THE colourful story of Craigavon is to be captured on film to mark its 50th anniversary.
An oral history project will explore the unique heritage of the town, what it was like to move there and the challenges of creating a new community.
With a £43,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Capturing Craigavon will chart its history from its conception in the 1960s through to the present day.
Artefacts will also be gathered and the whole project publicised in a series of films as well as an online resource.
Craigavon was planned as the centre of a 'new city' in north Armagh incorporating Lurgan and Portadown.
Thousands of people were encouraged to relocate to new housing estates, but less than half the work was ultimately completed and the area's main employer left.
Catherine McNeill from Brownlow Festival Committee, organiser of Capturing Craigavon, said it is an exciting initiative.
"The story of Craigavon
both is a very interesting tale itself, but it also marks a number of important changes in the history of Northern Ireland during the past 50 years," she said.
"This community project aims to explore and document the social history of Craigavon, charting the events, stories and implications of its founding from conception in the 1960s, through the decline of the late 1980s and 90s and to regeneration and renewal of the 2000s to the present day."
Paul Mullan from Heritage Lottery Fund: "Academics have often studied the design and concept of creating a new town but this project explores the actual experiences of living, working and creating a new community within this designed space.
"We've already heard a few of the stories so we are really looking forward to seeing this community project come to fruition."