World War One: a Valleys View

During a visit to Big Pit National Coal Museum, a group of young people learnt how Welsh miners used their skills in the trenches of the Western Front. They then tracked the journeys of Welsh soldiers who served on the Western Front, Greece, Turkey, East Africa and China.

The young people worked with professional artists to produce animations, capturing the stories from the Theatres of War around the world where Welsh regiments served. The animations integrated personal stories with the broad narrative of the First World War.

Using their First World War-themed van, Head for Arts travelled through Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil encouraging people to share family stories, memories and reflections on the war. The van was decorated like a First World War dug-out and equipped with cameras, audio equipment and a scanner, enabling the team of artists on board to record 33 digital stories.

The films were screened at community events and local exhibitions and are available online on the project’s website and on Historypin.