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Heads of Valleys communities unite for 2,000 part play
Hundreds of people from communities across Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Torfaen and Merthyr will unite for a one-off whirlwind bi-lingual performance on Thursday (July 29) to inspire more people to pass on their Welsh stories, fairytales, songs, rhymes and poetry from one generation to the next.
The NEW.i.D play, which will take place in the Pink Pavilion on The Works site, Ebbw Vale, the night before the official start of this year’s National Eisteddfod, will unveil a magical underworld filled with fairies tasked with bringing together more than 200 stories and 2,000 people.
Inspired by the poems, art, photography, music, dance and performances of local residents as part of the community arts organisation, Head for Arts programme, which services the Heads of the Valleys East; the play is the culmination of six months research and the tireless contribution of hundreds of volunteers.
Lleucu Meinir, Co-Artistic Director, said: “We wanted to create a completely different type of community play that showcases the unique traditions and heritage of our Heads of the Valleys communities.
“The play is consciously bi-lingual Welsh and English to celebrate the National Eisteddfod coming to Ebbw Vale and to act as a bridge for those whose knowledge of the Welsh Language or the Eisteddfod traditions may have prevented them from attending these types of events in the past.”
Co-Artistic Director, Einir Sion added: “NEW.i.D is by the community, for the community.
The performance is intended as a multi-arts visual spectacle which will mix the old and new, fantasy and reality and tells the story of what happens to our identity when our communities’ stories and traditions are forgotten from generation to generation.”
Kate Strudwick, Creative Project Manager at Heads for Arts said: “As well as delivering workshops at a very local level, we want the play to create future opportunities for people to come together across the region to participate in this type of high quality and inspirational arts experience.”
Commenting on the initiative, Beverley Humphreys, singer, BBC Wales broadcaster and High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan said: “NEW.i.D. is more than a play – this is a fascinating, living statement made by real people, to remind us that our past and our heritage makes us who we are now. Our Welsh identity is moulded by memories and experiences passed down from generation to generation.
“How can we understand who we are as Welsh people if we deny the route we have travelled – how can we understand where the journey will take us in the future?
NEW.i.D is an exciting theatrical experience – our music, our poetry, magical stories, myths and legends reclaiming the best of our past. Without apology let’s renew our pride in our Welsh heritage –let’s put it once again where it belongs – in the beating heart of our communities.
“I am thrilled and reassured that so many people in the valleys have put their passion and vision into the creation of NEW.i.D.
“Change is inevitable but we need a strong foundation to give us the confidence in our hearts, to help us hold our heads up high and find our place in the world. “
Gwyn Morgan, 74, from Ebbw Vale is among the hundreds of people who will be performing on the night.
Originally from Fochriw, Gwyn always wanted to be an artist, but he ended up working in the pits, first in Ogilvie Colliery for 12 years and then Deep Navigation Colliery in Treharris, before joining the steelworks in Ebbw Vale until the 1980s.
He subsequently set up a taxi firm and started sketching portraits in his spare time. After drawing hundreds of famous people including Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins and Hywel Teifi, he joined a local writers’ group in Abergavenny.
He has contributed significantly to the script and will also be performing as a minstrel whose music has been ‘taken away’ by the fairies on Thursday.
He said: “I’ve always loved the arts and this was my opportunity to participate in something much bigger than myself. I originally went to enquire about some scriptwriting support and before I knew it I was writing large portions of the play alongside fellow writer, Mary Jones, a school teacher from Cwm Primary School.
“I also submitted a poem which has been set to music and I am thrilled to be sharing my first ever stage performance with my grandchildren, Nansi and Jonah, daughter Tracey from Swansea and my son, Robert on the night”
Ends.