Canolfan S4C Yr Egin organises a workshop for children from Carmarthenshire and children from Patagonia
26.05.2020
Canolfan S4C Yr Egin is organising a special workshop which will see children from Carmarthenshire working with children from Ysgol Gymraeg y Gaiman to produce a radio programme through the medium of Welsh
As part of Yr Egin’s engagement activities, Marc Griffiths of Stwdiobox will be leading the workshop for children in Years 3-6 on the Zoom platform, on Thursday, 28th May. A group of children from Carmarthenshire will meet some of the pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg y Gaiman in order to produce a radio programme which will be broadcast on the Cymru FM station the following day.
Although the children will be 8,000 miles away from each other, this is a workshop that will give them the opportunity to be creative, discuss their ideas and learn new skills through the medium of Welsh.
The theme of the workshop will be Tŷ ni, Tŷ chi (Our house, your house) and it will be an opportunity for children from both countries to share information, discuss music and actively use their skills to research, produce and present a radio programme.
Llinos Jones, Yr Egin’s Engagement Officer has organised the event with the intention of getting children to discuss their experiences and lifestyle.
"Wales and Patagonia are still in lockdown, so it will be fascinating to hear about the experiences of children from both countries through the medium of Welsh," said Llinos.
"I had been thinking for a while of a way to connect with the Welsh speaking communities of Patagonia for a while but now, during this strange period, as chatting and engaging with people over the internet have become part of our way of life, it felt like the right time to try to arrange an event like this."
Fortunately, Caryl Jones, a former University of Wales Trinity Saint David student is currently a teacher at the Welsh school in Gaiman - although she has had to return to Wales because of the lockdown that we have also experienced in the wake of coronavirus.
"Although I'm now in Wales, I'm still teaching the children via the internet," said Caryl.
"I returned to Wales at the beginning of May and although I'm no longer in Gaiman, I am giving the children daily lessons via Zoom. When I heard that Yr Egin was interested in arranging an event for children from Carmarthenshire and Patagonia, I was delighted to help them to bring it about.
"The headteacher of Ysgol Gymraeg y Gaiman was very keen when she heard the idea and immediately approached parents to see who would be interested in being involved in the workshop.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for the children in Gaiman to use their Welsh and to learn more about the lives of children in Wales," added Caryl. "It will also give them the opportunity to discuss bilingualism – English and Welsh and Spanish and Welsh – and to hear about how the children in Wales live their lives through the medium of Welsh. I'm sure the children from our school will learn a great deal from the experience and it will give them a lot of confidence, too.
"It is also a sort of small 'gift' for the children of the Welsh school at Gaiman. Some of them were due to come over to Wales at the end of the month to visit the Urdd Eisteddfod and to travel around the country. Obviously, that has not been possible, but at least they still have the opportunity to meet children from Wales and to take part in a fun activity through the medium of Welsh."
The workshop is being led by Marc Griffiths of Stiwdiobox – who is now a tenant of Canolfan S4C Yr Egin – and he, too, is looking forward to making a radio programme with children from Carmarthenshire and Patagonia.
"I'm very much looking forward to being part of this unique event. This is a dream come true for me as I have wanted to work with the inhabitants of Patagonia for a long time," said Marc.
"It is a fantastic opportunity for the children of Carmarthenshire to hear about the life of children in Patagonia and to learn about the language, culture and social life of our friends who migrated from Wales in the mid nineteenth century," he added.
The workshop will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 28th May, only a limited number of places are available so if you are interested in participating, please email helo@yregin.cymru
For more information about Yr Egin’s engagement opportunities and events, please contact Llinos Jones by emailing llinos.jones@pcydds.ac.uk
Note to Editor
For further information, please contact Sian-Elin Davies, Principal Communications and PR Officer on 01267 676908 / 07449 998476 sian-elin.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk
