Never Such Innocence is made up of a close-knit team dedicated to giving children and young people opportunities to reflect on conflict, and a platform to amplify their voices.

Lady Lucy French OBE,
Founder

Katie Salari,
Chief Executive Officer

Vivi Gao
UAL DPS Placement
Engagement Manager

Will Dalziel,
Director of Programmes

Kulsoma Khatun
UAL DPS Placement
Copywriter

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We are fortunate to work with inspirational colleagues to deliver Never Such Innocence to communities far and wide.

Clive Sanders
Poet in Residence

Nik Perring
Poetry Practitioner

Jenny Catlow
Photographer

Rural Arts
Art Practitioners

Emily Hopkins
Art Practitioner

Otto
Songwriting Practitioner

Andy Craven-Griffiths
Poetry Practitioner

Rachel McGivern
Art Practitioner

Never Such Innocence

Never Such Innocence is a registered charity (number 1156148) in England and Wales and is a unique project fitting into the wider series of 2014-2018 centenary activities. Our aim is to ensure young people nationally are inspired, informed and included in the centenary activities.

The charity takes its name from Philip Larkin’s famous poem MCMXIV, which reflects on the changes caused by the First World War. The driving force behind Never Such Innocence is Lady Lucy French, great-granddaughter of Field Marshal Sir John French who commanded the British Expeditionary Forces from 1914-15.

The launch of Never Such Innocence was kindly hosted at Australia House in May 2014 with a gala dinner and theatrical performance, blending poetry, prose and music from the Great War, compiled by Dr Martin Stephen. Since our inception we have been dedicated to engaging the nation’s children in the First World War centenary through learning, poetry, art and music.

T: 0207 836 2603
11 Slingsby Place, London,
WC2E 9AB

Never Such Innocence.
Registered Charity Number 1156148 Company Number 8680319

Are you looking for a song to sing at your Remembrance Day assembly? Why not sing 'The 11th of November' written by students from The Nicholas Hamond Academy during one of our songwriting workshops. We have sheet music, backing tracks and lyric sheets available for your school or group. Email us on enquiries@neversuchinnocence.com to get your copy! #RemembranceDay #lestweforget #poppy

Violetta, our inspiring Young Ambassador from New Zealand, gives a multi-lingual invitiation to participate in this year's competition!✨ #YouthEmpowered #CreativeYouth #GlobalVoices

🎨 The artist shared: 'In this picture I have drawn the values of Kazakhstan, which are listed by UNESCO as important elements of our nomadic people. And by recognizing the same important and beautiful elements of each nation, we can prevent war. After all, war occurs because of the greed of the government.' For more details and to join the competition, visit our official website at neversuchinnocence.com. We invite you to answer the crucial question: How can we prevent future wars? Share your idea with us! #neversuchinnocence #YouthVoices #GlobalArtists

Ahead of Remembrance Day, why not consider how the act of Remembrance could answer this year's competition theme: How can we prevent future wars? Image reference: - “Love to Our Country / Lest we Forget” by Jude, 14-16, Canada. Never Such Innocence Competition 2016-17 - Salisbury, F. O. (1920). The Burial of the Unknown soldier [Oil on Canvas]. Parliamentary Art Collection, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. - “I Miss You” by Vasilisa, 14-16, from Art School of Olga Nazarkina, Deep River, Canada. Never Such Innocence Competition 2017-18 “How Can We Prevent Future Wars?” Annual NSI Competition 2024/25 Deadline: 28/02/2025 Stay up to date on the competition by following our social media @neversuch and checking out the link in bio for more resources! #artcompetition #neversuchinnocence #arttips #remembranceday #remembranceday2024 #armisticeday #armisticeday2024

Team

Team

Never Such Innocence