Interactive Memory Map of Broad Street Blaenavon

This project was part of the Blaenavon Townscape Heritage Programme (THP) delivering several community activities that delivered skills and training whilst underpinning the areas history. Head4Arts delivered a THP activity designed to work with the 65+ age group to explore, their relationship with Blaenavon’s town centre by focusing on everyday experiences of shopping in Broad Street over the years. The recollections were gathered and then brought to life by textile artist Penny Turnbull and digital artist Natasha James.

Penny created two long tapestrys showing each side of the street all relating to the stories collected.   Whilst I recorded the stories and created mini sound pockets, using sound cards with a light sensor that played automatically when slid from their sleeves on the tapestry.

Some of the shops shown no longer exist but have been reimagined from descriptions. Whilst the businesses have changed, personal memories have captured a specific period in time. The Blaenavon Digital Tapestry, builds upon these stories collected and has incorporated research carried out by the Blaenavon Heritage Centre History Group in particular of John and Lesley Addis and The Blaenavon Museum.  It brings art, memories and research together interactively as a resource for people to explore the trading history of, Broad Street, Blaenavon and to discover the layers of social history and its contemporary relevance.  The original tapestry is now located in the Arthur Jenkins Care Home and used as a memory tool. The Digital Tapestry will reside permanently in the Blaenavon Heritage Centre.

The second part of the project was for me to entirely digitise the experience.  This was done using Genially.  The memory map was expanded to include more research, photographs, maps and films.  It is located on a touch screen for the public to access in Blaenavon World Heritage Centre.