This weekend – Saturday July 4th and Sunday July 5th – sees the culmination of our work around the Chilwell Munitions Tragedy of 1918. Working with a large number of people from the towns and villages surrounding the site of National Shell Filling Factory No. 6 we have created a programme of exhibitions, talks, films and performances.

At the heart of this work is a collection of twelve audio interviews with relatives of those who used to work at the factory which will form the centrepiece of an exhibition in Beeston Square from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, and 11am to 3pm on Sunday.

These interviews – and the stories gathered from them – have formed the basis for a new piece of theatre – The V.C Factory – a combination of live radio play and street theatre performance that will take place in the square as people shop, drink, bank, walk, cycle and generally go about their normal weekend Beeston Square business. This fifty minute show has a cast of around thirty five people and a specially commissioned soundtrack. It is free and seating will be provided. Show times are 11am / 1pm / 3pm on the Saturday and 12pm / 2pm on the Sunday.

And then on the Saturday evening at 7.30pm we will be presenting a scaled down version of the text as part of an evening of storytelling at The White Lion which also features ‘Out Of The Silence’ – Simon Heywood’s acclaimed piece about conscientious objectors during WW1. This is a ticketed event – £5 in advance from the pub and £6 on the door.

On Sunday the memorial to those who lost their lives will be open from 10am to 2pm at Chetwynd Barracks where there will also be a small exhibition. Pedestrian access is from Chetwynd Road and vehicular access from Swiney Way, opposite Tesco’s, although you will need photographic I.D, if bringing a car onto the site. The weekend ends with a showing of Tony Roe’s film ‘The Killing Factories’. We are pleased to say that Tony will be introducing the film for us and will answer any questions afterwards.