Deborah The World War One Tank: Bringing Communities Together (FILM)

The aim was to contribute to the cultural enrichment of audiences and create new knowledge to help promote a wider understanding of the British and French communities involved with the preservation of a First World War tank in France. Associate Professor Fiona Graham built new relationships with communities to develop a narrative to engage communities in Britain about the lesser known story of Deborah a Mark IV tank. Self funded and with support from Erasmus and HEIF, she gained the support of family members of the tank's British crew, General Sir Andrew Ridgway, The Royal Tank Regiment and the tank's founder Philippe Gorczynski MBE along with many other organisations in France and the UK. The new knowledge creation uses documentary form to engage the next generation about the First World War on many varied digital platforms. It has been discussed with children in schools in France and the UK, at exhibitions at Cambrai Tank Museum, Flesquieres, France (2019) Carlisle Castle, Cumbria; public talks at Staffordshire Heritage Lottery conference; installation at The Royal Tank Regimental Museum, Dorset; discussed at AHRC Living Legacies conference at PRONI in Northern Ireland and archived at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland and online PRONI (2020). It has shown at the Tourism Office in Cambrai, France, and on its website for the public and to encourage footfall to the Cambrai Tank Museum in Flesquieres. It was also used to support communities in France and the UK with showings during the Armistice 2018 at various public locations. The film and the various nationwide public engagement events with Associate professor Fiona Graham have helped contribute to a cultural enrichment of new and older generations about the people past and present involved with the tank called Deborah. Further details in 300 word statement