A major exhibition at Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery will explore the contribution made by local people during the Great War. The major Trent to Trenches exhibition, which runs from 26 July to 16 November, which marks one hundred years since the outbreak of the Great War, has been researched and developed with ten volunteer groups from across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Some 147 people have helped out during the life of the project.

The exciting and innovative exhibition explores the experiences of Nottinghamshire people, at home and in the trenches of Northern France, through powerful visual images and artefacts, many on loan from local people.

Visitors can get advice on researching their own family's Great War history each weekend and every Thursday during the exhibition with volunteers on hand to help them.

The exhibition includes:

  • Eleven Eleven Eleven, an exciting oral histories project in which volunteers of all ages have worked with eleven of Nottingham's culturally diverse communities. The Heritage Lottery funded project looks at the conflict from a new angle by recording perspectives of the First World War from people whose family memories and personal perspectives tell the story from countries outside Britain.

  • The New Wipers Times project, funded by Arts Council England's Grants for the Arts, has been developed by artist Carol Adlam and writer Helen Cross with army families from the Mercian Regiment based at Chetwynd Barracks, Nottingham. Inspired by the 'Wipers Times', the irreverent newspaper printed in the trenches by soldiers from the Sherwood Foresters, they have created a 'graphic anthology' that gives a glimpse of life as an army family today.

There will be a special launch weekend on 2 and 3 August with living history activities and costumed actors bringing to life the experience of soldiers in the trenches, music of the period and cavalry horses' role both on and off the battlefield.

Throughout the exhibition there will be events and activities for all the family, with the additional incentive that children go free at Nottingham Castle from 25 July to 29 August. The events include:

  • Ghost: Simon Withers - the fifth artist commission for the Castle Café tables, Simon Withers has re-imagined the ceramic 'crested ware' tanks made to commemorate the end of the Great War.
  • The Great War - The Written Word Weekend (23-24 August).
  • Albert Ball Mural by Step39 (23-24 August).
  • The Great War - Art Weekend (27-28 September).

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said: "Our Trent to Trenches exhibition brings to life the experiences of local people during the Great War. It's important that we remember that this world conflict impacted not only on the soldiers in the trenches but also the people at home - their families and people involved in the war effort. This world conflict changed society in many ways and had a lasting impact on the communities of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire."