Fields of Battle Lands of Peace 14-18

Have you forgotten yet?...
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring
that you’ll never forget - Siegfried Sassoon

Depicting the battlefields of the First World War as they are today, Fields of Battle - Lands of Peace 14-18 fulfils the words of Siegfried Sassoon by creating an association between the memories of a century ago with the modern landscape to enable people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds to explore the greatest legacy of military history in the world.

Registered charity Fields of Battle 14-18 has developed a unique and engaging touring street gallery exhibition, based not on the horrors of war, but on how over time, nature has healed the battlefields, creating a link between the modern day and the personal dramas and stories these peaceful landscapes now hide.

Created to appeal universally, using powerful imagery combined with fascinating historical information and educational content, this free-to-the-public exhibition will serve as a gateway through which everyone can pass to visit the ‘battlefields’ and immerse themselves in the momentous events of the Great War.

The exhibition features 66 large-scale (1.8 x 1.2 metre) colour photographs of the battlefields as they are now, with accompanying caption panels detailing the historic significance of the main image together with thought-provoking learning points.

Using archive photos, maps, poems and infographics, together with moving personal accounts of the Great War, each panel will provide a direct conduit between the contemporary image and the events that took place there 100 years ago.

A giant walk on map of the world and the Western Front, together with a mobile educational centre complete a unique exhibition which will tour Britain and Eire between August 2014 and Armistice Day in November 2018.

"I have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace on earth... than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war".

King George V, Tyne Cot Cemetery, 1922.

Tyne Cot Cemetery - Passchendaele

The education centre more

The walk on map

A giant walk on map of the world, featuring an expanded European section, offers visitors the unique opportunity to walk from country to country to appreciate the scale and complexities of the conflict. The map puts Europe in context on a global scale, in terms of personnel and resources, together with providing engaging details on key battlefield locations.

Consistently drawing large crowds and appealing in particular to children, it provides a focal point for the exhibition with the benefit of additional content featured on surrounding panels.

The street gallery and the walk on map in combination, will stimulate the imagination of the visitor, encouraging further exploration of the Great War and an appreciation of how the passing of time has led us towards a modern Europe.

The Fields of Battle Lands of Peace street gallery exhibition and walk on map will tour the United Kingdom from August 2014 until Armistice Day on November 2018.

Following the official launch in central London, the exhibtion will travel initially to Nottingham as part of their 'Trent to Trenches commemorative programme and then tour to major cities and towns across the UK. Full tour schedule to be announced. more

Learn more about the objectives of the project here. More