The Arts for Health and Wellbeing Team are proud to present a new display of artwork in our Corridor Exhibition space at University Hospital Llandough.
A new curriculum will be introduced in Welsh schools in 2022 to teach children about racism and the contributions of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. In preparation for this, the Arts Council of Wales recently recruited creative professionals to work in Welsh schools to look at ways of exploring the history and development of Wales as a multicultural society through creative mediums.
Creative practitioner Sarah Featherstone was paired with Bryn Primary School in Blackwood to help fulfil the aims of the project. Working with the class teacher, Ceri Khokhar, an enquiry question was developed in line with the priorities of the school and those of the Cynefin project themes.
The enquiry question at the heart of the project:
How can working with an artist/writer help to develop awareness of the contribution of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic peoples past and present for year 4 and 5 pupils, both in their own community and beyond? Can exploring this through creative mediums improve communication and collaboration skills?
To begin their explorations, the children time travelled back to the 18th century and acted out the story of the life of one of Wales’ early black inhabitants, John Ystumllyn. To bring wider context to this story, they began to read the book Freedom by Catherine Johnson, a Welsh Jamaican author. Catherine came to talk to the children about the book and her own experiences of growing up in Wales. Dr. Chris Evans, author of Slave Wales: The Welsh and Atlantic Slavery, 1660-1850 answered the children’s questions about Harri Morgan, a Welsh privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica who was found to have connections to a house, Penllwyn Manor, local to the school.
Additional creative practitioners came in at intervals throughout the project to inspire and inform the children. These included Eve Shepherd, the sculptor commissioned to create the statue of Wales’ first black head teacher, Betty Campbell, to be unveiled in Cardiff centre in September 2021. Dancer and performer June Campbell-Davies worked with the children on a short performance using sound and movement, and Marcus and Nick from RedBrck Productions captured this and the overall essence of the project in a short film.
“Cynefin: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Wales draws upon the strengths of the Lead Creative Schools Scheme that has helped schools explore new ideas and approaches to teaching and learning over the last six years. I am delighted that we are now also able to contribute in this way to the new curriculum’s increased emphasis on truly reflecting the diversity of Wales’ population and the impact of this on Wales’ past and future.” – Nick Capaldi, Chief Executive of the Arts of Council Wales.
This exhibition will be on display until the end of August 2021.
If you would like more information please contact Molly Lewis, the Gallery Coordinator on: 07970 070153 or molly.lewis3@wales.nhs.uk
Available Monday – Wednesday
Bydd cwricwlwm newydd yn cael ei gyflwyno yn ysgolion Cymru yn 2022 i addysgu plant am hiliaeth a chyfraniadau cymunedau pobl Dduon, Asiaidd ac Ethnig Leiafrifol. I baratoi ar gyfer hyn, yn ddiweddar, gwnaeth Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru recriwtio swyddogion creadigol proffesiynol i weithio yn ysgolion Cymru i edrych ar ffyrdd o archwilio hanes a datblygiad Cymru fel cymdeithas amlddiwylliannol drwy ddulliau creadigol.
Cafodd yr ymarferydd creadigol Sarah Featherstone ei dyrannu i Ysgol Gynradd Bryn yn y Coed Duon i helpu i gyflawni nodau’r prosiect. Gan weithio gyda’r athro dosbarth, Ceri Khokhar, datblygwyd cwestiwn ymholi yn unol â blaenoriaethau’r ysgol a blaenoriaethau themâu prosiect Cynefin.
Y cwestiwn ymholi wrth wraidd y prosiect:
Sut y gall gweithio gydag artist/awdur helpu i ddatblygu ymwybyddiaeth o gyfraniad pobl Pobl Ddu, Asiaidd ac Ethnig Leiafrifol y gorffennol a’r presennol ar gyfer disgyblion blwyddyn 4 a 5, yn eu cymuned eu hunain a thu hwnt? All archwilio hyn drwy ddulliau creadigol wella sgiliau cyfathrebu a chydweithio?
I ddechrau eu harchwiliadau, teithiodd y plant yn ôl i’r 18fed ganrif, gan actio stori bywyd un o breswylwyr du cynharaf Cymru, John Ystumllyn. I ddod â chyd-destun ehangach i’r stori hon, gwnaethant ddechrau darllen y llyfr Freedom gan Catherine Johnson, awdures Gymraeg o Jamaica. Daeth Catherine i siarad â’r plant am y llyfr a’i phrofiadau ei hun o gael ei magu yng Nghymru. Gwnaeth Dr. Chris Evans, awdur Slave Wales: The Welsh and Atlantic Slavery, 1660-1850 ateb cwestiynau’r plant am Harri Morgan, herwlongwr, perchennog planhigfa, ac, yn ddiweddarach, Is-lywodraethwr Jamaica y canfu fod ganddo gysylltiadau â thŷ, Plasty Penllwyn, sy’n lleol i’r ysgol.
Daeth ymarferwyr creadigol ychwanegol i mewn ar adegau gwahanol drwy gydol y prosiect i ysbrydoli a rhoi gwybodaeth i’r plant. Ymhlith y rhain roedd Eve Shepherd, y cerflunydd a gomisiynwyd i greu cerflun pennaeth ysgol du cyntaf Cymru, Betty Campbell, a gaiff ei ddatgelu yng nghanol Caerdydd ym mis Medi 2021. Gwnaeth y ddawnswraig a’r berfformwraig June Campbell-Davies weithio gyda’r plant ar berfformiad byr gan ddefnyddio sain a symudiadau, a gwnaeth Marcus a Nick o RedBrck Productions grisialu hyn a naws gyffredinol y prosiect mewn ffilm fer.
“Mae Cynefin: Prosiect Pobl Ddu, Asiaidd ac Ethnig Leiafrifol Cymru yn manteisio ar gryfderau’r Cynllun Ysgolion Creadigol Arweiniol sydd wedi helpu ysgolion i archwilio syniadau a dulliau newydd o addysgu a dysgu dros y chwe blynedd diwethaf. Rwyf wrth fy modd ein bod nawr hefyd yn gallu cyfrannu yn y ffordd hon at bwyslais cynyddol y cwricwlwm newydd ar adlewyrchu amrywiaeth poblogaeth Cymru yn wirioneddol, ac effaith hyn ar orffennol a dyfodol Cymru.” – Nick Capaldi, Prif Weithredwr Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru.
Cynhelir yr arddangosfa hon hyd ddiwedd Awst 2021.
Os hoffech ragor o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â Molly Lewis, Cydlynydd yr Oriel ar: 07970 070153 neu molly.lewis3@wales.nhs.uk
Ar gael o ddydd Llun i ddydd Mercher