The Panel for the Get the Chance, Cultural Impact Awards 2025, supported by Tempo Time Credits, Ffilm Cymru Wales and Porters Cardiff, met two weeks ago, to decide the Long and Short list for this years awards. The Short list is below, the quality of nominations was very high and the panel had a very difficult decision, congratulations to everyone listed below!

The Short listed nominees will be invited to attend the live awards event at Porters, Cardiff on Saturday 22 March at Porters Cardiff 5-7pm.

Thanks to all of the members of the public that took time to nominate, it was great to see a range of cultural activity that reaches a broad range of the public and its positive impact on their quality of life.

Thanks to our panel for volunteering their time to support this inaugural Awards event.

Category

Public Event

(Sponsored by Tanio)

Operation Julie Tour, Theatr na nÓg

Grav – 10 year celebration/ Owen Thomas and Gareth John Bale

Mae Gen Ti Ddreigiau/You’ve Got Dragons adapted by Manon Steffan Ros from the book by Kathryn Cave & Nick Maland/ Taking Flight Theatre Company

Creative of the Year

(Sponsored by Porters Cardiff)

Bradley Rmer One, Yusuf Ismail and Shawqi Hasson, Unify Creative

Geinor Styles, Theatr na nÓg

Gavin Porter, Director

Community and Education Project

(Sponsored by The Red Shoes Poster Archive)

The Fight Company, Theatr na nÓg

Little Gigs Bach, The Little Gigs Team and Cerdd CF,  The Cardiff Commitment Curriculum Team

Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company with a focus on the regular Youth Theatre and their projects

Facilitator of the Year

Sara Sirati, Ardour Academy, Create & Connect

Steph Bailey Scott, Taking Flight Theatre Company, Taking Flight Youth Theatre/ You’ve Got Dragons/Introduction to working Inclusively/Deaf Awareness training

 Joanne Shackley, Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company, The Yfory Project

Culture and Health

(Sponsored by Christine O’Donnell)

People Speak Up, Creative Home Delivery Service

Sara Sirati and Anna Coviello, Ardour Academy LTD, Butterfly Soup

Queertawe artists, staff, partners and participants, Connect and Flourish project led by Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company in partnership with Bethan Marlow, Cerian Wilshire-Davies, Swansea Pride, Urban HQ, SwanScene and Swansea Bay Health Board, Queertawe and Queertawe Frinj,

Cultural Champion

(Sponsored by Tempo Time Credits)

Debbie Webster, Theatr na nÓg, Chair of the Board

Sara Sirati, Ardour Academy

Jak Bjornstrom, Galwad & The Edit

Commitment to Arts, Heritage & Culture

(Sponsored by Awen Cultural Trust)

Samea Ahmed, Mount Stuart Primary School

Louise Williams, Cadoxton Primary School, Barry,

Ruth Wiltshire, Head Teacher, St. Paul’s Church in Wales, Primary School, Cardiff

Disabled Creativity

Taking Flight Theatre

Alex Rees and Jane Latham, UCAN Productions

The Craidd Project

The Panel for the Get The Chance, Impact Awards 2025, supported by Tempo Time Credits, Ffilm Cymru Wales and Porters Cardiff, met last week to decide the Long and Shortlist for this years awards. The Longlist is below and the shortlist will be revealed very soon!

The Shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the live awards event at Porters, Cardiff on Saturday 22 March at Porters Cardiff 5-7pm.

Thanks to all of the members of the public that took time to nominate, it was great to see a range of cultural activity that reaches a broad range of the public and its positive impact on their quality of life.

Thanks to our panel for volunteering their time to support this inaugural Awards event. You can find out more about panel at the bottom of this page.

 Category

Public Event

(Sponsored by Tanio)

The Posh Club/ Duckie and Common/Wealth/ Simon Casson, Dicky Eton and Chantal Williams

Grav – 10 year celebration/ Owen Thomas and Gareth John Bale

Balchder Wrecsam | Wrecsam Pride 2024/Kate Hutchinson, Rachel Allen, Megan Rosslyn, Rachel Jones, Sarah Fellows, Lesley Fellows, Aĺed Edwards, Steve Lewis, Nick Plummer-Johnson

Operation Julie Tour, Theatr na nÓg

Mae Gen Ti Ddreigiau/You’ve Got Dragons adapted by Manon Steffan Ros from the book by Kathryn Cave & Nick Maland/ Taking Flight Theatre Company

Our Christmas Lights/ The Cardiff Commitment Curriculum Team, Cardiff Commitment and the Cardiff University School of Architecture/ Kate Martin (The Curriculum Team) and the learners of St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School.

DUMPY BISCUIT, The Other Room

The Hold Up

Creative of the Year

(Sponsored by Porters Cardiff)

Steffan Donnelly, Theatr Cymru

Tobias Weatherburn

Bradley Rmer One, Yusuf Ismail and Shawqi Hasson, Unify Creative

Geinor Styles, Theatr na nÓg

Gavin Porter, Director

Suzie Larke, Visual Artist and Photographer

Community and Education Project

(Sponsored by The Red Shoes Poster Archive)

Olion Trilogy, Frân Wen

Tim Howe, Torch Theatr, Wind in the Willows

The Wallich, The Story Project

The Above And Beyond Project, Penrhys, National Dance Company Wales

CARAD (Community Arts Rhayader and District)

Sian Elin Williams (Participation Coordinator Theatr Cymru) and Konrad Suder Chatterjee (Communication Officer and Resource Developer Ashtar Theatre)/ Theatr Cymru/ ASHTAR Theatre x Theatr Cymru

Bethan England, CAST Performance Academy

People Speak Up, People Speak Up programme

The Arts Partnership, led by Dr Barbara Hughes-Moore – a collaboration between Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, RWCMD (Communities and Engagement Division), Sherman Theatre, Hijinx, Company of Sirens and Omidaze

Tanio and Linc Cymru (now Pobl Group), What Once Stood

Rhiannon White, CommonWealth Theatre, We No Longer Talk

The Fight Company, Theatr na nÓg

Common Wealth Theatre, Take your Place

Little Gigs Bach, The Little Gigs Team and Cerdd CF,  The Cardiff Commitment Curriculum Team

Nirushan Sudarsan,  Grange Youth Forum

Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company with a focus on the regular Youth Theatre and their projects

Alan Whitfield, Disability Arts Cymru, National Visual Arts Officer

Facilitator of the Year

Alison McGann, Tanio, Breathing Space

Sara Sirati, Ardour Academy, Create & Connect

Steph Bailey Scott, Taking Flight Theatre Company, Taking Flight Youth Theatre/ You’ve Got Dragons/Introduction to working Inclusively/Deaf Awareness training

Naseem Syed, Ziba Creative, Radical Kindness.

Rabab Ghazoul, Gentle/ Radical, Take Your Place

 Joanne Shackley, Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company, The Yfory Project

Culture and Health

(Sponsored by Christine O’Donnell)

Iola Ynyr, Nia Skyrme and the whole team of artists and project partners.Theatr Cymru, Ar Y Dibyn

The Good Vibrations Chorus, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

People Speak Up, Creative Home Delivery Service

Just Jump/ Y Naid, Theatr na nÓg

Sara Sirati and Anna Coviello, Ardour Academy LTD, Butterfly Soup

Learners from Ysgol Plasmawr, Cardiff West and the WNO,Ysgol Plasmawr, Cardiff West High School, WNO, Cofio (To remember)

Tanio, Breathing Space

Juls Benson

Queertawe artists, staff, partners and participants, Connect and Flourish project led by Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company in partnership with Bethan Marlow, Cerian Wilshire-Davies, Swansea Pride, Urban HQ, SwanScene and Swansea Bay Health Board, Queertawe and Queertawe Frinj,

Cultural Champion

(Sponsored by Tempo Time Credits)

Peter Mooney, Open Book

Debbie Webster, Theatr na nÓg, Chair of the Board

Sara Sirati, Ardour Academy

Jak Bjornstrom, Galwad & The Edit

Kami Lamakan, Chapter

Commitment to Arts, Heritage & Culture

(Sponsored by Awen Cultural Trust)

Samea Ahmed, Mount Stuart Primary School

Louise Williams, Cadoxton Primary School, Barry,

Vivienne Goodman, Drama and Theatre Studies, Tutor, Coleg Gwent

Ruth Wiltshire, Head Teacher, St. Paul’s Church in Wales, Primary School, Cardiff

Katherine Allen, Radyr Comprehensive School, Cardiff

Jennie Gough, Cardinal Newman R C, Comprehensive School, Pontypridd

Beth Bruma, Teacher of the Deaf, Llanishen High School

Disabled Creativity

Ashley Newsham, Impetus Dance

Taking Flight Theatre

Tafsila Khan, Blind Spot Consultancy

Alex Rees and Jane Latham, UCAN Productions

The Craidd Project

Anne Culver-House Evans – Resident Artist, Valleys Kids.

Samiya Houston, Trainee Workshop Practitioner, Blind Creative, UCAN/Get the Chance Member

The Get The Chance, Impact Awards Panel 2025.

Morgan Slate, Community & Partnership Manager, Tempo Time Credits

Kevin Johnson, Get the Chance Member

Hannah Goslin, PA & Administration Manager: Enterprises at National Theatre, Get The Chance Member

Gareth Williams, Get The Chance Member

Samiya Houston, Trainee Workshop Practitioner, Blind Creative, Get The Chance Member

Daisy Evans, freelance woodwind multi-instrumentalist, educator, event administrator and social media manager

Barrie Llewelyn, Senior Lecturer – English, Faculty of Business and Creative Industries Faculty of Business and Creative Industries, Humanities Research and Innovation Group, University of South Wales

Nicola Parsons, ACE Arts Project Coordinator

Mae Gwobrau Effaith Ddiwylliannol Get The Chance 2025 yn dathlu gweithgarwch diwylliannol o safon uchel sy’n cyrraedd ystod eang o’r cyhoedd a’i effaith gadarnhaol ar ansawdd eu bywyd.

Bydd y seremoni wobrwyo yn cael ei chynnal yn Porter’s Cardiff, Caerdydd ddydd Sadwrn, 22 Mawrth (5-7pm). Bydd gwahoddiad i gynrychiolydd o bob sefydliad/unigolyn enwebedig fod yn bresennol.

Bydd yr enillwyr ym mhob categori yn cael y cyfle i greu ffilm broffesiynol fer sy’n amlygu eu gwaith. (yn amodol ar gadarnhad)

Mae’r Gwobrau’n cael eu cefnogi gan Tempo Time Credits a Porter’s Cardiff. Dywedodd Rachel Gegeshidze, Prif Weithredwr Tempo Time Credits:

“Yn Tempo, rydyn ni’n credu y dylai diwylliant, y celfyddydau, a threftadaeth fod yn hygyrch i bawb, ac rydyn ni’n hynod falch o fod yn cefnogi Gwobrau Effaith Ddiwylliannol Get The Chance 2025. Gwirfoddolwyr yw asgwrn cefn ein cymunedau, a thrwy Time Credits, rydyn ni’n cydnabod ac yn gwerthfawrogi eu hamser, gan agor drysau i brofiadau newydd. Mae’r gwobrau hyn yn taflu goleuni ar y mentrau diwylliannol anhygoel a’r gwirfoddolwyr sy’n rhoi o’u hamser i wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i gymunedau a bywydau pobl. Mae’n fraint, felly, i ni ddathlu’r unigolion a’r sefydliadau sy’n arwain y gwaith hwn.”

Rachel Gegeshidze, Prif Weithredwr Tempo Time Credits

Dywedodd Dan Porter, Cyfarwyddwr Porter’s Cardiff:

“Fel lleoliad, rydyn ni am barhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i artistiaid newydd, y rhai sy’n dod i’r amlwg, a’r rhai sydd ddim yn cael eu cefnogi.Rydyn ni’n falch o gefnogi Gwobrau Effaith Get The Chance a’r hyn y gallwn helpu eraill i’w gyflawni yn Porter’s Cardiff.”

Dan Porter, Alice Rush a Frankie-Rose Taylor

(Llun: Moreton Brothers)

Mae’r gwobrau’n gyfle gwych i ddathlu effaith y ddarpariaeth ddiwylliannol yng Nghymru yn ystod 2024. Mae llawer o’r categorïau unigol yn cael eu noddi gan amrywiaeth o gefnogwyr prosiect.

*Cysylltwch os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn cefnogi’r digwyddiad hwn

Ceir rhagor o wybodaeth am y Categorïau a’r broses enwebu isod:

Meini prawf

Nod y gwobrau hyn yw amlygu ac arddangos natur fywiog ac amrywiol diwylliant, treftadaeth a’r celfyddydau yn ein cenedl bob blwyddyn

At ddibenion y gwobrau hyn, mae gennym ddiffiniad eang o ddarpariaeth ddiwylliannol sy’n cynnwys gwirfoddoli cymunedol gyda’r celfyddydau, addysg a threftadaeth. Bydd enwebiadau yn adlewyrchu amrywiaeth o feysydd ym mywyd diwylliannol Cymru. Gall unigolion neu sefydliadau enwebedig fod yn wirfoddol neu’n broffesiynol. Rhaid i bob parti a enwebir ddod o Gymru neu wedi’i leoli yng Nghymru ar gyfer y rhan fwyaf o’i weithgarwch creadigol a’i faes enwebedig. Y cyfnod sy’n berthnasol ar gyfer enwebiad yw 1 Ionawr–31 Rhagfyr 2024.

Pwrpas y gwobrau hyn yw codi ymwybyddiaeth o weithgaredd diwylliannol o ansawdd uchel sy’n cyrraedd ystod eang o’r cyhoedd, yn ogystal â’i effaith. Rhoddir ystyriaeth ddyledus i adnoddau’r gweithgaredd creadigol a’i effaith ar y cyhoedd.

Rhaid i bob gwaith fod â chysylltiad Cymreig cryf, a bydd hyn yn rhan o’r broses sgorio.

Mae’r ffurflen enwebu yn y ddolen isod.

https://forms.office.com/e/MFiTvHPSXy

Categorïau

1. Digwyddiad Cyhoeddus

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i gynhyrchiad, arddangosfa neu ddigwyddiad diwylliannol cyhoeddus sy’n dangos uchelgais a safon artistig uchel sy’n cysylltu â’r cyhoedd. Dylai’r gweithgaredd fod wedi cael ei gynnal a’i gynhyrchu gan bobl greadigol o Gymru.

Ystyriaethau

• Pa effaith gafodd y Digwyddiad Cyhoeddus hwn ar y cyhoedd?
• Sut mae gan y digwyddiad safon artistig uchel amlwg; a gafodd adolygiadau, sylw yn y wasg neu wobrau diwydiant?
• Cyrraedd cynulleidfa – tua faint o bobl a welodd y digwyddiad ac a gyrhaeddwyd unrhyw grwpiau penodol megis plant a phobl ifanc ac ati?
• Cyrraedd cynulleidfa – o ble ddaeth cynulleidfaoedd? A aeth ar daith neu a oedd yn ddigon mawr i ddenu pobl o’r tu allan i’r ardal lle cafodd ei pherfformio?

2. Person Creadigol y Flwyddyn

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i Berson Creadigol sy’n dangos y safon artistig uchaf mewn gwaith sy’n cael ei greu a/neu ei arddangos, ei berfformio neu ei arddangos yn gyhoeddus yng Nghymru.

Ystyriaethau

• Pa effaith gafodd gwaith y Person Creadigol hwn ar y cyhoedd?
• Sut mae’r Person Creadigol wedi dangos safon artistig uchel; a gafodd ei waith adolygiadau, sylw yn y wasg neu wobrau diwydiant?

3. Prosiect Cymunedol ac Addysgol

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i brosiect cymunedol, cyfranogol neu addysgol e.e. côr, dawns, theatr, celfyddydau gweledol neu grŵp treftadaeth sy’n cynnig mynediad rheolaidd, cynhwysol at ddiwylliant i bobl leol.

Ystyriaethau

• Pa effaith gafodd y prosiect cymunedol, cyfranogol neu addysgol ar y cyhoedd?
• A gafodd y prosiect adborth cadarnhaol a boddhad gan gyfranogwyr?
• Faint o bobl gymerodd ran?
• Oedd y prosiect yn gynhwysol? Er enghraifft, a oedd yn cefnogi pobl o gefndiroedd amrywiol neu’r rhai ag anableddau neu na fyddai, am resymau eraill, yn cael y cyfle i gymryd rhan fel arall?
• A gafodd y prosiect unrhyw sylw cadarnhaol yn y wasg, adolygiadau, gwobrau eraill neu gydnabyddiaeth?
• A wnaeth y prosiect gydweithio â sefydliadau eraill?

4. Hwylusydd y Flwyddyn

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i hwylusydd diwylliannol, athro neu ymarferydd sy’n arwain prosiectau cymunedol, cyfranogol neu addysgol cynhwysol yng Nghymru.

Ystyriaethau

• Pa effaith gafodd gwaith yr unigolyn ar y grŵp neu unigolion?
• Unrhyw adolygiadau, sylw yn y wasg, gwobrau eraill neu gydnabyddiaeth?
• Unrhyw adborth gan bartneriaid neu gyllidwyr?

5. Diwylliant a Iechyd

(Noddwyd gan Christine O’Donnell)

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i brosiect, digwyddiad neu gyfres o weithdai diwylliannol sy’n cefnogi pobl sy’n byw yng Nghymru i wella eu hiechyd a’u lles.

Ystyriaethau

• Pa effaith gafodd y prosiect ar ei gyfranogwyr
• Faint o bobl gymerodd ran?
• Sut cafodd y prosiect/digwyddiad effaith gadarnhaol ar iechyd pobl?
• Unrhyw adborth/tysteb gan gyfranogwyr?
• A oes unrhyw ffyrdd y mae’r gweithgaredd wedi lleihau dibyniaeth ar wasanaethau eraill fel y GIG?
• Sut defnyddiodd y prosiect ddiwylliant a chyfranogiad?
• Unrhyw adolygiadau, sylw yn y wasg, gwobrau/cydnabyddiaethau eraill?
• Unrhyw adborth gan bartner?

6. Hyrwyddwr Diwylliannol

(Noddwyd gan Tempo Time Credits)

Disgrifiad: Dyfernir i unigolyn o’r gymuned greadigol, e.e. gwirfoddolwr, gweinyddwr, technegydd, curadur neu aelod bwrdd y mae ei waith yn gwneud cyfraniad cadarnhaol mawr at fywyd diwylliannol y genedl

Ystyriaethau

• Y prosiect/digwyddiad/gweithgaredd/arddangosfa fawr y mae’r unigolyn wedi chwarae rhan arwyddocaol ynddo neu ynddi a beth fu effaith ei rôl?

The Get The Chance, Cultural Impact Awards, 2025 supported by Tempo Time Credits and Porters Cardiff, Launch this month!

The Get The Chance, Cultural Impact Awards, 2025 celebrate high quality, cultural activity that reaches a broad range of the public and its positive impact on their quality of life.

The Award event will take place at Porters , Cardiff on Sat March 22^nd, 5-7 pm a representative of all nominated organisations/individuals will be invited to attend.

Award winners in each category will have the opportunity to have a short professional film created which highlights their work. (subject to confirmation)

The Awards are supported by Tempo Time Credits and Porters Cardiff. Rachel Gegeshidze, Chief Executive, Tempo Time Credits said

“At Tempo, we believe that culture, the arts, and heritage should be accessible to all, and we are incredibly proud to support the Get The Chance, Cultural Impact Awards 2025. Volunteers are the backbone of our communities, and through Time Credits, we recognise and value their time, opening doors to new experiences. These awards shine a light on the incredible cultural initiatives and volunteers that give their time to make a real difference to communities and people’s lives, and we are privileged to celebrate the individuals and organisations leading this work.”

Rachel Gegeshidze, Chief Executive, Tempo Time Credits

Dan Porter, Director of Porter’s Cardiff said

‘As a venue we want to remain committed to new, emerging and unsupported artists. We are happy to support the Get The Chance, Impact Awards and what we can help others to achieve at Porters Cardiff”

Dan Porter, Alice Rush and Frankie-Rose Taylor

(Photograph: Moreton Brothers)

The awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the impact cultural provision in Wales during 2024, many of the individual categories are sponsored by a range of project supporters.

*Please get in touch of you are interested in supporting this event

Further information on the Categories and nomination process can be found below

These awards aim to highlight and showcase the vibrant and diverse nature of culture, heritage and the arts within our Nation each year

Criteria

For the purposes of these awards, we have a broad definition of cultural provision which includes community arts volunteering, education and heritage. Nominations will reflect a range of areas in the cultural life of Wales, nominated individuals or organisations can be either voluntary or professional. All nominated parties must be from or based in Wales for the majority of their creative activity and nominated area. The nomination period is Jan 01-Dec 31 2024.

The purpose of these awards is to raise awareness of high quality, cultural activity that reaches a broad range of the public and its impact. Due consideration shall be made on the resources of the creative activity and its impact on the public.

All work must have a strong Welsh connection, and this will form part of the scoring process.

The nomination form can be found at the link below

https://forms.office.com/e/MFiTvHPSXy

Categories

1. Public Event

Description: Awarded to a public production, exhibition or cultural event that demonstrates high artistic ambition and quality which connects with the public. The activity should take place in and be produced by Welsh and Wales based creatives

Considerations

• What impact did this Public Event have on the general public?
• How the event has demonstrable high artistic quality, did it receive reviews, press coverage or industry awards?
• Audience reach – roughly how many people saw it and were any specific groups reached such as children and young people etc?
• Audience reach – where did audiences come from? Did it tour or was it large enough to attract people from outside the direct performance area?

2. Creative of the Year

(Sponsored by Porters Cardiff)

Description: Awarded to a Creative who demonstrates the highest artistic quality in work which is created and/or publicly exhibited, performed or displayed in Wales.

Considerations

• What Impact did the work of this Creative have on the general public?
• How has the Creative demonstrated high artistic quality, did their work receive reviews, press coverage or industry awards?

3. Community and Education Project

(Sponsored by The Red Shoes Poster Archive)

Description: Awarded to a community, participatory or education project e.g. choir, dance, theatre, visual arts or heritage group which provides regular, inclusive access to culture for local people.

Considerations

• What Impact does the community, participatory or education project have on the general public?
• Did the project receive positive feedback and satisfaction from participants?
• How many people took part?
• Was the project inclusive? For example, supporting people from diverse backgrounds or those with disabilities or who, for other reasons, might otherwise not have the opportunity to take part?
• Did the project receive any positive press coverage, reviews, other awards or recognition
• Did the project work in partnership with other organisations?

4. Facilitator of the Year

Description: Awarded to a cultural facilitator, teacher or practitioner who leads inclusive community, participatory or education projects in Wales

Considerations

• The impact the individuals work has on the group or individuals
• Any reviews, press coverage, other awards or recognition
• Any feedback from partners or funders

5. Culture and Health

(Sponsored by Christine O’Donnell)

Description: Awarded to a cultural project, event or series of workshops which support people living in Wales to improve their health and wellbeing.

Considerations

• The impact the project has had on its participants
• How many people took part?
• How the project/event positively impacted people’s health?
• Any participant feedback/testimonial?
• Are there any ways the activity has reduced reliance on other services such as the NHS?
• How the project used culture and participation?
• Any reviews, press coverage, other awards/recognition?
• Any partner feedback?

6. Cultural Champion

(Sponsored by Tempo Time Credits)

Description: Awarded to an individual from the creative community, e.g. a volunteer, administrator, technician, curator or board member whose work makes a significant positive contribution to the cultural life of the Nation

Considerations

• The major project/event/activity/display in which the individual has played a significant role and what the impact of their role has been?
• How the individual positively contributes, beyond their own participation (for example supporting others, volunteering etc)?
• Any support or feedback from project/organisation leaders or facilitators?
• Any reviews, press coverage, other awards/recognition for either the individual or the project they are involved with?
• About any feedback from colleagues, participants and other relevant parties?

7. Commitment to Arts, Heritage & Culture

(Sponsored by Awen Cultural Trust)

Description: Awarded to a school who demonstrate significant commitment to and celebration of the arts in the broadest sense

Considerations

• The impact the project has had on its participants?
• What cultural activities does the school offer?
• How many students are involved?
• How is this offer different from traditionally provided education activity?

8. Disabled Creativity

An award recognising the achievements of an organisation or individual creating awareness of Disabled led work.

Considerations

• What impact has the organisation or individual made to Disabled led work?
• What cultural activities does the organisation or individual offer?
• How many people are involved?

In 1895, the star attractions at the Mold Carnival were Leino, the Flying Trapezist; Signor Rovollo, the Gymnastic Wonder and Professor Crannio,’The Marvellous Conjurer.

In 1904, Carnival music was supplied by the Royal Buckley Town Prize Band. There was the Best Decorated Bicycle competition, Riders on Horseback and The Procession of Gigantic Proportions, which paraded through Mold’s principal streets, its salient features being six brass bands. At the close of The Procession, the public congregated at the Black Lion Hotel where dancing took place to music supplied by the Brymbo Steel Works Prize Band. Takings for the Carnival in 1904 were about £68, and after putting aside an amount for the following years’ show, £25 was handed over to the Mold Cottage Hospital Fund. (Note – this information is from the Mold Carnival website and was provided by local Historian David Rowe.)

Mold Carnival has form.  It’s representative of a genre of activity that is widespread and perhaps an example of best practice, not too small to be meaningless but not too large to be commercially exploited.  It’s still organised by volunteers and in 2024 it attracted over 6,000 people to its events.  This is what grassroots cultural activity looks like (in terms of grass, the organisers get a lot of help from local people cutting the grass on the two fields where the Carnival is held).

The Eisteddfod Mold Carnival is not but there is an almost infinite variety of strata in this type of cultural activity.  The Eisteddfod is not Glastonbury and Glastonbury is not Edinburgh, which is not Bayreuth.  Carnivals, like festivals, have a role to play, otherwise they would disappear.

This year I thought I might participate in the ‘Time 2 Shine’ Mold Carnival talent show, not because I am talented but because I like a challenge and it looked like a good way to see the event from the inside.

I am a (very) amateur piano accordion player.  I thought I’d play a simple version of the famous Czardas, composed in 1904 by Monti (go to https://youtu.be/_Zjz6oLuaxw if you want to hear it played properly).

A Czardas is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, getting its name from the old Hungarian  term for roadside tavern. Its origin was a death dance, in which a soldier fights with an opponent, looks for his weak points, then kills him and dances in joy.  It starts slowly, speeds up, slows down and then finishes quickly.  I thought it might be suitable for the Carnival…

Lined up against me in the talent competition were a young man playing Chopin on a keyboard, a teenager impersonating Chuck Berry, a vocalist with an Adele song, a girl reciting her poem about what she would do if she were Queen for a day and some very young singers performing their favourite pop songs to backing tracks (they were all word perfect). 

You can’t judge the talent in a line-up like that.  I don’t say this because I didn’t win (!) but because more than the difference between apples and pears is involved.  The only original performer was the poet.  It’s not easy to either write or recite your own funny poem.  The most technically accomplished performer was the Chopin player, who would have put in a lot of practice on his Grade 8 exam piece.  The most entertaining performer by far was the Chuck Berry impersonator. But then the vocalist was employment-ready standard, and the very young performers’ singing was as accurate as their recall of their lyrics.  Then there was me – but you always attract an eccentric when you have an open-door policy.

I was perfectly happy to have performed the Czardas satisfactorily, if at two-thirds speed.  A couple of people had asked me what my accordion was, so I think I reminded the Carnival-goers of what is now a vanishing instrument in the UK.  Children danced as I played and I got enough applause to go home quite pleased with myself.

I think the Adele singer and Chuck Berry won the senior and junior categories because they conformed most closely to what talent show judges are looking for, but that’s beside the point.  The point is that creative performance activity can and does take place in a variety of styles, irrespective of economics.  It makes a significant contribution to social celebration – the Mold Carnival feeling like a gigantic garden party, with its mountain bike acrobatics, its fire-eater and the alien robot wandering around in front of the Territorial Army.  The only question is – Is It Art?

The short answer to that is No. There was not enough originality, technical ability or depth of feeling on show for anything to be discussed in artistic terms (especially not if you want to compare what was on offer with what gets performed in the street at major festivals).  However, art does not appear out of thin air and artists have journey to make.  It’s possible that at some point in the future the author of ‘What I would do If I was Queen for a day’ will one day release a first collection.  It’s possible that the Chopin player will become a modern composer.  It’s possible that the young Chuck Berry impersonator will develop his own persona and become the next Mick Jagger.

It’s that possibility which counts, alongside the opportunity events like Mold Carnival give young people the chance to experiment and gain experience.  There is nothing quite like appearing on stage in front of a substantial live audience, especially if you are only nine years old.  The theatre in the UK depends heavily on both musicals and pantomimes for its survival and carnivals help to feed future cast members into the system.  So it’s not exactly what you see taking place, so much as what it all represents that matters.

I’m already wondering what I might brush up to perform this year.

The csárdás is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts out slowly (lassú) and ends in a very fast tempo (friss, literally “fresh”).

The dancers are both male and female, with the women dressed in traditional wide skirts, which form a distinctive shape when they whirl.

Irlen Awareness Week is a worldwide week to increase awareness of Irlen Syndrome and to educate the public about Irlen Syndrome, this year it is the 18 to 22 October, 2021 so please join us this year. This years event will take place online due to Covid 19.

It’s a very special week for people with Irlen Syndrome and their families

Here are my plans, I have written a blog series about all things about Irlen syndrome, and I have got the Red House in Merthyr, lit up in Purple again this year and shared information about Irlen Syndrome on my own blog too.

If you want to get involved please visit HERE