Sabaton First World War movie project involving Hartlepool's Heugh Battery Museum declared mission accomplished

Movie The War To End All Wars weaved together animation with First World War stories behind Swedish metal band Sabaton's powerful songs.

The film was screened in 140 museums spanning 30 countries during November including at Hartlepool’s Heugh Battery Museum, on the Headland.

It was part of a History Rocks charity initiative to encourage more people to visit and support their local museums and open them up to an untapped audience of Sabaton’s huge fanbase.

The project was declared a resounding success by participating museums.

Sabaton bass player Pär Sundström said: “This project honestly went better than we could have even imagined.

"The feedback we received both during and after the event was incredible, and the fact that we’ve actually made a difference to the museums with the History Rocks project means everything to us.

"Mission accomplished.”

Diane Stephens, manager of the Heugh Battery Museum, which held multiple screenings of the film, highlighted its potential as an effective educational resource for people of all ages.

She said: "Apart from the value it has for adult audiences, we feel that students and pupils of teenage years would get a lot from screenings of this film and it would create a lot of discussion.

“We feel the film clearly shows it was a World War with many nations involved, which was fought on many fronts, including the sea and air.”

The band are exploring ways to present the film to a wider audience.