Walking Between Craters

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Simon Whitehead
Locws Projects 2010/2
2010 marks 70 years since the beginning of the devastating bombing of Swansea during the Second World War and most notably the Three Nights Blitz of February 1941. A new public art project commissioned by Swansea arts charity Locws International, marks this traumatic part of the city’s history by exploring the bomb craters left across the city and collating stories of peoples’ experiences and memories of them.

Artist Simon Whitehead has used aerial photographs of the city taken by the Luftwaffe in the 1940’s that reveal the extent of the craters spread out across the city and on Kilvey Hill. He has found that many of the craters still exist and many of these are hidden, have been colonised by plant life and overgrown, filled in, built over, played in, or have acquired other uses.
“I am making a hand-drawn walkers map and guide to the existent and disappeared craters across the city and hope to interview local people who remember the bombing, those who can recall stories from older family members and the many people who have played in, visited or used the craters in different ways”, said Simon Whitehead. “I regard the project as a form of memorial, revealing how the craters have been incorporated into Swansea’s folklore and how people’s relationships to them have transformed the original trauma of the bombings”.
If you have any stories relating to this part of Swansea’s history then we would like to hear from you. We will be collecting these local stories on August 31st where you can meet Simon and share your memories. If you are interested in taking part then please contact Locws International on 01792 468979.
‘Walking Between Craters’ is part of a series of artworks commissioned by Locws International for the 2010 Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. The project runs from 8th – 31st October and maps will be available from the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Museum.

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Cerdded Rhwng Craterau
2010 yn nodi 70 mlynedd ers cychwyn y bomio dinistriol o Abertawe yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd, ac yn fwyaf nodedig y Tair Noson Blitz o Chwefror 1941. Mae prosiect celf gyhoeddus newydd a gomisiynwyd gan yr elusen y celfyddydau Abertawe Locws Rhyngwladol, yn nodi y rhan hon trawmatig o hanes y ddinas gan edrych ar y Craterau bom chwith ar draws y ddinas ac yn coladu straeon o brofiadau pobl ac atgofion ohonynt.

Simon Whitehead wedi defnyddio awyrluniau o’r ddinas a gymerwyd gan y Luftwaffe yn y 1940au gan ddangos hyd a lled y Craterau lledaenu ar draws y ddinas ac ar Kilvey Hill. Mae wedi canfod fod llawer o’r Craterau yn dal i fodoli ac mae llawer o’r rhain yn cael eu cuddio, wedi bod yn cytrefu gan fywyd planhigion wedi gordyfu ac, llenwi, a adeiladwyd dros, yn chwarae yn, neu wedi cael gafael ar defnyddiau eraill.
“Yr wyf yn gwneud map gerddwyr llaw-dynnu ac yn arwain at y Craterau gael a diflannu ar draws y ddinas ac yn gobeithio y cyfweliad bobl leol sy’n cofio’r bomio, y rhai sy’n gallu cofio straeon gan aelodau o’r teulu hŷn ac y mae llawer o bobl sydd wedi chwarae yn, ymweld neu ei ddefnyddio y Craterau mewn gwahanol ffyrdd, “meddai Simon Whitehead. “Yr wyf yn ystyried y prosiect fel ffurf o gofeb, gan ddatgelu sut y Craterau wedi cael eu hymgorffori i mewn i Abertawe llên gwerin a sut y bydd cysylltiadau pobl iddynt wedi gweddnewid y trawma gwreiddiol y bomiau”.
Os oes gennych unrhyw storïau yn ymwneud â hyn yn rhan o hanes Abertawe, yna byddem yn hoffi clywed oddi wrthych. Byddwn yn casglu y straeon lleol ar 31ain Awst lle gallwch gwrdd â Simon a rhannu eich atgofion. Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn cymryd rhan, yna, cysylltwch â Locws Rhyngwladol ar 01792 468979.
‘Cerdded Rhwng Craterau’ yn rhan o gyfres o weithiau celf a gomisiynwyd gan Locws Rhyngwladol 2010 yn Abertawe Gŵyl Gerddoriaeth a Chelf. Mae’r prosiect yn rhedeg o 8 – 31 Hydref a mapiau ar gael o Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau ac Amgueddfa Abertawe.

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