Murals
As part of the project, THEW Crew created three murals that beautifully bring together the town’s past, present, and future through the eyes of local children. Artists Ryan Lee Davies and Matthew Cole noted – ‘As local lads who’ve grown up in the community, we are grateful to have had the opportunity to take the children’s ideas and turn them into a piece of art that represents the past, present and future of our town. We tried to make the murals as seen through the children’s eyes – nice, colourful, and happy, and we really hope everyone enjoys it.’

Past: Choosing the elements of the oral history interviews that resonated most with the children, this mural highlights the steelworks as 'everybody worked in the steelworks in some capacity', the mountains where many interviewees recall playing all day, only coming home when they could hear their mother shouting their names, or they had run out of food. This mural also attests to the contrasting narratives about the motorway: some people see it as destructive, others have happy memories of playing in the space, e.g. roller skating through the pillars. In this sense, the motorway is a microcosm of the town and the various narratives written about our community!

Present: This mural reflects the local primary school children's pride in the area. During our chalk workshop in June, one child chalked 'Love Port Talbot, Best Place in Wales' onto a pillar - we knew this had to be immortalised in our present mural! Other children focused on the built environment around them that they love, this included landmarks like the bandstand in Taibach Park, the famous Aberavon whale, and various local parks. It encapsulates their love for the town and the communities that they belong to.

Future: This mural drew on futuristic concepts of what the children thought Port Talbot would be like in 20 years. There was an idea that DJ aliens would be partying in the steelworks, that everybody would travel by flying car, and that our local buildings would look 'cooler'. HOPE is a nod to the existing graffiti on pillars throughout the town, which the children often replicated in their drawings, but it also signifies their hopefulness for the town's future!