This funding joins investment made by Arts Council England, Bristol City Council, Business West, The Society of Merchant Venturers and Rolls-Royce to create a major programme of commemoration in Bristol in 2014.

HLF’s grant will be used to fund:

• Moved by Conflict: a major exhibition at MShed which will explore the impact of the First World War and more recent conflicts on Bristol - particularly the migration of people to and from the city, and changes to society and industry;
• the Great Reading Adventure 2014: a mass-read of a specially produced book on the First World War provided free of charge to people across the city;
• learning Communities Digital Stories Project: a new family history project in which short digital films will be made by school children working with parents/ carers and by members of community groups, recording memories of war;
• Great War Stories: a specially created online map and free app pinpointing locations for some of the wealth of stories generated by the First World War in the city;
• Bristol Festival of Ideas: free public talks/ debates/ interviews on a wide range of topics linked to the First World War offered as part of the Festival of Ideas programme;
• Bristol 2014 website: providing what’s on information and background information including a downloadable guide to researching family history; support material and other resources for individual projects; and a collection of articles, some specially commissioned, some contributed by the public.

Simon Cook, Assistant Mayor for Culture and Chair of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, said today: “This is fantastic news from Heritage Lottery Fund and great news for Bristol. The way the city has come behind Bristol 2014 and helped organise such a wide-ranging programme is nothing short of magnificent. Bristol will have – almost certainly - the largest programme in the UK, one that will touch and involve all communities, in events that will commemorate this war and those that participated in it.”

Nerys Watts, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: “Bristol’s wide-ranging programme of commemoration events is set to be one of the largest happening in the UK. People from near and far will now be able to learn about the events of the First World War, the important role Bristol played during the conflict and the effects the war had on those that fought and those that were left behind. We at HLF have already awarded £47m to help communities mark the centenary of the conflict and understand how it shaped our modern world."

The Bristol 2014 programme involves over 40 partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors, and over 50 individual projects.

Stephen Williams MP, Bristol West, Minister Department for Communities and Local Government said: “As one of the ministers responsible for the nationwide commemoration of the First World War, I know that Bristol has planned one of the most ambitious programmes in the country. So I'm delighted that Bristol has received the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund. The programme of events is incredibly impressive and will appeal to everyone in the city. I am really looking forward to taking part in some of them.”

Most of the Bristol 2014 activity will take place in the summer and autumn of 2014, but some projects are already underway while others will continue for at least another year. The HLF funded project is a core element of a wider programme of work this year. Other Bristol 2014 projects include:

• Stories From the Great War – community-learning and performance project based on stories of some of those buried at Arnos Vale associated with the First World War;
• The World Changed – Extreme Times, Extraordinary Music – series of concerts and related events managed by St George’s Bristol and Bristol Music Trust exploring changes in musical tastes around the First and Second World Wars; 
• ‘Back from the Front’ exhibitions, Royal West of England Academy, July - September 2014 including:  ‘Brothers in Art’: a show of paintings by two major British artists from the First World War, Paul Nash and John Nash, both of whom served at the front and who were later commissioned as official war artists; and   ‘Shock and Awe’, an exhibition of work by artists who have been exposed to the front-line experience of war and by those who have responded to recent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans;
• Young People’s Festival of Ideas events on war and peace;  
• Showing of complete Blackadder Goes Forth with panel debate;                                                                              
• The Impact of Conflict: an exploration of the consequences and legacy of conflict through film seasons, talks and events - a Watershed programme in partnership with Festival of Ideas and University of Bristol;
• Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory series of play readings about the war at University of Bristol 6-11 October;
• 2014 University of Bristol Art and War Autumn Lecture Series (October/ November 2014). These look at artists in various forms that were involved in both world wars and cover how their attitudes to war changed through their work.

There will be 20 new arts projects specially commissioned by Bristol 2014 thanks to investment by Arts Council England. Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England said: “Bristol 2014 is one of many projects across the South West we are supporting  through our National Lottery funded Grants for the arts programme that commemorate the centenary of World War I. The city is planning an extensive and extremely important programme of commemoration that will bring together people from every community in Bristol.  We are delighted that our £55,000 award will support the exciting arts programme, which will see 20 artists commissioned to look back at the war and create new work that speaks to today’s audiences.”

Other Bristol MPs added their support: Charlotte Leslie MP, Bristol North West said: “The centenary of the outbreak of the First World War provides the whole country with a poignant opportunity to reflect and learn. I am absolutely delighted that Bristol will be at the forefront of this, delivering one of the largest programmes in the country, and I look forward to getting involved.”

Kerry McCarthy MP, Bristol East added: “I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has got behind Bristol 2014 so that they can deliver one of the largest programmes of commemoration in Britain. It’s important that we remember the First World War for more than the massive loss of life it caused. The conflict led to social change and global events that have shaped the world we live in today. This commemoration provides a unique opportunity for Bristolians to come together and better understand the profound impact the war had on the country – the changing role of women, universal suffrage and the formation of the labour movement are just a few examples which mean so much to us today.”

Businesses also plan to mark the centenary. James Durie from Business West said: “The business community will mark this centenary fully. We want to remember and honour all those who played a part in the war and promote learning about the contribution that Bristol people and companies made both to the war and to the building of peace.  We’re keen to see wide education involving all our communities and Business West will play a central role in this over the next four years. “

Notes to editors

Bristol 2014 is a partnership project, coordinated by Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (Bristol City Council, Business West, Arts Council England), that will deliver a wide-ranging programme of events in 2014 on the impact of war upon the city from the First World War to the present day. The programme includes: major exhibitions at MShed and the Royal West of England Academy; an online map and free smartphone app; a mass-reading of a free, specially produced book on Bristol and First World War; a wide range of lectures, talks, seminars, debates and guided walks; digital film-making workshops and other arts’ projects; new local history publications; concerts, film screenings and other performances at venues across the city; material to help people research their family connections to those who fought in the First World War. The Bristol 2014 website will be launched in April 2014.

Further information

Andrew Kelly on 07778 932 778, email: andrew.kelly@businesswest.co.uk.

Laura Bates on 020 7591 6027, email: lbates@hlf.org.uk.