UNFOLDING

Year 3 Project 1

The U N F O L D I N G is a performance space and historical museum of Barry Island’s coal shipping industry and tourism past. This intervention aims to bring Barry’s industrial history to the forefront, unfolding the lost memories of an island that once captures the hearts of the working class across the nation, reminding locals and tourists alike of the booming growth Barry once experienced. It holds the idea of ‘backstage’ and ‘frontstage’ not in physical boundaries but rather by time-of-day. The intervention itself switches between the two modes.

The idea of duality is explored through different perspectives by holding the past, present and future together in one mass. The current creative community performing under an intervention inspired by Barry’s historical links to the mining industry with an accompanying journey of artifacts on display pointing out historic and key places, leading to a panoramic view of Barry. Inciting a curiosity to see what lies beyond the horizon.

Directly influenced by a headframe used in coal mining, its haphazard and in a way undesigned structure is an important symbol of mining history and captures the difference between the dirty hard-working coal industry and the sunshine and laughter of marketed tourism.