Awen to Commemorate 80 Years Since End of WWII

To commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War, Awen Cultural Trust has commissioned a brand new multi-sensory immersive exhibition, Voices of Freedom, for installation at Maesteg Town Hall from Saturday 8th to Tuesday 11th November.

Combining cutting-edge technology with historical storytelling, Voices of Freedom is being developed in partnership with the award-winning 4Pi Productions and will invite visitors to step into the past, reflect on the future and consider what ‘freedom’ means to them.

The main hall at Maesteg Town Hall will be transformed with a series of custom-made interactive installations inspired by wartime memories of local veterans and communities, to provide a thought-provoking experience for all ages.

Highlights of the art installations include:

• A Room of Reflection. A mirrored space where visitors can figuratively and literally reflect whilst listening to a recording of the poem ‘Freedom Road’ by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

• Veterans’ Voices. Videos of local veterans sharing stories of their experiences and thoughts on freedom. Audio will be provided through headsets to allow for quiet contemplation.

• Fields of Poppies. Using augmented reality to digitally project a field of red poppies onto the wooden floor of the main hall, which move as visitors walk across the installation.

• Special lanterns. These will be created during art workshops facilitated by Awen’s Associate Artist, Nazeem Syed, at Awen Libraries across Bridgend County Borough throughout October.

‘Voices of Freedom’ forms part of ‘Our Freedom: Then and Now’, a UK-wide creative programme supported by the UK Government through Arts Council England, the Future Arts Centres and Libraries Connected.

Annabel Turpin, Co-Director of Future Arts Centres, said:

“Our Freedom: Then and Now is about more than remembrance. It’s about giving our communities the chance to define what freedom means to them, in their words, voices, and art.”

Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, said:

“Along with our colleagues at Chapter Arts Centre, we are proud to represent Wales as one of the 80 arts centres, libraries and museums participating in the ‘Our Freedom: Then and Now’ programme.

“We will be using our funding to empower artists, veterans and local people to come together and create a highly visual and memorable experience where communities can reflect on the legacy of the Second World War and how it feels for people today.

“Our aim is not only to remember the unimaginable sacrifices of war but use new technology to create a multi-sensory, cross-generational experience which demonstrates that history is not just something we study, but something we feel.”

Councillor Jane Gebbie, Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Wellbeing, said:

“We are proud to support this poignant exhibition to mark a hugely significant period in history. It will offer visitors the opportunity to stop and reflect on what ‘freedom’ actually means as to us all, as both individuals and as a community. This is a must-see exhibition celebrating our local legacy, creativity, and the continuing importance of freedom.”