Returning to Blaenau Gwent for the Eisteddfod 2010

Can the arts influence development?

I have to remark in the five years that I drove up from Newport to Abertillery (2003-8) there was never a sign welcoming the traveller into the county... so when I made a visit in May I could not help noticing the new sign indicating the forth coming visit of the Eisteddfod to Ebbw Vale.

For much of my time, between 2003-8 working Blaenau Gwent in the promotion of both healthy foods and the environment with communities the project developed and participated in many arts projects. The above is the Environmental Community Canvass which had involved working with 6 communities and culminated in the painting of 6 Canvass which were displayed in various locations in the county to promote the project and work of BTCV Cymru. The Canvass can be seen here on display at Brynbach Park.

In coming up this August I was interested in seeing both the Eisteddfod, but also the Six Bells Miners Memorial.

The Eisteddfod Ebbw Vale 2010

The Eisteddfod is a national annual event which takes place in different parts of Wales. The last time the Eisteddfod was in Ebbw Vale was in 1958.

The purpose of the gathering is in the promotion of welsh culture and language and there are many competitions throughout the week in many categories from poetry recital to folk dancing.

This picture shows one of the Men's choirs competing for the cup that is the foreground against two other choirs in the same category.

All ages are encouraged to take part, here is a group of young people from Cardiff who are learning to play the harp and were able to have the experience of competing on the Eisteddfod stage.

They played very well and came second in their category.

Another very interesting part of the Eisteddfod was the arts show, at Ebbw Vale it was housed in an underground concrete tank, formerly part of the the old steelworks that had been on the site.

One could not help making some comparisons of the choice of Gallery site to the New Tate Gallery in London. During the week on the television news it was suggested that the site may become a permanent gallery.

The old Steelworks site for the Eisteddfod for a week and there are questions now being raised as to whether the Gallery could become a permanent fixture on the Welsh Map.

There was much interesting work on display from experiments with light using every day objects such as shoe laces winning the fine art prize, to very colourful paintings of views of Ebbw Vale in the free art section.

There were quite a number of provoking pieces of work including these two pieces:

Rebellious House / Bandage

by Ifor Davies

The Lost World

By Geraint Evans




Both quite thought provoking images in a world that is ever changing!

I must admit listening to the singing of choirs was much more relaxing than considering what the message these artists were possibly conveying.

Six Bells and the Six Bells Miners Memorial

Here is another piece of artwork to be found in Six Bells .

It was painted on a bridge underpass as part of a summer community arts project in 2006, and was facilitated by the Six Bells Regeneration board. At the time the older members of our project worked alongside the children on their summer holidays.

It worked well with our older participants working on the detail of the miners lamp and the younger artists working on less detailed areas.

The work depicted the old and new that of the old mines that Six Bells is known for, to the pleasant environmental features that have now replaced that industrial period.

Some four years later it is good to find the art work still in good shape

The project

It is good to see that new initiatives are still being born in Six Bells.

Mike Crake who did much to help facilitate the BTCV project while it was developing was also part of the Six Bells Regeneration Board and has remained part of that board since.

They have as a result of consultation with the local community built a new bridge facility over the Ebbw Fach river that flows through Six Bells and has improved communication in the community. To name but one project.

Most recently the Partnership overseen by Communities First was keen to create a fitting new memorial to reflect the loss of 46 lives in the Six Bells mining disaster of June 1960.

The result has been the construction of this steel miner which is on a Parr with the "Angel of the North" and was designed by a local Welsh artist

Sebastien Boyesen.

The completed structure, the arms were only recently added can be seen here dominating the whole of the Six Bells valley and is built on the former colliery site.

Those who have commissioned (Communites First and Blaenau Gwent County Council) the design anticipate it being a new Welsh Landmark.

Lets hope this piece of art while reminding the community of a tragic time in the communities history will also be a focal point for the future.