Women & Theatre to share the stories of First World War factory women.
Award winning Women & Theatre will be working with members of Birmingham’s Small Heath community as part of a new heritage project, Women’s Work, exploring the experiences of women working in factories during the First World War thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Women’s Work will bring together women aged from 18 – 65 to carry out heritage research using archive and oral history techniques focusing on the Small Heath area of Birmingham, home of First World War Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) factory. Project participants will develop and be part of a new piece of theatre, creating a touring exhibition and a digital archive connecting modern audiences with the stories of female factory workers during the conflict.
Women interested in taking part, and those with stories to share about their female ancestors during the First World War, are invited to attend an Inspiration Day at Small Heath Library on 21 January between 10am and 3pm. During the day Women & Theatre will share artefacts including oral recordings and documents from Birmingham archives and local historian Dr Chris Upton will deliver a talk about the history of the BSA factory and the inclusion of women in the workforce.
The Inspiration Day will be followed by an Oral History Drop In Session will take place at Small Heath Baptist Church on 24th January giving members of the public another opportunity to share stories about their female ancestors working in Birmingham factories.
Janice Connolly, Artistic Director of Women & Theatre, said: “It is exciting to be embarking on a First World War centenary project which will bring the female voice into focus, particularly with such strong connections to the work of female factory workers in Small Heath during the First World War. We look forward to uncovering stories that tell us more about life in the factories and the impact the conflict had on the women on the home front.”
Reyahn King, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping lives on both the Western Front and the Home Front. We’re pleased to support this project which will see a number of volunteers gain heritage skills and put the lives and stories of Small Heath’s female wartime workers in the spotlight.”
During the project, participants will visit the BSA factory site, carry out oral history interviews with relatives of factory workers and access the Library of Birmingham’s First World War collections working with a professional archivist. Following the research process, participants will collaborate with theatre professionals to produce a new performance piece which will depict a day in the life of a female factory worker.
Women’s Work is a sister project to successful The Chocolate Soldiers, which Women & Theatre created in 2013/14 with funding from HLF. This involved young men carrying out research into the lives and experiences of men like them who lived 100 years ago and were recruited to fight in the First World War.
Women’s Work is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund as well as by Birmingham City Council, The Roughley Trust, The Grimmitt Trust and The Cole Charitable Trust.
For further information on the Inspiration Day and how you can get involved visit: www.womenandtheatre.co.uk/ or contact Women & Theatre on 0121 449 7117.
