A joint research project on Breton archives will unite researchers in Wales and Brittany.

The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth is home to an important archive of material relating to Brittany and Breton culture. Researchers at CAWCS in collaboration with colleagues at the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique in Brest, have recently been awarded funding from CollEx-Persée to work on this special collection.

In partnership with their colleagues in Brittany, researchers will undertake to contextualise, analyse, and digitise selected texts, through research trips and workshops held in Brest and Aberystwyth.

The project aims to enrich, digitise, and widen access to some of the documents held in the Breton archives in Wales. In addition researchers will link these key documents to those held in archives in Brittany and in France, and so allow a fuller picture of how Wales and Brittany have interacted over the last two centuries.

Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of CAWCS, said:

This is a very important research project that is further evidence of the strong strategic collaboration between the three partner institutions: the CRBC in Brittany, the National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, with each of us bringing our expertise to the table for the benefit of scholars, the heritage sector and communities in Wales, Brittany and internationally.

Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian of the National Library of Wales, said: ‘This project will facilitate and enhance access for users and audiences beyond those who can access the content of the collections locally, and it its current form.’

Ronan Calvez, Director of the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique at the University of Brest said: ‘Researchers at the CRBC are delighted at this opportunity to work on the Breton archival holdings in Wales, a largely untapped resource that certainly merits attention. Moreover, this academic work will reinforce cross-channel links between researchers.’

"Les chercheuses et les chercheurs du CRBC se réjouissent de travailler sur les archives bretonnes du pays de Galles, qui n'ont pour l'heure pas fait l'objet d'études et qui méritent grandement d'être valorisées. Ce projet scientifique permettra de renforcer les liens entre chercheurs, de part et d'autre de la Manche."

Note to Editor

Contact: Dr Angharad Elias (Admin Officer) a.elias@wales.ac.uk

1. The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) was established by the University of Wales in 1985 as a dedicated research centre conducting team-based projects on the languages, literatures, culture and history of Wales and the other Celtic countries. It is located in Aberystwyth, adjacent to the National Library of Wales, which is an internationally-renowned copyright library with excellent research facilities.

2. CAWCS offers unique opportunities for postgraduate students to work alongside specialists in a dynamic and supportive environment. We welcome enquiries about MPhil/PhD topics in any of our research areas. For more information about research opportunities, or for an informal chat about possible topics, contact our Head of Graduate Studies, Dr Elizabeth Edwards: e.edwards@wales.ac.uk

3. CAWCS is the home of the Dictionary of the Welsh Language: https://www.welsh-dictionary.ac.uk/ 

4. ‘Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique’ [Centre for Breton and Celtic Research], University of Brest, Brittany, France

https://www.univ-brest.fr/crbc/. A research centre that has worked closely with CAWCS over the years.

5. The grant has been awarded by CollEx-Persée https://www.collexpersee.eu/a-propos/who-are-we/ funded by the French Government.

Further Information

For more information please contact Arwel Lloyd, Principal PR and Communications Officer, on 07384 467076 / arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk