New Immersive Learning Experience to Mark 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster

The Orbit Business Centre is proud to launch a new educational and heritage project to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, helping to ensure that one of Wales' most significant stories continues to inspire and educate future generations.

The Aberfan 60th Anniversary Immersive Learning Experience combines survivor testimony, immersive digital technology and curriculum-linked educational resources to create a powerful and engaging learning experience for young people, families and visitors.

The project aims not only to remember the events of 21 October 1966, but also to celebrate the extraordinary resilience, compassion and determination shown by the people of Aberfan in the decades that followed. Through conversations with survivors and emergency service people at the scene, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the disaster's impact on the community and the enduring lessons it offers around wellbeing, citizenship, social responsibility and community resilience.

The experience is also supported by high-quality educational materials designed to complement the Curriculum for Wales, enabling schools across the country to engage with this important chapter of Welsh history.

As the 60th anniversary approaches, the immersive learning experience will bring together heritage, education and technology to help share the story of Aberfan with a new generation. By placing the voices of survivors at its heart, the project will encourage reflection, understanding and empathy, while celebrating the strength and resilience of a community that overcame unimaginable loss.

Lucia Beattie, Orbit Business Centre Project Development Lead, said: "Developing this immersive experience has been both a privilege and a responsibility. We wanted to create something that honours the memory of those who lost their lives while helping new audiences connect with the human stories behind the tragedy. Through innovative technology and authentic testimony, we hope people will leave with a deeper understanding of both Aberfan's history and the remarkable strength and resilience shown by the community in the years that followed.

I would like to thank all those who shared their stories and experiences with us, as well as everyone who supported the development of the project. We are grateful to the survivors, families, community members, partner organisations and archive holders who helped ensure that Aberfan’s history has been represented with care, dignity and authenticity"

Jeff Edwards, one of the survivors who approached the Council to undertake this project, commented: “New generations need to know what Aberfan was all about, if nothing else so that such a thing is never allowed to happen again.”

Brent Carter, Leader of the Council, commented: "Aberfan's story is one of tragedy, but it is also a story of courage, resilience and community. This new immersive experience gives visitors a unique opportunity to hear directly from those who lived through the disaster and to understand the lasting impact it had on the village and beyond.

By preserving these voices and sharing them with future generations, we are helping to ensure that the memory of those who were lost is never forgotten and that the lessons of Aberfan remain relevant today."

The experience is open to the public Monday to Thursday, between 4pm and 6pm, and on Fridays, between 2pm and 4pm, from 14 October to 27 November.

To book, please contact the Orbit Business Centre on 01685 352700 / orbit.centre@merthyr.gov.uk