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Blogpost: ‘We Won’t Be Left Behind’ at IWM Duxford

The Sensational Museum > News archive > Blog > Blogpost: ‘We Won’t Be Left Behind’ at IWM Duxford
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On 10th July Charlotte and Hannah went to the launch of ‘We Won’t Be Left Behind’ at IWM Duxford. Created by Curating for Visibility fellow Cat Waites, ‘We Will Not Be Left Behind’ is a brilliant, and accessible, exhibition which features a soundscape that brings to life the experiences of disabled people during World War Two.

Speaking at the launch, Cat described how working with their co-creation group had helped them find the community and joy within the otherwise largely depressing stories of disabled lived experience in the IWM’s collections. The result is an installation which is engaging, funny, touching, and impactful.

The soundscape, which is made up of different, thoughtfully curated vignettes, is available on three sets of headphones, via a QR code, and as a transcript. However, the most exciting accessible element is the BSL “version” of the content. The BSL is not a direct translation of the spoken English which features in the soundscape. Instead, it has been created independently to more effectively communicate the content to BSL users.

The photo shows Hannah standing the left, wearing headphones, eyes closed with an expression of focused, enjoyable listening. Her hair is pulled back in a red scrunchie, and she is holding her hands together in front. To the right, out of focus, is Charlotte seated. Also wearing large headphones, she appears to be looking into middle distance, to listen. A camera on a tripod with a fluffy microphone is behind and between them.
The photo shows Hannah standing the left, wearing headphones, eyes closed with an expression of focused, enjoyable listening. Her hair is pulled back in a red scrunchie, and she is holding her hands together at her front. To the right, slightly out of focus, is Charlotte seated. Also wearing large headphones, as well as a camera around her neck, she appears to be looking into middle distance, to listen. A camera on a tripod with a fluffy microphone is behind and between them.

Photo credit: Imperial War Museums.