In 2009 the University of Southampton, in collaboration with Hampshire Archives and Local Studies, received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to record and disseminate the life histories of 30 former refugees that arrived in Southampton in May 1937.
In 2009 the University of Southampton, in collaboration with Hampshire Archives and Local Studies, received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to record and disseminate the life histories of 30 former refugees that arrived in Southampton in May 1937. They were part of a contingent of nearly 4,000 children who were fleeing the bombings of Guernica and other Basque towns during the Spanish Civil War. For further details see the Heritage Lottery Fund website.
The project has seen the creation of the following dissemination outputs:
1) A travelling exhibition that has so far toured local museums and library venues around Hampshire and several universities in Spain. An electronic version of this exhibition can be seen at the University of Southampton Special Collections webpage.
2) An education pack produced by Hampshire Archives and Local Studies aimed at enriching curricula on contemporary migration and refugee issues in secondary schools across the county.
The project culminates in the summer of 2012 with the official launch of further means of dissemination of the Basque children's legacy:
3) An oral history archive of the recorded interviews that will be open to general public and future generations
4) A website with images, and sound extracts from the recorded interviews
5) An oral history book entitled: "Here, look after him": Voices of Basque evacuee children of the Spanish Civil War by Alicia Pozo-Gutiérrez and Padmini Broomfield, 2012.
2012 also marks the 75th anniversary of the Basque Children's arrival in Southampton. On this occasion, Modern Languages and the Special Collections of the Hartley Library, in collaboration with the Basque Children of '37 Association UK, are hosting a series of commemorative events that will take place the University Campus.
On Saturday 12th May there will be series of talks and speeches given by some of the former evacuees and by Spanish, Basque and British dignitaries, followed by a commemorative banquet and performances of traditional Basque music and dance. The day will end with the projection of the film Ispansi followed by a Q&A session with its director, Carlos Iglesias. This film tells in a fictionalised way the story of Spanish evacuee children that were taken to Russia during the Spanish Civil War. For further details on this film see the Ispansi website.
On Sunday 13th May 2012, the symposium ‘When history meets memory and the arts: The story of Spanish Civil War evacuees in film' will bring together Spanish and British film directors who have narrated and documented this story of displacement through the medium of film and documentaries. This event will provide the opportunity for these professionals to meet with some of the surviving protagonists who inspired their work and with the local community, as well as students and academics from our university who are currently engaged in the study of migration and exile. As part of their presentations directors will show extracts of their films. Confirmed speakers include: Carlos Iglesias, Steve Bowles, Luis Argeo, Izaskun Arandia and Matt Richards.
For further details and to register your interest in participating in these events please contact: Alicia Pozo-Gutiérrez and Irina Nelson, contact information on the Staff tab.
