TWO schools have worked with a local theatre to commemorate the centenary of World War One.

Pupils from Ysgol Sychdyn and Ysgol Gymraeg Mornant, Holywell have been working during the autumn term on a Peace Project/Project Hedd and an arts exhibition was held at Theatr Clwyd to commemorate the Armistice on 1918.

Over a six week period, three artists from North Wales, Lois Prys, Dafydd Rhys Hughes and Branwen Haf have worked within both schools, delving into the history of war memorials in the area and exploring the stories of those named on them.

Through visual art, film, drama and music, the Key Stage Two pupils explored themes of peace, war and its devastating impact on their communities.

Jane Edwards, headteacher at Ysgol Sychdyn, said: "I have a school full of incredibly happy year five and six children who have grown so much during Project Hedd and I know that the experience will impact positively on them for the rest of their lives.

"This has been a bold project and one in which the children have really felt a sense of ownership. I have been in education now for over 25 years and this is the first time that I have seen such a powerful example of different communities coming together in such a successful way.

"Our children have discovered so much about themselves and about other people and the special magic dust of creativity which is so often put in the background in education has well and truly been sprinkled all over them."

The project, funded by the Arts Council of Wales Creative Learning through the Arts Programme, the Lottery and Welsh Government, was inspired by Flintshire War Memorials, a local group of volunteer amateur historians who set out to discover the stories behind the deceased of World War One.

The children also had the opportunity to visit the Flintshire Records Office.

Gwennan Mair, Director of Creative Engagement at Theatr Clwyd said: "It was a project that brought two local schools together to learn, interact and share their thoughts and feelings about World War One.

"Working together with professional artists this term has left a lasting legacy for the young people by enabling them to look with new insight at war memorials and understand the significance of Remembrance Sunday by knowing more about the people behind the names and their individual stories.

"It will give a lasting appreciation of the scale and impact of the Great War on their local communities.”

The exhibition will be at Theatr Clwyd from November 9 to November 26 and provides a space for the public to walk through and discover the stories of some of those from the area who lost their lives.

The artwork highlights three main aspects, the effects of conscription – introduced for the first time at the beginning of 1916 – on local families and households, the impact of censorship on letters sent home by the troops and how it masqueraded the truth about their lives on the front line and a soundscape by the children, which recreates the sounds of the battlefield.