Moved By ConflictIn my last post, I discussed the brilliant Ahead of Curve exhibition at Bristol Museum which ends on Sunday 1 March. But there is one other exhibition that you must also catch before it comes to an ends on the same day.
Moved by Conflict at Mshed in Bristol is extraordinary.
From the thousands of troops who left the city, the men who refused to fight, the women who took on new roles and the refugees who sought refuge, the exhibition uses personal items and anecdotes to tell the story of the First World War and its impact on the residents of Bristol both in the city and in the trenches.
On arrival visitors are asked to select a wrist band, each of which is linked to a character created by Bristol Old Vic. Although fictional the stories each character tells on screens activated by the wrist bands around the exhibition are inspired by real stories and are immensely moving. I chose Billy Pollock, a young Bristol soldier who journeys from enthusiasm about joining up to fight to suffering the devastating consequences of war. In between the screens are display cases containing ration books, medals, photographs, letters and other items donated by Bristolians. These personal keepsakes dramatically communicate the personal impact of the Great War and you can't help but study everything on show. The exhibition also makes great use of old technology updated for the 21st century. Our little one was fascinated by the candlestick telephone which broadcasts audio recordings of letters sent from conflict zones to loved ones back home, and an interactive video screen allowing visitors to search surnames among war death records is a powerful reminder of just how many people were killed 100 years ago. Moved by Conflict concludes with a section were visitors are encouraged to share their thoughts on the displays and detail family members affected by the war using old typewriters. It has been a long time since I've been as affected by an exhibition as I was by this one and it's something we encourage everyone to visit. The curators should be hugely congratulated for taking such an innovative approach to relating the impact of four years in the life of Bristol and the rest of the UK that must never be forgotten. Nina
 
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