Impact to date

14-18 NOW connects people with the First World War through the transformative power of the arts. Between 2014 and 2018, we worked in partnership with arts and heritage organisations across the UK to commission extraordinary new arts experiences.

You can download 14-18 NOW’s evaluation reports further down this page

• 35 million people experienced our projects
• Including 8 million young people
• We have worked with 420 artists from 40 countries
• Projects have taken place in 220 locations across the UK, from Orkney to Plymouth, Norwich to Belfast, with many projects touring internationally
• 16 million people took part in LIGHTS OUT
• 4.5 million people saw Poppies: Wave and Weeping Window on tour
• 63% of the UK population were aware of Jeremy Deller’s We’re here because we’re here
• 52% of the UK population were aware of Peter Jackson’s film They Shall Not Grow Old and nearly 4 million people have seen the film
• 48% of the UK population were aware of Danny Boyle’s Pages of the Sea marking the centenary of Armistice
• 80,000 women and girls took part in Artichoke’s PROCESSIONS, marking the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918

Key findings:

14-18 NOW is independently evaluated by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre to capture a range of artistic, heritage, partnership, volunteering and audience outputs and outcomes. Key findings include:

• Our programme of events have set a new benchmark for the arts and heritage sectors in commemorating national moments both in the UK and internationally
• Experiencing a 14-18 NOW project has demonstrably increased the UK public’s sense of relevance of the First World War
• We’re here because we’re here on 1 July 2016 raised the bar for cultural programming and has become a leading model for large-scale artist-led commemoration in the UK and internationally
• Our programme of free events has reached more diverse audiences than normally for the arts and heritage sectors and shown the value of public outdoor arts in engaging new audiences
• In undertaking work across the UK and a diverse range of activity, 14-18 NOW is succeeding in achieving reach and resonance at a local, national and international level

By re-shaping the commemorative act, 14-18 NOW projects have presented heritage on an individual, human scale and enabled artists, participants and audiences to connect emotionally and intellectually with the First World War; prompting people to be more curious about those who lived during it and inspiring them to find out more.

Reports:

Download the reports below for a summary of findings from the five-year programme.