An exciting new campaign by âThe Valleys That Changed The Worldâ project is about to hit industrial heritage sites in the Valleys. Aimed at taking visitors on an adventure - it uses photo-boards and social media to engage people with âpioneersâ from the Industrial Revolution.
Based around the lives of three fictional characters, the âPioneersâ campaign captures the spirit of adventure and expectation faced by the hundreds of thousands of people who , in desperation rapidly moved in to the area during this exciting period in Welsh History.
Cllr Lewis Jones, Executive Member for Regeneration at Torfaen Council, explains:
âWe wanted to tie in with Visit Walesâ âyears of adventure and legendsâ by creating fun and creative trails linked to the people who came to our area during the Industrial Revolution â true adventurers who left their old lives behind for the chance of a better life in our Valleys. These really were pioneers of their timeâ!
The downloadable trails are geographically spread across the Valleys. In the East, we meet Tim, a boy from Ireland who has come over with his family, initially to Blaenavon. In the central area we meet Hetty, who travels from the countryside of Carmarthen to work as a maid for the Crawshays at Cyfartha; and in the West, we meet Jack, a Cornish lad who has travelled over with the copper ore to the docks in Swansea.
Itâs when you start following the trails on the ground that things get fun, as project coordinator Ruth Taylor-Davies explains:
âAt three sites on each route, youâll get to âmeetâ and have your photo taken with our character at that stage in their story, thanks to our specially commissioned photo-boards. So, at The World Heritage site you find Tim as a fresh-faced boy, but by the end of the route, over 20 years of hard work have taken their toll on him. But thatâs not all, you are encouraged to say how your think your characterâs story ends, by visiting other sites and letting your creative juices flow. â. She added... âIâm genuinely excited about the trails. We think weâve hit on something that people will really love and have fun engaging with, as it fits with the fashion for sharing photos on social media as well as the whole âphoto boothâ trend that you see in weddings and partiesâ.
Inspired by the creative approaches adopted by Visit Wales and Cadw during Walesâ Year of Adventure, the project believes it has given a modern twist on the traditional idea of industrial heritage trails and hopes it will help to boost the traditionally quieter winter months at local heritage attractions.
To download the trails, visit: www.visitblaenavon.co.uk/TVTCTW/Pioneers; Follow us on Facebook (The Valleys That Changed The World) or Twitter @TVTCTW
Cllr Jim McIlwee, °Ĵ²ĉAĈĴ Councilâs Executive Member for the Economy, Infrastructure and Active Living, said:
âThis is an exciting way to expound our history and to encourage visitors to find out more about the Ironworking in Ebbw Vale. The General Office is a magnificent building which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. The building also contains Gwent Archives and the Ebbw Vale Works Museum that document the story of iron and steel in this valley.â
âThe Valleys that Changed the Worldâ project is led by Torfaen CBC on behalf of a public, private and third sector partners and has received funding from Welsh Government via Visit Wales.
For more information contact Ruth on 0786 2218066/lethaconsultancy@gmail.com