The Trench ( 2016)
A First World War Centenary commemorative event at Levant Mine
Levant Mine. Front Line.
‘Courage does not count here’
The 1st July 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On this one day alone in 1916 the British casualties totalled nearly 58,000 troops, with over 19,000 killed.
As part of the First World War Centenary commemoration a remarkable event will take place near the cliff tops at Levant Mine in Cornwall. Organised by Collective Arts Ltd, a theatre company that specialises in large scale community productions, The Trench explores and celebrates the lives of Cornish miners serving on the Front Line during the First World War.
This theatrical experience will simulate life in the trenches using an area of ‘No Man’s Land’ landscape at Levant Mine. Audience members will become participants who ‘enlist’ and are given a real identity, taken to the trenches and discover for themselves the realities of life on the Western Front and the build up to going over the top.
The experience will culminate in the mess tent, where participants will discover the real-life fate of their assigned character in a fascinating exhibition curated by the National Trust.
The project is a partnership between Levant Mine and the National Trust, Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, Miracle Theatre, Tremough University and local schools in Penwith. Research is well underway and locals in Penwith, the St Just and Pendeen Old Cornwall Society, along with students from Tremough are helping uncover information relevant to the production.
Performance dates are from Friday 1st July through to Sunday 10th July 2016 inclusive. Please note there is no performance on Monday 4th July 2016. This production only runs for 9 days and is limited to 60 people maximum per performance. It is advised to book early and tickets will be on sale early 2016.
Not suitable for under 12 years or the faint of heart. Sturdy footwear and warm clothing essential!!!
Enlist! Kit, rations and identity provided. Join a Cornish regiment, survive in the trench, and go over the top and into No Man’s Land. Participants are encouraged to be courageous under fire, and above all, to return.
Generously funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, FEAST and the National Trust.
https://collectivearts.org.uk/the-trench-background/
———————————-
The brief line ‘Courage does not count here’ is part of a letter one soldier wrote before he was killed that encapsulated the terrible conditions on the Western Front – ‘Courage does not count here. It is all nerve. Once that goes…’
Where people pick up their uniforms after enlisting. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-001_C
A young soldier enters the trench. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-004_C
Soldiers run through the wasteland to get to the trench. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-003_C
Inside one of the tunnels at the trench. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-005_C
Soldiers in the trench await orders. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-006_C
Soldiers think about their families before going over the top to fight. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-008_C
A soldier is injured after getting shot. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-007_C
A prayer after one of the soldiers is killed. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-009_C
A letter for home is left in the trench. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-010_C
A soldier goes over the top. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-011_C
Marching back from the battlefront. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-013_C
People wait to hear if they survived or were killed in battle. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-014_C
Crosses are put up for all those who were killed in battle. The Trench at Levant Mine. PZGM20160629C-015_C