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Here's the 6 Nations remaining games schedule - https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/fixtures
How to stream online free if you're in the UK and directions on how to stream via VPN from outside the UK are here - https://www.techradar.com/nz/news/six-nations-2020-live-stream-how-to-watch-every-rugby-union-game-online-from-anywhere
Arts Council Wales and BBC Cymru Wales are calling for talented Welsh artists and bands to apply for the Launchpad fund this year. Aimed at emerging musicians that already demonstrate promise, Launchpad is part of the Horizons/Gorwelion scheme to develop new and independent contemporary music in Wales.
The Launchpad fund was launched in 2014 and since then it has invested £170,000 supporting over 170 new and emerging Welsh artists from all corners of the country.
The fund aims to support a diverse mix of musicians to develop their creative work, such as studio time and equipment, photography, artwork and video. Artists who have benefited from the Launchpad fund vary in experience from: Carmarthen’s Adwaith with a Welsh Music Prize-winning album last year; Radio 2 folk award nominee Gwilym Bowen Rhys; Flintshire hip-hop artist Ennio the Little Brother who used the funding towards a UK tour; Dutch-Welsh singer songwriter and visual artist Accu and Bandicoot from Swansea who recorded their first Welsh-language singles.
Last year, Newport-based singer-songwriter Jack Perrett was awarded support from the Launchpad fund . He said:
"Applying for the Launchpad fund was one of the most important things I did in 2019. Launchpad helped me record and release a single which managed to get played on BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC Radio Wales. If any musicians in Wales are serious enough about their musical careers, I would definitely advise them to apply."
The funding also helped R & B artist Aleighcia Scott to produce an official music video and digital marketing campaign:
“Receiving the Launchpad fund was like a weight lifted from my mind, it meant I was able to build on my craft without having to worry where I would find the funding, which is one of the hardest parts of being a self-funded musician - thank you!”
Antwn Owen-Hicks, Portfolio Manager with Arts Council Wales said:
“These grants can make a real difference to new artists, a timely injection of funding to help with costs like recording or promoting new material. It’s important to support new creative talent and one of the main aims of Launchpad is to encourage emerging artists from all over Wales, exploring all kinds of contemporary music. We’re particularly keen to support more artists from diverse backgrounds and disabled musicians. These artists are underrepresented in the sector in Wales and it’s important that they are supported through the Launchpad funding.”
DJ & Horizons founder and Project Manager Bethan Elfyn added:
“Launchpad is a key part of Horizons’ work. It introduces us to a wealth of artists from bedroom DJs, MCs, producers, to new singer songwriters who might not have ventured out of their local gigging scene. The other side of the scale is helping more experienced Welsh artists promote new albums, and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, HMS Morris, Adwaith, Silent Forum, I See Rivers, and No Good Boyo, have all benefited from a little extra promotional push through Launchpad grants. It’s a joy to be a key part of the Welsh music tapestry right now.”
Applications are now open to Wales-based artists and bands writing, producing and performing original contemporary popular music. Entries for 2020 will close at midnight on Sunday, February 9.
For more information about Launchpad and how to apply, as well as the horizons initiative, go to bbc.co.uk/horizons
And you can follow Horizons Cymru on Facebook @HorizonsCymru and on Twitter .
Today is St Dwywen's Day in 2020, the Welsh patron saint of friendship and love, you can find out more about her here: https://americymru.net/americymru/blog/940/dont-forget-st-dwynwens-day-january-25th-the-welsh-valentines-day?fbclid=IwAR1W3Cqjh2vjV0ddovu0guxwfUuqDdPhlGjmS43yqfSvHI5zn67bLQjX6Fw
And send someone you love a free St Dwywen's ecard, funny or serious, here - http://welsh-american-bookstore.com/index.php/st-dwynwen-s-day/rwcard/1/
Across the Pond, paintings by Catrin Perih at the Donald Gallery, Dobbs Ferry NY
By gaabi, 2019-10-19
If you're on the east coast, Welsh painter Catrin Phillips Perih has a show in Dobb's Ferry, NY. The opening is 27 October 2019 and her work will be there through 8 December.
VOICES FROM WALES - SIXTEEN OF FIFTY-TWO, THOMAS SKEEL – A NAPOLEONIC SOLDIER FROM LAUGHARNE, CARMARTHENSHIRE PART 1
I’ve only ever heard it within the township of Laugharne.
Mother Bear is an exclamation of surprise, similar to the phrase Gordon Bennett! or Cor Blimey!
It began with the chance discovery of a memorial stone in churchyard, which led to finding the diary of Thomas Skeel, born 1781, a farm labourer from Hangman Street, Laugharne. The diary told the story of an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary events. His story deserved to be retold. So came the birth of Mother Bear Community Theatre Group , mixing storytelling with music to relive the history of those that have lived in the unique township on the banks of the River Taf. War, love, lust, murder and more are recalled in the tales from Agincourt to The Second World War. The treatments are presented as pop up theatre.
In this video John tells the story behind his research into the life of Thomas Skeel , landlord of the Ship Inn in Laugharne and relates some of the stories of his young life.
In Part 2, we find out about his adventures in Spain and Portugal, fighting the armies of Napoleon and being wounded at the Battle of Tallavera.
Mother Bear still performs regularly. They are looking to perform a 19th century arsenic murder mystery very soon! In the meantime Mother Bear produces these videos for Americymru – we got a few to go!!!
The Big Spring Beach Clean, Surfers Against Sewage
Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire
April 7th 2019
It’s World Oceans Day, June 8th, and people around our world celebrate and honour the ocean, which connects us all.
https://www.worldoceansday.org
To celebrate we would like to release a video of the Big Spring Beach Clean . It is the UK’s biggest coordinated beach clean activity, which has brought together over 150,000 volunteers over the last five years, contributing an incredible two million hours of volunteer time to protecting and conserving our beaches for everyone to enjoy. These vital community events not only remove dangerous plastics from our unique and precious coastal environment, but also indicate where action needs to be taken further upstream to reduce the leakage into and impact of plastics on our ocean and beaches.
Jaz Strelecki has been a representative for Surfers Against Sewage since she was nine years old. Jaz also helps mum, Anna, run her iSea Surfwear clothing business in Amroth. Jaz is the surfer of the family and has always had a passion for spreading the word about environmental issues and especially beach cleaning.
As lots of groups help to clean Freshwater West already Jaz and Anna decided to focus on the teeny tiny micro plastics and nurdles/mermaids tears, to see how bad it really is on this lovely beach.
Mermaids’ tears, also known as resin pellets or nurdles, are used in the manufacturing of plastic products. S.A.S. identify these plastic pellets as a major source of pollution on Welsh beaches, and their undercover work in plastic factories have identified a route from plastic factories to the beach, via the storm drains.
Bryn Seion Welsh Church SUNDAY, 23 JUNE 2019
84th Annual Gymanfa Ganu (Welsh Singing Festival)
Come and join your fellow Cymru in an American-Welsh tradition, singing together in Welsh at the oldest Welsh church west of the Rockies for the 84th year of this event. Bilingual song books are available with phonetic pronunctions of Welsh language lyrics. This is a lovely family event in the country, limited seating is available inside the church building itself and more outside on the lawn. The Gymanfa is conducted in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a wonderful Welsh high tea served in between.
Located at 22132 S. Kamrath Road, Beavercreek, Oregon 97004
Celebrating 135 years in Beavercreek, Oregon
Whether you have Welsh heritage or not, you will be very welcome at this cultural event.
11:00 AM: A TRADITIONAL CHURCH SERVICE
Enjoy lunch at one of several restaurants nearby.
2:00 PM: THE FIRST SESSION OF THE GYMANFA GANU
Eryl Aynsley, director; Geneva Cook, organist;
with musical guests, The Phoenix Choir.
4:00 PM: The ladies of the church will serve a bountiful Welsh Tea
($12.00 adults, $5.00 for children under 18)
6:00 PM: THE SECOND SESSION OF THE GYMANFA GANU
Jamie Webster, director; Geneva Cook, organist.
For more information, e mail: brynseionwelshchurch@gmail.
Mail: Bryn Seion Welsh Church, PO Box 484, Beavercreek, OR 97004
‘Nawr Yr Arwr/Now The Hero is a multi-artform, site-specific project created by Swansea born interdisciplinary artist Marc Rees for 14-18-NOW. This bold and exciting commemoration of WWI will take place in and around the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea during Harvest, September 2018.’
The website introduces me to the performance. My problem was that I didn’t have the humility to research the project before hand.
‘Harvest’ why Harvest? Now I know. The connected ‘Graft - A Soil Based Syllabus’ curated by artist Owen Griffiths has been going on for months in and around the city. The plants of Sir Frank Brangwyn’s commemorative artwork have been grown and gathered in for the making of a cawl. As an audience we will ingest the panels. We are part of the process. We are part of the commemoration.
‘I’m not hungry,’ I said when my mate asked if I fancied some soup!
‘Look Eddie’s coming down the tower. Wow!’
Eddie Ladd, The Peace Protester, travels through the experiences and images presented to us with a message of peace. She commentates/narrates throughout, a ball of energy at all times.
Performed to a dystopian soundscape, she digs, traces in the sand the aerial view of trenches, spills black earth onto them God like, child-like playing in the sand. Black earth? Scarred earth? Black blood? Bad blood? Or was it just mud?
This is my problem. I see an action: a scene, a tableaux I’m asking questions. The finale has her abseiling forward down the clock tower. No mean feat! Why? Is it for effect or is there a meaning behind the statement. Is it her? It’s got to be! Is it a stunt? Perhaps it would have been more impressive the other way?
The siren wails, calls our protagonists to action. Three warriors, aboard a power boat enter the stage. The three interlinking stories through the evening are introduced: the Celtic warrior, the Great War officer the modern day soldier. The poem ‘Y Gododdin’ reverberates through the night. The seventh century battle of 300 Celtic warriors is evoked.
The promenade performance follows Eddie through the streets of the city. The Home Front, the war work of women supporting their men. Shrouds for the dead soldiers. A WW1 tank made of coal doing the rounds fund raising, only to buy more tanks.
The last time I was at Brangwyn Hall I charged the doors as a teenager to watch the glam rock band, Slade. What was I thinking? Now Modern young soldiers charge screaming at the doors as if in bayonet practice, racing to war.
I now walk reverently into the beautiful arena of blood red trenches, adorned with Brangwyn’s panels. The wonderful Polyphony choir patiently bide their time on the stage for us to find our seats. The impressive Celtic Warrior has an authentic aura. He also waits. We settle, silence, the light show begins dramatically and the music centrepiece of the performance begins. I find myself transfixed by the choir and the bellowing sound of the organ. A lengthy dance of death as the dead warrior is swallowed by the bloody earth. The introduction of young men performing a very slow macabre dance as they, likewise, are swallowed into the graves of the bloody trench mud. I just wish I could see a bit more.
I’m woken from my libretto trance by a public announcement: 30 minutes to look round the hall and then the finale will take place.
The different rooms of the Brangwyn are adorned in tableaux and scenes from the three stories. More questions bounce around. Why is the soldier crawling? Why are the women slowly walking the length of the room with a fluorescent light travelling over the soldier’s head? Does the light represent bullets? Is the soldier a tunneller? Why are there women? Did they send the soldiers to battle? And on it goes. A peace room, a wedding room, a wake room, a locker room, t.v. installations etc etc.
We are called out, the finale begins. Nearly 500 people queue for the harvest fare and the unveiling of a flag. I think it was Eddie’s peace banner but the weather had been too kind. There was no rain. There was no wind to unfurl the flag. After post performance reading I now wish perhaps it had rained.
I’m still asking questions. I’m still discovering, as a Welshman, who I am and where I’ve come from.
Marc Rees’ Nawr Yr Arwr/Now The Hero is epic but it doesn’t answer all my questions.
by Andy Edwards
