Media and Memory in Wales 1950-2000

Dr Iwan Morus

Do you remember sitting in front of the television to watch the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, the harrowing images of the Aberfan disaster, the groundbreaking launch of the Welsh fourth channel S4C, or the mounting tension as the results of the 1997 referendum on devolution were announced?

Such memories will provide the basis for ‘Media and Memory in Wales 1950 – 2000’, a major new study into the influence of television on family life in Wales during the second half of the 20th century, “the age of television”.

‘Media and Memory in Wales 1950 – 2000’ was launched at the Aberystwyth University stand at the National Eisteddfod on Tuesday 3 August at 2.30 p.m.

Led by Dr Iwan Morus and Dr Jamie Medhurst at Aberystwyth University, researchers will record interviews with people in Wrexham, Caernarfon, the Rhondda and Carmarthen about their memories of watching historic events on television and how these reflect their sense of belonging and identity.

The events are: The Coronation of Elizabeth II (1953), the drowning of the Tryweryn valley (1950s), the Aberfan disaster (1966), the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales (1969), the Golden Age of Welsh Rugby (1970s), the First Referendum on Devolution (1979), the Launch of a Welsh Language Television Channel (1982), the Miners’ Strike (1984-5) / Pit Closures, and the Second Referendum on Devolution (1997).

Working with project partners Culturenet Cymru, the interviews will form a bilingual online digital archive to which members of the public will be able to add their own memories in the form of images, audio or video.

Dr Iwan Morus said: “It is a truism that family life during the second half of the twentieth century revolved increasingly around the television set which formed a prominent feature – often the primary focus - of the living room. Our aim is to collect and archive people’s memories relating to the age of television in Wales, from seeing television for the first time to watching these major TV events.”

“By focussing on four distinct and distinctive geographical and linguistic communities our aim is to bring together a spectrum of memories that represent a national collective memory of television in Wales.”

“The Welsh context is particularly pertinent to the project and adds significantly to its potential value since, for a variety of political and linguistic reasons, the history of television in Wales has been particularly conflicted. For much of the fifty years in question, television formed a key battleground in struggles for linguistic and national identity. The archive resulting from this project will provide a significant resource for understanding the politics of television.”

‘Media and Memory in Wales, 1950 – 2000’ is funded by an award of £93,000 by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC).

Interviews for the project will be held during the autumn of 2010. People living in the Wrexham, Caernarfon, the Rhondda and Carmarthen areas who would like to be considered for interview are invited to put their names forward by contacting info@culturenetcymru.com.

The website is expected to be launched in the spring of 2011. The content will also be accessible via The People’s Collection www.peoplescollectionwales.com. 

Dr Iwan Rhys Morus is a Reader in History at the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University. He is a historian of science and technology with particular interests in the history of communication technologies and in technology and popular culture. He has published extensively in these fields and has successfully overseen research projects such as Science and Culture in Nineteenth-century Wales, funded by the University of Wales Board of Celtic Studies.

Dr Jamie Medhurst is Senior Lecturer and Director of Learning and Teaching at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University. His teaching and research interests lie in broadcasting history and broadcasting policy. He is also interested in the role of radio and television in issues surrounding national identity. He is a member of the European Network in Television History and is on the Board of the Centre for Media History at the University.

AU13910

Share