About

Cause and Effect investigates the complex, fractured relationship between the First World War and young people in Britain today. Following the recent EU referendum, the words “not too young to matter” have been repeatedly uttered by young voices across the UK. This expression was also used by young men under the age of 30 returning from the battlefields of Europe and North Africa at the end of the First World War. Their subsequent struggle led to them gaining the vote along with women, albeit it over the age of 30, for the first time.

One hundred years later, the First World War can feel like ancient history – a distant, grainy event with little relevance to our contemporary world. And yet there are countless connections to be drawn between then and now: between the post-war growth in women’s rights and today’s continuing fight for gender equality; between the rise of the labour movement in the 1920s and the struggle for workers’ rights in the 21st-century gig economy; between the post-war carve-up of north Africa and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and even between the lack of recognition for soldiers and porters from Africa and Asia and the recent “Windrush scandal”.

Leading artists and filmmakers will explore these subjects through a series of short films that will spark conversations about the legacy and lessons of WW1 online and offline. Using music, spoken word and film to engage with contemporary themes, Cause and Effect will retrace the narrative thread that runs from 14-18 to now.

The Roundhouse

The Roundhouse is a hub of inspiration where artists and emerging talent create extraordinary work and where young people can grow creatively as individuals. We believe in the power of creativity to change lives. By giving young people the chance to engage with the arts through our music, media and performance projects, we inspire them to reach further, dream bigger, and achieve more.

The Roundhouse is one of the most incredible live performance spaces in the world where the biggest names in music, theatre, circus and spoken word take to the stage every day.

We also have a growing programme of work in the digital space that currently includes live video broadcasts of concerts and events from the building and our young people’s led and programmed Internet radio station, Transmission Roundhouse.

We do all this because we believe creativity gives us freedom, hope and has the power to transform. We’re here to transform, create, agitate and excite. To shake things up.

14-18 NOW

14-18 NOW is a five-year programme of extraordinary arts experiences connecting people with the First World War. Working with arts and heritage partners all across the UK, we commission new artworks from leading contemporary artists, musicians, designers and performers, inspired by the period 1914-18.

Since the start of the First World War centenary in 2014, 14-18 NOW has commissioned over 325 artworks, which have been seen by more than 30 million people.

We firmly believe in the transformative power of the arts to bring the stories of the First World War to life. Perceptions of the war have been shaped by the artists of the time, including poets, painters, photographers and film-makers – many of whom served and who reflected on the war and its effects. One hundred years later, today’s artists are opening up new perspectives on the present as well as the past.