FLANDERS - FORGOTTEN HEROES (Indian Voices From World War One - Soldiers' Letters 1914-18) Our aim to raise awareness of the Hidden Histories of Indian soldiers in The First World War. In this pre-independence context, 'Indian soldiers' refers to Indians, Pakistanis & Bangladeshis. A Heritage Education funded project devised and created by Mán Melá Theatre Company with participatory workshops and performance, resulting in the production of an education resource/DVD. Sir James Willcocks, who commanded the Indian Corps in France in 1914-15 wrote:  “India’s soldiers will furnish no writers to thrill the generations to come; they will just pass with the great masses of India, content that they have done their duty and been faithful to their salt”. The commander’s words are only true if we allow the long-dead voices to remain unheard. The project aims to let us hear some of these soldiers’ voices again through their letters home from the war front or from hospitals. The project is inspired by the letters home of 'Indian' soldiers wounded on the Western Front in World War One and the burial sites of the war-wounded who died in the emergency hospital at Brighton Pavilion. The memorials from this period include the ones at Brighton and Woking, including the Shah Jehan Mosque, Britain's oldest purpose-built mosque and those in Flanders and Neuve Chapelle. Partners in this project include colleges, schools and youth groups in Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest and Woking Galleries.  The project will be based at the Brady Arts Centre, Whitechapel E1. Launch Autumn 2005. Previous Page