AN exciting development culminating in a temporary exhibition for August 2022 seeks to re connect and newly introduce people with The Square’s former venue’s rich heritage.

Whilst generations of Harlow residents no doubt remember the beloved scene, as we near five years since The Square’s closure in 2017, young musicians, artists and fans remain at a loss for a local gig and circuit venue.

Harlow Museum is thankful for a generous donation of archive materials and recordings rescued from The Square before it closed. This project will see hundreds of items catalogued into the collection for the benefit of future generations.

Much of the excitement for volunteers and staff at the museum will come from a treasure trove of video tapes which formed the bulk of the donation. Given the big names who graced The Square’s stage, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that a significant discovery is just waiting to be found whilst analysing the paperwork and watching these tapes.

Harlow Museum warmly invites volunteers, whether you’re solely interested in The Square or share a passion for archives and museum conservation to be involved in this task.

Key roles will involve mostly assisting in watching and digitising video tapes, to the cataloguing of flyers, leaflets and other materials and doing some further research towards the exhibition.

Perhaps you have retained strong links with local musicians and artists and would be able to help identify bands shown in the tapes or maybe you have a spare VHS player you’d be willing to lend to the museum to assist with the project?

Do consider having a friendly discussion about any of the above volunteer roles with the museum team by emailing [email protected] or calling 01279 64222

The conservation and education of Harlow’s heritage for future generations is a collective effort. Knowing how beloved a venue The Square was socially and economically for Harlow, the Museum is privileged to coordinate this archival project and will share regular updates building up to the temporary exhibition in 2022.