Essential Information
| Type | Events and festivals |
|---|---|
| Location |
National Maritime Museum
|
| Date and Times | Sunday 12 November 2023 | 12pm - 4.00pm |
| Prices | Free |
Join us at the National Maritime Museum to mark Remembrance Day.
In partnership with Matglen International Consulting, we invite you to remember the Armed Forces and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, through a mix of personal narratives and performances.
The reality of war has many different facets. Keynote speaker Ally Musthan will share his personal experiences and explore Remembrance from a place where we can all freely share our thoughts and perceptions.
The event includes talks and tours, a display of memorabilia, drill instruction, plus an interactive WWII dance performance with educator Teal Darkenwald and students from Bird College.
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Event schedule
Welcome to Remembrance Day: A Call to Mind
12.00 - 12.20 | Romney Road entrance
Join us at the Romney Road entrance of the National Maritime Museum to start off the afternoon with a bugler. Keynote speaker Ally Musthan will do a short speech introducing the day and the events coming up.
Dance performance with Teal Darkenwald
A Celebratory Remembrance
12.25 - 12.55 and 14.20 - 14.55 | Great Map
Join Teal on the Great Map as she shares her experience as a contributing author on Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches, and discusses the importance of vernacular and social dance in relationship to WWI and WWII. During the 'informance' (informational performance) attendees will be invited to either participate or observe. The performance will feature students from Bird College.
Choreography: Teal Darkenwald
Dancers: Dominic Baker, Taylor Bliss, Rexford Boadu, Mille Coe, Andreas Constantinides, Jordan-Lee Cooper, Hollie Corkery, Matt Dingley, Luca Farkas, Thomas Galés-Ellis, Madeleine Harris, Reanna Hewitt, Ella Jeavons, Maizie Keay, Olivia McCabe, Kate Morris, Harry Parkinson, Chloe Radford, Harvey Rowland, Joshua Stanbury, Olivia Swain, Jessica Wakefield
Contemporary Dance performance: Half of the Other
13.40 - 13.50 and 15.30 - 13.40 | Propeller Space
Half of the Other is inspired by the term 'the other half'. It is about those who are impacted by their loved ones leaving for war, and who are often the forgotten casualties. The couple start together but are broken down and torn apart by the war. By the end they both come back together, but they are changed forever by their time apart, a shadow of their former selves as they try to reestablish their relationship once again.
Choreography: Teal Darkenwald
Dancers: Thomas Galés-Ellis and Chloe Radford
Music: "Tres Mementos: El Tercer Momento (Single Edit)" and "Repetition" composed by Sven Helbig
Teal Darkenwald (pictured) is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and founder of Ultra Barre with a multifaceted background. Her choreography has been featured at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York Live Arts, and the Ailey Citigroup Theatre. She has directed and choreographed large-scale performances including site-specific and traditional shows, visual media, and industry entertainment in London, Paris, Hong Kong, and more. She is also an artistic associate and choreographer for BalaSole Dance Company in New York City, an organization devoted to providing diverse, equitable, and inclusive performance experiences for dance artists.
Darkenwald is a tenured Associate Professor of dance and biomechanics and Honors College Fellow at East Carolina University. There, she was awarded the University of North Carolina system for excellence in teaching in addition to numerous grants for her scholarship and teaching.
Darkenwald is also pursuing a PhD in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Her scholarship includes creating choreography using emerging technologies, inertial motion capture, and virtual reality. Whilst on research leave in the UK, Darkenwald has taught contemporary dance, served as an academic tutor and performance enhancement tutor, and held research roles at Bird College, the University of Essex, and Trinity Laban.
Tours and talks
How We Remember: Personal Mementos From WW1
13.00 - 13.25 | Forgotten Fighters Gallery
Join Royal Museums Greenwich Visitor Assistant Tessa for a walk through the Forgotten Fighters Gallery to explore some of the inspirational stories and belongings of those who fought in World War 1.
Talk by Ally Musthan
13.25 - 13.35 | Forgotten Fighters Gallery
Keynote speaker Ally Musthan shares his personal experiences in a no-holds-barred, inclusive way. The reality of war has many different facets, and his story is a vital part of the day's proceedings.
In 2009, Ally Musthan (pictured) joined the Honourable Artillery Company, the only reservist surveillance and target acquisition regiment in the British Army. He later joined the 7th Battalion, The Rifles C Company, where he participated in countless training exercises in the UK and abroad before deploying on an operational tour in Afghanistan.
In 2018, Musthan won the Inspiration of the Year award by the British Ex-Forces in Business organisation for his exemplary transition from the military into the civilian workforce. In 2021, Musthan started Matglen International Consulting, a security risk management consultancy company which engages, trains, and mentors veterans into sustainable work within the security sector.
His biggest achievement to date is his role as The City of London’s Divisional Secretary for the Soldiers, Sailors & Airman’s Families Association (SSAFA) where he supports vulnerable service personnel, veterans, and their families with a small team of amazing volunteers. Musthan has represented SSAFA at events at 10 Downing Street and the Guard’s Chapel.
The Journey by Sea to the Falklands
13.40 - 13.50 | Propeller Space
Join this talk about the journey to war with Falklands veteran Paul Fuller. Sjt Paul Fuller will discuss his reason for joining the Armed Forces, his journey to the Falklands and where he is now in life.
Katharine Furse: Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service
15.00 - 15.20 | Forgotten Fighters Gallery
This talk is about an amazing woman, Katharine Furse, whose service in both world wars led her to be awarded three service medals and a Damehood amongst other honours.
Born in 1875, Katherine joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VADs) in the First World War. Her exceptional administrative ability and bravery on the front line meant that she was eventually promoted to lead the whole organisation.
In later life, she became a championship skier and she was head of the Sea Rangers and director of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Much admired by her friend Virginia Woolf, Katharine was a pioneer campaigner for international feminism. Join Suzy to find out more.
The Call to Duty
15.40 - 15.50 | Propeller Space
Join this talk led by Paul Jacob GM, where he recalls being deployed to Afghanistan at age 19, being involved in a double IED explosion, and what inspired his current project, Project Eye Believe, in aid of SSAFA the Armed Forces charity.
About Paul Jacob
Paul’s story is one of incredible resilience and unwavering determination. In 2007, he answered the call of duty and joined the Army’s 2nd Battalion, the Rifles. Little did he know that his path would lead to unimaginable challenges and a journey of astonishing achievements. In 2009, Paul’s life took a dramatic turn when he was blinded by an IED in Sangin, Afghanistan.
However, Paul’s spirit remained unbroken. Despite his blindness, he accomplished feats that defy conventional expectations. Paul became the first war-blinded person to ascend to Everest Base Camp, a testament to his unwavering willpower. He didn’t stop there, completing marathons and taking part in large cycling events. As a member of the Invictus choir, Paul even contributed to a UK number-one hit. His journey is a living embodiment of the human potential to overcome adversity.
Attention!
14.00 - 14.30 | Great Map
Look sharp and stand straight while you march in time and fall in for some Army-style training.
Join veteran Jay French for a drill instruction and discover if you have what it takes to be as disciplined as a serving soldier.
About WOII Jay French
Jay joined the Army as a junior soldier at the age of 16 in February 1987, then joined 2RGJ (Royal Green Jackets), becoming 1RGJ in 1992.
He was promoted to lance corporal in 1994 whilst serving in Cyprus on a 2-year posting with 1RGJ and promoted up the ranks in turn to Warrant Officer Class Two.
Jay served operational tours to Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sierra Leone, Iraq and numerous other countries including Kazakhstan, Estonia and Kenya as an advisor.
Jay finally left the regular army in December 2011, going on to serve a further 10 years in the army reserves with 7 Rifles based in West Ham. His boots were hung up in 2020 for the final time.
Banner image: Yeo Tetraptych by Paddy Hartley, artist and former Royal Museums Greenwich Practitioner in Residence. Paddy Hartley is an artist working in ceramic, fabric and assemblage who explores themes of memorialisation and remembrance and the origins of World War I reconstruction.
What’s On
More events at Royal Museums Greenwich.
