Pupils from Maesteg Comprehensive are among those to have contributed items for a time capsule which is set to be buried beneath Maesteg Town Hall as part of its £8m redevelopment.
The capsule, which has been registered with the International Time Capsule Society, will be opened after a hundred years have passed in the year 2122.
It will contain a poem called ‘Maesteg: Our Town, Our History’ which has been written by Year 8 students Olivia Waite, Emily Rees, Noah Tanner, Angus Gray and Dylan Norris, and artwork by Year 7 Expressive Arts students Lois Hopkins, Katy John, Shaun Prior and Rachela Glowacka.
Among the other items placed waiting to be discovered by future generations will be a Covid-19 facemask and lateral flow test, newspaper articles documenting the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the war in Ukraine, coins, stamps and references to current technology, music and fashion.
The time capsule will be buried by building contractors Knox and Wells as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Grade II listed town hall building, which is scheduled to reveals new features including a brand new library, heritage centre, café, studio theatre and cinema space in 2023.
Kellie Turner, Director of Learning for Languages, Literacy and Communication at Maesteg Comprehensive, said: “Pupils at Maesteg School always enjoy the opportunity to participate in community events, so to contribute to the time capsule project was a real privilege.
“Both the artwork and poetry reflect what Maesteg means to our pupils in terms of community and heritage. We are all very excited by the fact that our work reflecting Maesteg, past and present, will one day also be part of the future.”
The idea to create a time capsule as part of the Maesteg Town Hall redevelopment project is a really fitting way to add even more history to a building that is already so iconic across the county borough.
It will be fascinating for future generations to uncover the artefacts in 100 years’ time, and I’m sure that it will give them a real insight into what life is like today.
It is also great to see that pupils from Maesteg Comprehensive School are involved in this project as the redevelopment will have a positive and long-lasting impact on people of all ages.
Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration
Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, the registered charity which is working in partnership with Bridgend County Borough Council to transform Maesteg Town Hall, said: “The work that is underway at Maesteg Town Hall to secure its future, and ensure it is fit for purpose for very many years to come, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, so I am delighted that local school pupils have been involved in this time capsule project.
“It is amazing to think that their grandchildren may uncover the poem and artwork they created in 2022 in 2122 – a real piece of social history in the making! I am sure that whoever opens the capsule in the future will find the contents fascinating.”
The project is being funded by Bridgend County Borough Council, Welsh Government’s regeneration funding and Transforming Towns Place Making grant, the Valleys Task Force, European Regional Development Fund, Awen Cultural Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Maesteg Town Council, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Davies Trust.
