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Sharing European Memories

The Sharing European Memories (SEME) project involves partners in the UK, Italy, Norway, Spain and Poland, where young people have been gathering memories of WWII veteran's, Holocaust survivors and those involved in more recent conflicts, which will then be shared across Europe in an effort to increase understanding of what war means to different cultures.

The project aims to promote intergenerational dialogue between young and old generations, by means of artistic productions and exhibitions of experienced events in real places, recording history and memories in schools, interviews, digital storytelling and other activities.

Whilst a Leeds primary school covered the Second World War, including both the conflict in Europe and the Home Front, Year 10 students from Bradford Academy looked at the experience of conflict since 1945.  They focused on the Cold War, including the nuclear threat at home, and the experiences of soldiers who were drawn into European and world conflicts as peacekeepers under the United Nations.

The students visited three local museums, the Peace Museum in Bradford, the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and the York Nuclear Bunker (see links below).  They met and interviewed a range of witnesses to conflict including a Holocaust survivor, ex-servicemen from The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, a recent refugee and peace campaigners and activists.

They then worked with the project team to create digital stories about the interviewees, and two of these are presented here on My Yorkshire: Iby Knill, a Holocaust survivor, and ex-serviceman Diz Harley.