Three art works were created as part of the Future Memory in Place project. They were displayed/unveiled at the finale events on the 30 September – 1 October 2011. These artworks were:

1) A permanent sculpture based on the ancient artefact of the same name, the Tessera Hospitalis, sited at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

2) A live performance of 1000 Colours Blue, a filmic piece accompanied by a score performed by a choir, derived from the blue colours (1000 Blues) collected from the Swansea landscape by participants. Performed in Castle Gardens, Swansea city centre, using the BBC Big Screen.

3) An exhibition of 800 postcards which arose from the participants’ many connections with places around the world, shown at the Oriel Bach Gallery, Swansea.


The main installation of the exhibition at Oriel Bach Gallery (Mumbles, Swansea; 30 September 2011 onwards) was ‘Skywards’, an installation of 800 postcards created by 800 pupils ages 3 - 16 from the following nine Swansea Schools: Cila, Cwm Glas, Cwmrhydyceirw, Dylan Thomas, Hendrefoilan, Morriston, Parkland, Sea View & St. Helens.

Front of Postcards: The images represent one part of a 360 degree study of the skylines as seen from the schools’ grounds. They are a combination of a real time response to the landscape and also a memory. They began as observational drawings outside and were then developed inside from memory.

Back of Postcards: The texts on the back of the postcards are responses to the following four questions:
1) If you could take any part of Swansea to the moon what would it be?
2) If you could put Swansea anywhere in the world where would you put it?
3) If you could take any part of the world and bring it to Swansea what would it be and where would you locate it?
4) When you think of Swansea what colours come to mind?

Time Travel: All the postcards were sent form Swansea across the UK to the Department of Classics and Ancient History. The postmarks record the time, date and place of sending, making the cards historical documents. The cards have now returned to Swansea some 4 months later. What memories will they conjure? Their mobility continues as they circulate through printed reproductions as invitations for this show (every card has been reproduced), which can be sent on again. We invite you to do so.

These postcards were created by pupils working with Catrin Webster and student volunteers: P Cheater, C Davies, N Dowdle, S Elliot, C Evans, S Evans, S Lloyd, M Morgan, G Parker, D Rees, L Savigar, A Saville, E Simmonds, T Tesadern-Hill.

Restricted Access: Some items in this collection are restricted, as they contain sensitive data regarding children or high resolution images. In order to request access to any such restricted data, please contact Dr Elena Isayev and Catrin Webster.

Recent Submissions

  • All Postcards - Fronts - Censored 

    Isayev, Elena; Webster, Catrin (University of Exeter, 13 February 2013)
    This item contains all of the fronts of the postcards produced by school pupils during workshops conducted as part of the AHRC-funded 'Future Memory in Place' project. They are firstly divided by school, and then divided ...
  • All Postcards - Backs - Censored 

    Isayev, Elena; Webster, Catrin (University of Exeter, 13 February 2013)
    This item contains all of the backs of the postcards produced by school pupils during workshops conducted as part of the AHRC-funded 'Future Memory in Place' project. They are firstly divided by school, and then divided ...
  • A Sample of Postcard Fronts 

    Isayev, Elena; Webster, Catrin (University of Exeter, 12 February 2013)
    This is a small sample of some of the fronts of the postcards produced by school pupils during workshops conducted as part of the AHRC-funded 'Future Memory in Place' project. The images on the front of the postcards ...

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