The 15 young people aged 11–19 visited Archives + at the Manchester Central Library to research Owen’s view of life in the trenches and his friendship with fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon. They learned how to interpret records, personal accounts and war poetry relating to the First World War. 

The young people enjoyed a wide range of activities, from visiting local heritage sites and museums to participating in theatre company workshops. Emily, aged 15, found the project interesting: “I liked that we didn’t just look everything up on the internet – I was able to […] speak to people who could tell us what war was actually like.” 

The project involved young people producing animated films as well as their own heartfelt poetry in response to their research, which can be seen on the project website. They gained confidence through participating in a UK-wide competition and seeing the impact of their creative work on the wider Wythenshawe community. Thousands of people attended the exhibition of their work at Manchester’s Central Library and were visibly moved.