New narratives in education for World War One

A workshop with schoolchildren in Cambrai, France explored World War One and the research into Deborah D51 a Mark IV tank from the Battle of Cambrai.
Associate Professor and Producer Fiona Graham explained in French the research she and colleague cinematographer Paul Ottey had been doing in the children's home town. She explained and showed short interviews with French and British communities and the Royal Tank Regiment along with showing drone footage of the battlefields to explain size and scale, footage inside the tank, teaching the French children about the British crew and learning about their families in the UK.

The aim was to bring the battlefield into the classroom, to disseminate new knowledge in history by creating new stories like Deborah as the central narrative.
This research using film into Deborah D51 could help children understand World War One. Moreover the school was located near to the location where Deborah was discovered by French historian Philippe Gorczinski MBE in Flesquieres. The children were also able to learn about the film technologies applied today by being hands on with cameras and drones brought to the talk by colleague Senior Lecturer Paul Ottey.

The workshop supported teachers at the school in Cambrai as part of the French national curriculum teaching World War One and was edited into the school's magazine. The film content was created for schools in both the UK and France by the Production House method by Graham to disseminate research using film narrative and technology to support history education.