Exhibitions
Touch-screen Interactives
The centre piece of the centre’s exhibition space consists of eight touch-screen stations, each providing opportunities for students to explore six topics including living and working conditions during the 19th century, transport, the making of iron, geology and World Heritage.
For the topic of living conditions, students can investigate a week in the life of a child in the 19th century recounted as a first-person narrative and, compare the contents of an ironworker’s cottage with an ironmaster’s mansion. There is also a ‘living wage’ game where students can try to manage a household budget on an ironworker’s wage.
On 19th century working conditions, students can investigate different jobs carried out by ordinary people during the Industrial Revolution and explore the role of an air-door boy (trapper), a drammer and a young collier in the 19th century. There is also a game where students can spot the dangers in the 19th century workplace.
On the theme of transport, students can compare the changing forms of transport from the days before the building of canals and railroads through to the 19th century with reference to the routes used to move iron and
coal from Blaenavon to Newport.
For the topic of iron making, students can learn about the raw materials that were needed to make iron and discover how a blast furnace worked. They can also investigate how pig iron was refined and watch an animation of the entire iron-making process at Blaenavon.
On the topic of geology, students can find out about how coal and ironstone were formed.
By exploring the theme of World Heritage, students can find out how World Heritage Sites are selected. A game – ‘Where in the World?’ – gives students an opportunity to explore different World Heritage Sites around the globe.
Graphic Panels
Displayed around the walls of the exhibition space are a series of graphic panels set out along a timeline which illustrate the changes that Blaenavon underwent during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Exploration of the wall-mounted displays will help students to develop their chronological awareness and historical knowledge and understanding of this area from the Industrial Revolution up to the present day. Text is written in such a way as to be accessible to a KS2 audience. A dedicated set of topic based pupil worksheets is available to support an
exploration of this resource as well as the touch-screen software in order to focus students’ attention.
Audio Stations
Featured within the exhibition space are two audio-stations which provide students with an opportunity to listen to first-hand testimonies by older residents of Blaenavon on various topics. These include: growing up and children’s games in the 1920s and 30s, Sunday schools, St. Peter’s school, housing and living conditions, the 1926 miners’ strike and the town of Blaenavon.
Audio-visual Theatres
The main exhibition area is complemented by two small theatres that feature films of 5 minutes’ duration; one examines the development of Blaenavon’s Industrial Heritage whilst the other, focuses on World Heritage Sites. Both films contribute to the Curriculum Cymreig and PSE by helping students to understand the factors that have
shaped Wales as well as exploring the theme of global citizenship. There are simplified versions of these two films that are more suitable for a KS2 audience available to screen by request.
The Blaenavon film is an excellent introduction to the history and changes that Blaenavon underwent during the Industrial Revolution, transforming South Wales from a rural backwater to one of the leading industrial centres in the World.
The World Heritage film explores the range and diversity of World Heritage sites and explains why sites are selected. It outlines the responsibilities of looking after a World Heritage Site as well as the challenges that such sites face in a changing World.