Westgate Community Trust was awarded funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2015 to investigate the history of Westgate Hall, Canterbury’s drill hall, before and during WW1 and, in the process, shed light on life in Canterbury at the time. The project aimed to bring Canterbury’s communities together by sharing memories and knowledge about a period which left few families unmarked. It involved the development of materials and information, including memory boards, which will be permanently available at the Hall itself, on the Trust’s website and held in the local museums.
A new film from Campaign Films documents a recent event organised by the Trust in Canterbury and explores the nature of remembrance and what meaning it has for people today. It includes a discussion with Gateway's Professor Mark Connelly about original photographs of local volunteers as well as interviews with local experts and members of the community.
View the film here.
Gateways has assisted the Westgate Hall project by providing oral history training, academic advice and support for events.
