Sixteen students from Maesteg Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd proudly premiered their Maesteg Town Hall iBroadcast film to family, friends and invited guests in December.

The short film is the culmination of three days of workshops and mentorship from renowned sports analyst, TV commentator and former rugby union coach Sean Holley, supported by the team from the award-winning learning technology company Aspire 2Be.

iBroadcasts are hands-on training programmes, which provide students with experience of all aspects of the broadcasting process – research, scriptwriting, interviewing, lighting, sound, presenting and editing – to develop their self-confidence, communication, digital competency and leadership skills.

The Maesteg Town Hall iBroadcast showcases the history of the town hall with an array of old photographs and video footage, and interviews with Awen staff and members of the local community about the building’s recent redevelopment and reopening.

Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, said:

“Following the success of the Grand Pavilion iBroadcast earlier this year, we were delighted to collaborate with Sean and the Aspire 2Be team once again to create this wonderful film about Maesteg Town Hall. The students and their schools should be really proud of their achievements.

“Working together, they have not only planned, researched and presented a high quality short film, but they have developed a collection of valuable and transferable skills they can use in their studies and future careers.

“Worthwhile initiatives like this would not be possible for charities like Awen without grant funding so we thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their continued support. We look forward sharing this special iBroadcast with our local communities via our website and social media channels very soon.”

Ryan Evans, Senior Learning Specialist at Aspire 2Be added:

“It was incredibly inspiring to see the young participants evolve so quickly, both socially and personally, throughout the project. They fully embraced the opportunity to learn new digital and media skills. By presenting and conducting interviews, they explored the fascinating history of Maesteg’s Town Hall, growing into confident storytellers. Their passion and the skills they gained highlight the transformative impact of hands-on historical projects in developing both technical knowledge and personal development.”

The film is available to view here: https://youtu.be/QwU7KaC-bec?si=wqiJHdtvcJx3TgPa