given a comprehensive list of appropriate sites to use as valuable resources for ideas and research.
We will also access the Gateways to the First World War scheme (www.gatewaysfww.org.uk) throughout the project. A centre for public engagement with the Great War centenary, Gateways is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) with the aim of encouraging and supporting public interest in WWI through a range of online resources. Their website also profiles relevant events and activities such as open days and study days which provide further research opportunities.
Acknowledgements
Image – Sussex RGA NCOs. Courtesy of Newhaven Fort, With thanks to the East Sussex in World War I project for image use.
The Orange Lilies project is delivered by
In Partnership with the following organisations:
with support from
The Orange Lilies - Brighton & Hove in the Somme 