Join us for the Cragen Beca Parade!
Ymunwch â ni ar gyfer Parêd Cragen Beca!
Osian Meilir
Photography: Sophie Holland
Mae Osian Meilir yn artist sy’n creu a pherfformio gwaith dawns a symud ac mae bellach wedi’i leoli yng Nghymru. Yn hanu’n wreiddiol o Bentre’r Bryn, ar arfordir gorllewin Cymru, aeth Meilir ymlaen i hyfforddi yn Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Yno, enillodd radd dosbarth cyntaf cyn bwrw ymlaen â’i astudiaethau a chwblhau ei radd Meistr mewn Perfformiad Dawns yn rhan o Transitions Dance Company.
Mae profiadau cynharaf Meilir, a’i gefndir yn ymhêl â’r ddawns werin Gymreig, wedi golygu bod Meilir yn gwerthfawrogi dawns o bob math o ddiwylliannau gwahanol. Mae hefyd wedi golygu ei fod yn cael mwynhad o ystyried y ffordd y gall dawns godi pontydd pwysig rhwng pobl o bob cwr o’r byd.
Mae Osian yn gweithio gyda phrosiect Cragen Beca i ddatblygu sgiliau perfformio pobl ifanc ar gyfer Parêd Cragen Beca.
Mae gwaith Meilir fel perfformiwr yn cynnwys gweithio gyda artistiaid fel Lizzi Kew Ross & Co, Gwyn Emberton Dance, Satore Tech a Fearghus O’Conchuir gyda Chwmni Dawns Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae ei waith hefyd yn ehangu i fyd theatr ar gyfer cynulleidfaoedd ifanc drwy berfformio gwaith gan Carlos Pons Guerra a Paul Bosco McEneaney, yn teithio ledled y DU ac yn rhyngwladol, yn ogystal a’i waith solo ei hun ar gyfer Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch – Palmant / Pridd (Pavement / Pasture). Fe greodd ei berfformiad cyntaf graddfa ganol – Qwerin, fel cyfarwyddwr a choreograffydd yn 2021 ac mae ganddo brofiad helaeth o arwain gweithdai a dosbarthiadau i blant a phobl ifanc.
Bydd Qwerin yn ymddangos fel rhan o’r diweddglo Parêd Cragen Beca yn Sgwâr y Guildhall, Caerfyrddin ar 1 Mai 2022.
Osian Meilir is a performer, dance-maker and movement artist based in Wales. Originally from Pentre’r Bryn, on the west coast of Wales, Meilir went on to train at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, attaining a first-class degree, before continuing his studies and completing his M.A. in Dance Performance as part of Transitions Dance Company.
His very early experiences and background of Welsh folk dance has led him to appreciate dance from all different cultures, and to enjoy how dance can build meaningful bridges between people from around the world.
Osian is working with the Cragen Beca project to develop the perfomance skills of young people for the Cragen Beca Parade.
Meilir’s work as a performer has seen him working with artists such as Lizzi Kew Ross & Co, Gwyn Emberton Dance, Satore Tech and Fearghus O’Conchuir at National Dance Company of Wales. His work also expands into working in theatre for young audiences, performing in works by Carlos Pons Guerra and Paul Bosco McEneaney, touring accross the UK and internationally, as well as his own solo work for Arad Goch Theatre Company – Palmant / Pridd (Pavement / Pasture). He premiered his first mid-scale production – ‘Qwerin’, as director and choreographer in 2021 and also has extensive experience in leading workshops and classes for children and young people.
Qwerin will be appearing as part of the Cragen Beca Parade finale in Guildhall Square, Carmarthen on 1 May 2022.
Menywod mewn Ffocws // Women in Focus
Carmarthen School of Art’s International Women’s Day 2022 Symposium in collaboration with Oriel Myrddin Gallery
Imagine a gender equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
This symposium will look closely at our position as women, and those who identify as female who are freelancers, artists, and those working in the creative or educational sectors through debate, dialogue and collaboration. As educators, artists, makers how are we influencing future students through mentoring, visibility, promotion and access?
Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.
Symposiwm Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Merched 2022 Ysgol Gelf Caerfyrddin mewn cydweithrediad ag Oriel Myrddin Gallery
Dychmygwch fyd cyfartal rhwng y rhywiau.
Byd sy’n rhydd o ragfarn, stereoteipiau a gwahaniaethu. Byd sy’n amrywiol, yn deg ac yn gynhwysol. Byd lle mae gwahaniaeth yn cael ei werthfawrogi a’i ddathlu. Gyda’n gilydd gallwn greu cydraddoldeb menywod. Gyda’n gilydd gallwn ni i gyd #BreakTheBias.
Dathlu cyflawniad merched. Codi ymwybyddiaeth yn erbyn rhagfarn. Gweithredu dros gydraddoldeb.
Bydd y symposiwm hwn yn edrych yn fanwl ar ein sefyllfa fel menywod, a’r rhai sy’n uniaethu fel merched sy’n weithwyr llawrydd, yn artistiaid, a’r rhai sy’n gweithio yn y sectorau creadigol neu addysgol trwy ddadl, deialog a chydweithio. Fel addysgwyr, artistiaid, gwneuthurwyr sut ydyn ni’n dylanwadu ar fyfyrwyr y dyfodol trwy fentora, gwelededd, hyrwyddo a mynediad?
Clwb Artistiaid Ifanc Oriel Myrddin
Rwy’n gyffrous iawn bod cyfranogwyr Clwb Artistiaid Ifanc Oriel Myrddin yn brysur yn bod yn greadigol ac yn gwneud llawer o bethau anhygoel i’w dangos a’u gwisgo ar Orymdaith Cragen Beca, yn nhref Caerfyrddin ddydd Sul 1 Mai! Mae’r Clwb Artistiaid Ifanc yn cwrdd ar ôl ysgol ar ddydd Mercher yn y Ganolfan Magu yn Ynghaerfyrddin.
I’m very excited that Oriel Myrddin Gallery’s Young Artists’ Club are getting creative and making lots of amazing things to bring and wear on the Cragen Beca Parade in Carmarthen town on Sunday 1 May! The Young Artists Club meet after school on a Wednesday at the Nurture Centre in Carmarthen.
Mae llawer o bethau gwych yn digwydd drwy gydol y tymor gan gynnwys gwneud ceffylau hobi ac addurno ffedogau, i cario ar y orymdaith. Mae’r Artistiaid Ifanc hefyd wedi bod yn ymchwilio ddyluniadau tecstilau Cymreig ac paentio patrymu traddodiadol ar ffabrig ar gyfer eu ffedogau.
There are lots of wonderful things happening throughout the term including making hobby horses and aprons to carry on the parade. The young artists have also been researching Welsh textile designs and painting traditional patterns onto fabric for their aprons.
Mae’r gweithgaredd wedi’i wneud yn bosibl gydag ariannu gan y Gaeaf Llawn Lles // The activity has been made possible with funding from the Winter of Wellbeing.
Lliniau drwy garedigrwydd o Oriel Myrddin // Images courtesy of Oriel Myrddin Gallery
Sam Knight
Mae Sam Knight yn saer coed sy’n byw yn Orllewin Cymru. Lleolir gweithdy Sam ym mhentref bach Llandysul lle cafodd ei fagu. Mae’n creu darnau unigryw o bren lleol, gan weithio’n bennaf gydag offer llaw, rhai ohonynt yn perthyn i’w hen dad-cu a oedd hefyd yn weithiwr coed.
Mae Sam wedi bod yn mireinio ei grefft ers dros ddegawd ac mae’r darnau y mae’n eu creu yn deillio o’i angerdd a’i ymroddiad i’r grefft o waith coed.
Gwnaed ceffyl hobi Cragen Beca gan Sam o goedwigoedd lleol a’i addurno gan Kathryn.
Sam Knight is a woodworker based in west Wales. Sam’s workshop is located in the small Llandysul village where he grew up. He creates unique pieces from locally sourced wood, working mainly with hand tools, some of which belonged to his great-grandfather who was also a woodworker.
Sam has been honing his craft for over a decade and the pieces he creates are the product of many years of passion and dedication to the art of woodworking.
The Cragen Beca hobby horse was made by Sam from locally sourced woods and decorated by Kathryn.
Ffwligans
Rwy’n falch iawn fy mod wedi cael cyfle i weithio gyda dylunwyr graffeg anhygoel, Ffwligans (Eirlys a Mark), i greu’r logo ar gyfer prosiect Cragen Beca.
Mae Ffwligans yn bartneriaeth greadigol sy’n creu “Posteri Propaganda Cymreig digrif sy’n codi calon. Brand arloesol a chreadigol iawn sy’n creu cynnwys gwreiddiol iawn ond sy’n parhau i fod yn drosglwyddadwy ac eiriolwr modern doniol” Storiel, Bangor
I’m so delighted to have been working with amazing graphic designers, Ffwligans (Eirlys and Mark), to create the logo for the Cragen Beca project.
Ffwligans is a creative partnership that creates “Uplifting and humorous Welsh Propaganda posters. An innovative and highly creative brand with such original content while remaining transferable and a funny modern advocate” Storiel, Bangor
Dywedodd Eirlys am Ffwligans:
“Dechreuodd y syniad cychwynnol ar gyfer Ffwligans amser maith yn ôl pan dreuliais amser yn gweithio yn Fietnam ac yna teithio’n gyda Mark, drwy Dde-ddwyrain Asia a Tsieina. Roedd gennym ddiddordeb yn yr hysbysfyrddau a’r posteri comiwnyddol gyda’u delweddau a oedd yn ymddangos yn ddiniwed a’n siriol a’r deipograffeg drawiadol. Pan ddaethom adref, a digwydd ymweld â Nant Gwrtheyrn, daliodd poster Lolfa “I’r Gad” ein sylw, a chawsom y syniad o arbrofi gyda steil posteri propaganda.
Mae cefndir Mark mewn darlunio a dylunio graffeg, mae wedi treulio amser yn gweithio fel animeiddiwr ac artist bwrdd stori (yn Aardman, Bryste) ond mae wastad wedi bod wrth ei fodd yn creu comics. Mae gen i gefndir mewn Addysg ac mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn barddoniaeth a Llenyddiaeth Plant. Ein bwriad oedd cyfuno ein dyluniadau â thestun ysbrydoledig a barddoniaeth wirion.
Mae comics a llenyddiaeth yn ddylanwad sy’n cynnwys celf stryd (ar ôl i ni fyw ym Mryste a Llundain yn ystod 90au) hefyd symudiadau chwyldroadol fel Situationist International a Black Panthers. Cerddoriaeth gan gynnwys pync, hip hop, techno, bandiau Cymraeg, unrhyw beth! (Rydym wedi ein lleoli yng Nghonwy, yn y gogledd (mae’n debyg bod byw yn y gogledd yn effeithio ar ein gwaith hefyd – teimlwn ein bod yn cael ein hanwybyddu gan amlaf! Felly rydyn ni’n creu posteri sy’n denu sylw yn y gobaith am fyd gwell – dwi’n dod o Ogledd Cymru, mae Mark yn dod o Ogledd-ddwyrain Lloegr).”
Pan gysylltais â Ffwligans am y tro cyntaf i drafod y mater o gydweithio, dywedodd Eirlys wrthyf fod trwmped cragen dro yn ei theulu.
Cafodd mam-gu Eirlys ei magu yng Nghapel Garmon, Sir Conwy ac mae gan ei theulu wreiddiau ffermio yn yr ardal sy’n dyddio yn ôl i 1745. Credir bod y gragen wedi bod yn y teulu ers peth amser ac fe’i trosglwyddwyd o’i hen fam-gu a chafodd ei defnyddio i alw’r gweithwyr fferm i mewn o’r tir. Mae tad Eirlys hefyd yn dod o deulu o ffermwyr, o Lysfaen, Clwyd yn wreiddiol, ac mae ef hefyd yn credu y byddai cragen o’r fath wedi cael ei defnyddio’n gyffredin ar ffermydd Gogledd Cymru.”
Eirlys says of Ffwligans:
“The initial idea for Ffwligans began a long time ago when I spent time working in Vietnam and then travelled with Mark, through South East Asia and China. We were interested in the billboards and communist posters with their seemingly innocent and cheerful images and the striking typography. When we returned, and happened to visit Nant Gwrtheyrn, the “I’r Gad” Lolfa poster caught our attention, and we came up with the idea of playing with the style of propaganda posters.
Mark’s background is in drawing and graphic design, he’s spent time working as an animator and storyboard artist (based in Aardman, Bristol) but his heart has always been in creating comics. My background is in Education and I have interest in Children’s Literature and poetry. Our intention was to combine our designs with inspirational text and daft poetry.
Comics and literature are an influence including street art (from living in both Bristol and London during 90’s) also revolutionary movements such as Situationist International and Black Panthers. Music including punk, hip hop, techno, Welsh bands, anything really! (We’re based in Conwy, up north (being northern probably affects our work too – we feel mostly ignored! So we create shouty posters in the hope for a better world – I’m from North Wales, Mark from the North East of England).”
When I first contacted Ffwligans to discuss the collaboration, Eirlys told me that there is a conch shell trumpet in her family. That seemed a bit like fate and so I asked her more about it.
Eirlys’ grandmother was brought up in Capel Garmon, Sir Conwy and her family has farming roots in the area that go back as far as 1745. It is believed that the conch has been in the family for some time having been passed down from her great-grandmother and was used to call the farmworkers in from the land. Eirlys’ father also comes from a long line of farmers, initially from Llysfaen, Clwyd, and he also believes that such a shell would have commonly been used on the farms of North Wales.
Ffilmio yn Nhalog
Filming in Talog
Ddoe, es i am dro i bentref Talog yn Sir Gâr gyda’r cerddor Ceri Owen-Jones a’r gwneuthurwr ffilmiau, Jacob Whittaker. Mae Ceri wedi treulio rhai misoedd yn perffeithio ei dechneg chwythu trwmped cragen dro ac fe aethon ni â’r gragen gyda ni i’w chwythu mewn gwahanol leoliadau o amgylch Talog.
Roedd y trwmped cragen dro wreiddiol, Cragen Beca, yn perthyn i landlord Tafarn y Castell yn Nhalog a chafodd ei guddio yn y dafarn am dros 100 mlynedd cyn iddo gael ei roi i Amgueddfa Caerfyrddin yn y 1980au. Nid oes hawl gennym ni i chwythu Cragen Beca. Cafodd y gragen y mae Ceri wedi bod yn ei defnyddio ei darganfod mewn siop hen bethau yn nhref Caerfyrddin yn 2020.
Dwi wedi bod yn crwydro lleoliadau yn Nhalog dros y misoedd diwethaf ac fe aethon ni fore Sadwrn i ddechrau ffilmio. Yn y diwedd, fe wnaethon ni ddefnyddio pedwar lleoliad gwahanol yn Nhalog a’r cyffiniau gan gwrdd â phobl wych yn y pentref yn ystod y dydd. Roedd Neuadd Bentref Talog ar agor am goffi a chacen ac felly fe wnaethon ni alw heibio ganol bore a chwrdd â Heather sy’n rhedeg gwefan a thudalen Facebook Talog yn ogystal â Kevin sy’n helpu i redeg neuadd y pentref.
Gan deimlo’n effro ac yn egnïol, fe aethon ni i’r bryniau uwchben Talog i chwilio am olygfa banoramig dros y pentref. Ar ôl tynnu i mewn i fuarth fferm Penrallt ar ben lôn serth, fe wnaethom gyfarfod â Bethan a Rhun sy’n ffermio moch maes Tamworth hardd mewn modd cynaliadwy. Fe wnaethon nhw roi caniatâd i ni ffilmio yn yr eiddo ac aeth Rhun â ni i’r caeau ymhellach i fyny’r bryn lle’r oedd yr olygfa ar draws y pentref yn berffaith.
Roedd clywed y gragen yn atseinio ar draws bryniau gogledd Sir Gâr a dychmygu’r gragen wreiddiol yn canu i alw ar ferched Beca yr ardal yn brofiad eithriadol.
Yesterday I headed off to the Carmarthenshire village of Talog with musician Ceri Owen-Jones and filmmaker Jacob Whittaker. Ceri has spent some months perfecting his conch trumpet blowing technique and we took the shell out with us to blow in various locations around Talog.
The original Cragen Beca shell trumpet belonged to the landlord of the Castle Inn in Talog and was kept hidden in the pub for over 100 years before it was donated to Carmarthen Museum in the 1980s. We are not permitted to blow Cragen Beca, the shell Ceri has been working with was found in an antique shop in Carmarthen town in 2020.
I have been scouting out locations in Talog over the last few months and we set out on Saturday morning to start filming. We ended up using four different locations in and around Talog and during the day we met some wonderful people in the village. Talog Village Hall was open for coffee and cake and we dropped in mid-morning where we met Heather who runs the Talog website and Facebook page as well as Kevin who helps run the village hall.
Feeling refreshed and energised, we wound our way up to the hills above Talog in search of a panoramic view over the village. Pulling in to Penrallt farmyard at the top of a steep lane, we met Bethan and Rhun who farm beautiful free range, sustainably farmed Tamworth pigs. They generously allowed us to film at the property and Rhun took us to the fields further up the hill from the farm where the view across the village was perfect.
Hearing the shell resonate across the north Carmarthenshire hills and imagining the original shell sounding out to muster the Rebeccaites of the area to action was an extraordinary experience.
Ceffyl Beca // Beca’s Horse
Ar 19 Mehefin 1843, roedd Rebecca wedi marchogaeth i Gaerfyrddin ar geffyl gwyn urddasol ac i dalu teyrnged i’r bwystfil rhyfeddol hwnnw, gofynnais i’r gweithiwr coed Sam Knight gerfio pen ceffyl i mi ar gyfer gorymdaith Cragen Beca ar 1 Mai 2022.
Creodd Sam y darn yn ei weithdy ger Llandysul. Mae’r pen wedi’i gerfio o bren ginco sy’n adnabyddus am ei rinweddau ysgafn. Cafwyd y pren o erddi Plasty Nanteos ger Aberystwyth tua 20 mlynedd yn ôl ac mae Sam wedi ei gadw yn ei storfa goed yn barod ar gyfer y prosiect cywir. Mae’r polyn cario wedi’i wneud o gyll o ardal Llandysul. Mae’r dyluniad yn gymalog sy’n caniatáu i’r ceffyl glecian ei ên wrth iddo symud!
Wedyn paentiais y pen a gwneud clustiau cynfas wedi’u paentio a mwng ffabrig ysgafn o ffabrigau wedi’u hailgylchu.
Rebecca rode into Carmarthen on 19 June 1843 on a statuesque white horse and in tribute to that marvellous beast, I asked woodworker Sam Knight to carve a horse’s head for me that can ‘ride’ with our costumed Rebecca on the Cragen Beca parade on 1 May 2022.
Sam created the piece in his workshop near Llandysul. The head is carved from Gingko Biloba wood which is known for its lightweight qualities. The wood was sourced from the gardens of Nanteos Mansion near Aberystwyth about 20 years ago and has been waiting in Sam’s woodstore for the right project. The carrying pole is made of hazel from the Llandysul area. The design is articulated which allows the horse to snap its jaws as it moves!
I then painted the head and made painted canvas ears and a luscious fabric mane from recycled fabrics.
Carmarthenshire Quilts
Cwiltiau o Amgueddfa Sir Gaerfyrddin
Rwyf wedi bod yn gweithio gyda’r timau cadwraeth a churadu yn Amgueddfa Sir Gaerfyrddin i wneud gwaith ymchwil er mwyn creu tair gwisg ar gyfer parêd Cragen Beca yng Nghaerfyrddin yn 2022.
Mae’r gwisgoedd ar gyfer Rebecca a dau o’i phlant (rwy’n eu galw nhw yn Charlotte a Nelly, dau enw a gafodd eu defnyddio gan gynorthwywyr Rebecca) yn cyfeirio at waith traddodiadol a chyfoes a gwisgoedd bob dydd. Fodd bynnag byddaf yn creu dillad dros ben llestri ar gyfer y parêd er mwyn creu gwisgoedd rhyfeddol, tebyg i rai carnifal ar gyfer merched Beca modern. Maent hefyd yn cynnwys manylion o gyfrifon hanesyddol am y gwisgoedd yr oedd y terfysgwyr yn eu gwisgo yng nghanol y 19eg Ganrif wrth gyflawni eu hymgyrch chwyldroadol yn erbyn tollbyrth Turnpike Trust y sir.
Roeddwn am edrych ar y casgliadau cwiltiau yn benodol i weld a oes unrhyw batrymau a dyluniadau a all ysbrydoli elfennau creadigol y gwisgoedd.
Quilts from Carmarthenshire Museum
I’ve been working with the conservation and curatorial teams at Carmarthenshire Museum to research into creating three costumes for the Carmarthen Cragen Beca parade in 2022.
The costumes for Rebecca and two of her Children (I’m calling them Charlotte and Nelly, both names that were used by Rebecca’s accomplices) refer to both traditional and contemporary work and everyday wear. The pieces I’m making for the parade, however, will be exaggerated to create fantastical, carnival-style outfits for my modern-day Rebeccaites. They also include details from historical accounts about the costumes that the rioters wore whilst undertaking their subversive campaigns against the Turnpike Trust toll gates of the county in the mid 19th Century.
I particularly wanted to look at the quilt collections to see if there are any patterns and designs that can inspire the decorative elements of the costumes.
Images courtesy of Carmarthenshire Museum and Kathryn Campbell Dodd
Top image: Jo Cook, Conservator, Carmarthenshire Museum
cragenbeca.co.uk 