A summer-long exhibition on the First World War is being launched this week in Bury St Edmunds with the help of drama students.

The special evening, called the Voices of the Great War, this Friday will kick off Moyse’s Hall Museum’s exhibition, which also includes a project to tell the story of the war through the lives of everyday people in Bury.

People can tour the exhibition while the performance and production arts students from West Suffolk College’s Conservatoire EAST perform one-act plays, deliver speeches, sing songs and give readings from the period.

Heritage officer Alex McWhirter, of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to host Voices of The Great War and the students have put together some wonderful pieces to help launch our exhibition and Pot Luck project.

“The performances bring a national perspective on The Great War to the evening while people look at the exhibits at close hand and discover more about the individual lives of local people during the time through our Pot Luck project.

“As a museum we are constantly innovating in the way we engage with our audiences by using cultural crossovers such as film, art and theatre, to bring our exhibitions to life.”

He said for Pot Luck - compiled by the museum’s heritage trainees - people choose a numbered card which leads them to discover the life story of a local person, as well as find associated objects such as photographs, clothing and artefacts. “It is an interactive experience which also creates a lasting legacy which can then be used at schools as an educational resource,” he said.

Voices of The Great War starts at 7pm.