‘National Service Remembered’ brings to life the stories of those who were conscripted. This photographic series honours the heroic contribution a unique generation of men gave to their country, capturing their wealth of knowledge and historic experiences for generations to come.

Aim

The youngest person conscripted into national service is now age 78, meaning the opportunity to capture the living memory of this unique period will soon be gone forever. Research has also suggested a growing distance in the publics awareness and understanding of national service. This series responds to this growth and, through its resources, aims to present to new generations an authentic account of this historic time - through the eyes of the men who lived it.

Process

Working around the Covid-19 restrictions, the exhibition culminated in a collection of the conscripts own photographs, fresh portraits and intensive, informative video interviews recording their experiences. Working in North Wales and Dorset, the majority of the interviews took place outside due to restrictions on social distancing, yet we managed to maintain our focused, recognised aesthetic tone whilst capturing the vivid experience of these veterans.

Impact

‘National Service Remembered’ appeared in over 1000 pieces of national and regional media including The i paper, The Daily Express, The Sun and BBC Wales - a total readership of over 33 million people. Appearing in 192 radio broadcasts, the series also reached 4.8 million listeners.

After it’s launch, over 12,000 visitors viewed the online exhibition. Several military organisations from across the UK requested the exhibition to show and over 130 former conscripts got in touch to share their stories and request involvement in the follow-up-project.

View the Exhibition

Watch the Films

View our other work.

Find out more about our campaigns - see how we can work for you.