“Add to the Timeline” Competition

Barry Town Council has revealed the winner of its ‘Add to the Timeline’ competition that called for budding young artists to express their feelings, experiences, and memories of the COVID pandemic during the year 2020.

Aiming to providing an exciting opportunity for young people to engage with a piece of history and contribute to the recording of it, schools and voluntary organisations across Barry were invited to participate.

Following the competition’s launch on March 11th, 2023, numerous creative entries were received from St. Helens Catholic Primary School, Jenner Park Primary School, 5th Barry Guides, and 5th Barry Scouts. Entries were then closed on June 1st, before being shortlisted and then judged by the Councillors of Barry Town Council’s Halls, Cemeteries and Community Facilities Committee.

A perceptive drawing by now former Jenner Park Primary School student, Isabelle Jackson, was selected as the winner and is now a permanent feature on the timeline. The Mayor of Barry, Councillor Ian Johnson, and councillors from the Halls, Cemeteries and Community Facilities Committee met with Isabelle on 12th March to present her winning certificate and discuss the design. Isabelle’s design was chosen for its emotive focal point – a teary-eyed girl wearing a face mask – and the widely-relatable subject matter surrounding the girl: hand sanitiser, a laptop for online classes, COVID-19 virus and a sign depicting no outdoors.

Chair of the Committee, Councillor Nic Hodges said;
“Isabelle’s powerful artwork captures the essence of our journey through the COVID-19 pandemic, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, creativity and resilience shine brightly. Her image on the history timeline serves as a poignant symbol of hope, unity, and the strength of human spirit during challenging times.”

Since its recent 2020 addition, the timeline now showcases over 130 years of local history, spanning all the way back to 1889. The timeline board can be found in Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery, where it was installed and unveiled in 2021 by a previous Mayor of Barry, after being commissioned by Barry Town Council.