World of Wedgwood marked World Poetry Day on 21st March with a reading of some classic verse from the trenches of the First World War.
Visitors to the museum’s Resonance exhibition – which looks at how the Great War affected Staffordshire – were treated to the readings by Professor Ray Johnson MBE.
Professor Johnson read a selection of 11 poems by acclaimed poets including Wilfred Owen, Rudyard Kipling and John McCrae, with a number of performances given throughout the day in the museum’s atrium.
Heather Broadhurst, general manager at World of Wedgwood, said: “Professor Johnson is renowned for his knowledge of and passion for Staffordshire’s social history, so we were honoured when he agreed to give these readings for World Poetry Day linking to our Resonance exhibition. We had wonderful feedback from visitors who all very much enjoyed Ray’s delivery of a very poignant collection of poems.”
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Professor Ray Johnson MBE added: “It was a privilege to present such powerful and moving poetry in the Resonance exhibition hall at World of Wedgwood on World Poetry Day. I was able to specifically reference four items in the exhibition itself and also the Peace Medallion of 1918 given to the 167 workers from Wedgwood who volunteered for war service alongside Major Cecil Wedgwood in 1914. The generous acoustic of the hall added an audible ‘resonance’ to the wonderful visual collection of ceramic pieces and other items in the exhibition.”[/box]
Resonance runs at the Wedgwood Museum until 6th May. For further information about World of Wedgwood and the Wedgwood Museum visit www.worldofwedgwood.com. Alternatively call on 01782 282 986 or email info@worldofwedgwood.com
