New Blackpool museum creates time capsule filled with lockdown memories

This current pandemic is the first time in the entire history of Blackpool where the whole resort has paused. It’s the first time that every attraction has been closed at the same time, the beaches and prom, cafes and shops are empty.

To capture this unique (hopefully soon to be over) moment in history, Blackpool’s first side-tickling, eye-popping, toe-tapping, mind-boggling museum of fun and entertainment, Showtown, is helping inject a sense of community across the town, by working with teachers from 48 Blackpool schools, to create a ‘lockdown time capsule’.

The Showtown Time Capsule will allow Blackpool’s pupils’ creativity to flow, with an open call out for memories to be included in the capsule including TikTok dance videos, recorded raps and songs, poems, written letters, drawings, cartoons or even mini sculptures. As long as the submissions capture and help to explain to future museum visitors how we managed to stay entertained during the world pandemic.

Showtown’s learning and engagement manager, Kerry Vasiliou said: “The lockdown has been tough on us all, especially the younger generation, but everyone has been keeping themselves entertained in unique ways. Blackpool is the home of entertainment and so what better place to store a time capsule for future generations to uncover and see what this period of time was like through the eyes of children in the town, than in Blackpool’s first museum, Showtown

“Our expert curators at Showtown did some research to check and the town has never closed in entirety, even staying open throughout both World Wars. Indeed, many people continued to visit the town throughout World War II and there was a huge number of military personnel based nearby. The Illuminations might not have shone, but our theatres, piers and entertainment complexes all remained open.

“We even found out that the Pleasure Beach added signs in Polish due to the large number of Polish soldiers stationed here.

“The Showtime Time Capsule will help to explain to future museum visitors just how we all kept our spirits high during this uncertain time and, we hope it creates a united bond that really lifts community spirits.”

Once collected, Showtown will store the pupils’ memories within the time capsule, which will be buried within the museum so, as the build progresses, their memories become part of the museum’s history.

To submit something for the time capsule please contact [email protected] (with subject title: Showtown Time Capsule)

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As well as accepting items from schools, Showtown will also accept memories from individual children in Blackpool.

Ideas for memories include:
1. TikTok style dance video
2. A recorded rap or song (the song that will remind you of this time)
3. A poem
4. A written letter to your future self
5. A postcard of what you have been doing
6. What you discovered about your area of Blackpool on your daily walks
7. A drawing, painting or sculpture (small) or any other type of craft. Perhaps you learnt to knit!
8. Something else that truly explains how we all kept our spirits high during this terrible time.

If you are submitting a memory independently from school, please remember:
• If your memory is digital please send to us on a USB or other digital storage device.
• When sending the memories please tell us the school name and the class. We don’t need to know individual names.
• We would like to receive all memories by the end of the summer term.