UWTSD Staff and Students looks forward to take part in the ‘Cragen Beca’ project
28.04.2022
Staff and Students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David are looking forward to taking part in the ‘Cragen Beca’ Parade that will be held in Carmarthen on the 1st of May. The Parade is part of a multi-layered project that merges history and heritage with contemporary art practice through collaboration and partnership.
Cragen Beca is a conch shell trumpet. It was allegedly blown to call the legendary Rebecca and her ‘Daughters’ to action during the infamous Rebecca Riots of Carmarthenshire in the mid-19th century (1839 – 43).
The Cragen Beca project, by west Wales artist Kathryn Campbell Dodd, is funded by the Arts Council of Wales, Carmarthenshire County Council, the Federation of Museums and Galleries in Wales and Canolfan S4C Yr Egin in collaboration with Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Cof Gâr Carmarthenshire Museum, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, RED SHOES Poster Archive and Oriel Bevan Jones
It will culminate in a series of exhibitions, events and a town parade in Carmarthen on Sunday 1 May 2022 starting at 2pm (gather from 1:30pm) As part of the project, Kathryn Campbell Dodd has designed and created three contemporary Rebecca costumes which will be worn as part of the Cragen Beca Parade. The costumes will then be exhibited in Carmarthenshire Museum from 14 May 2022.
Artist Kathryn Campbell Dodd has been working with artists, musicians and performers to think about the importance of Cragen Beca and what this historically significant object might mean for the people of Carmarthenshire today.
At the beginning of term, she came in to speak with creative students on the Carmarthen campus to inspire them to take part in the project. She encouraged the students, through the historic themes of the project, to consider their own sense of identity, community, justice and protest.
She said,
“It has been a pleasure to work with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen whose support has been invaluable to the project. Students and staff have brought fresh approaches and perspectives to the work that have helped to enliven the experience and bring these deeply embedded historical Welsh stories into a contemporary context.
“The issues which brought the rural population of the 19th Century to the tipping point of the Rebecca Riots have shifted and changed their focus over 180 or so years, but injustice and social imbalance continue to be only too visible in our communities. One of the slogans from the Paris student riots of 1968, was ‘L’imagination au pouvoir’ (Power of imagination), and that idea is also at the heart of this project. I hope that involvement with projects such as Cragen Beca can help to empower the students of the 2020s to imagine new ways to navigate and ultimately help shape the cultures and communities that they would like to create for the future.”
UWTSD lecturer Jonathan Pugh will be taking part in the parade as one of three Rebeccas, wearing Kathryn's unique reimagined designs. He adds,
“It’s amazing to find new life in such an important local story which is being expressed in an accessible and contemporary manor. The relevance of 'people power' remains apparent across our news feeds today, and this project is a great reminder of the importance of raising and celebrating the voices of the underrepresented and the oppressed”
BA Filmmaking student Finlay Prydderch is one of the students that’s taking part in this project. He said,
“For the Cragen Beca project, I was the photographer for the photos of the dresses for Kathryn’s Instagram and Oriel Myrddin’s Instagram page. This project was a lot of fun to work on for some experience in taking professional photos for a great cause. This is something great I can add to my CV, as I want to go into camera operating framing photos. It’s a great way of getting a keen eye in.”
Reece Ford, another student has enjoyed the experience of working on this project as he mentioned,
"It was very valuable working in front of camera for the photoshoot. And vastly enjoyed the people I worked with!"
For Acting student Dominic Parker,
“It has been an enjoyable creative process that’s been a pleasure to be a part of.”
Oliver Goulstone a MA Theatre Directing student adds,
“A wonderful opportunity to be a part of a celebration of Welsh culture and the proud nation of Wales. I take great pride in being born and bred here in Carmarthen, and 'Cragen Beca' underlines the historic events of the Rebecca Riots where people stood up for themselves against rising unemployment and poverty. The project encourages us all to remember the past, and I'm over the moon to be involved.”
The parade will start from Oriel Myrddin Gallery along King Street and into Guildhall Square. The parade will be led by young people from Bro Myrddin School and University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen who will work with dancer Osian Meilir to develop the performance. Community groups and spectators are invited to dress up and join in with the day.
At the finale of the parade in Guildhall Square there will be performances from Dawnswyr Talog, one of Wales’ leading folk dance groups and Qwerin, a contemporary dance performance by Osian that extends the boundaries of traditional Welsh folk dance.
Further Information
Lowri Thomas, Principal Communications and PR Officer
07449 998476
