Cân y Cymoedd
Heritage Songwriting Workshops
Cân Y Cymoedd / When Valleys Sing is a Trac Cymru project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund bringing people together through folk music, storytelling and shared heritage in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot. In creative workshops led by professional artists, participants share stories, memories and ideas, then help shape them into brand new folk songs rooted in their own communities. Using traditional instruments and techniques to express contemporary voices and experiences, Cân Y Cymoedd shows how folk music can still bring people together and give communities a stronger sense of connection and belonging.
All the songs created through the project are recorded by Sylvia and Jonathan at ScreenTales, which you can listen to over on our Cân Y Cymoedd SoundCloud playlist! Scroll below to see where the project has travelled to so far, and if you would like us to visit your local community, group or school, please get in touch!
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Ynysboeth Primary School
Our first Cân y Cymoedd workshop sessions took place in Ynysboeth Primary School in RCT, with musician Gareth Bonello (aka The Gentle Good) leading the sessions. From Mrs Piper’s class, Years 4 & 5 participated in 8 sessions making their own new folk song. The pupils successfully created a beautiful number, called “Ynysboeth, we’re the best”. View our photo gallery below and watch this video to see their journey, including a performance to the school and a listen to the final recording.
Garth Olwg Primary School
Folk and pop/rock artists Sam Humphries and Eady Crawford worked with 15 children in year 9. The pupils created 3 groups and wrote 3 new songs in Cymraeg based on local heritage and history, over 8 sessions.
Tairgwaith Primary School
Mari St Fagans info here
Pontypridd Folk Club
Folk singer/songwriter Gareth Bonello worked with members of Pontypridd Folk Club, at Clwb y Bont, over 8 weeks, to create a range of group and solo compositions, based on local heritage. Between 14 and 20 people took party over the course of the project, and composed 9 new songs in a variety of styles, in both Cymraeg and English.
Llantrisant Folk Club
Renowned folk singer/songwriter Huw Williams worked with members of Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun, over 8 weeks, to create a range of group compositions, based on local heritage. Around 15 people took party over the course of the project, and composed 5 new songs in a variety of styles.
