Shared Experience: Leisure

Art and War

Leisure looks at a broad range of experiences: the means of escape, the fleeting pleasures, and, eventually, the celebration of peace. The day-to-day realities that confronted civilians and military personnel were stressful, prolonged, and exhausting. There was a need to get away in order to survive and endure the continuing hardships and deprivations. Performances at the theatre and cinema provided opportunities to forget the constant presence of war and indulge in fun and fantasy. Fairgrounds, local parks, pubs, even the streets, were havens for relaxation and laughter. Artists through their work were able to show this other side of war.