The Arts for Health and Wellbeing Team are delighted to commission Duke Al Durham to collaborate with us on our Arts Council of Wales funded project, Cardiff Royal Infirmary: people, place, future.

As services at the CRI evolve and change for the future, providing a number of wellbeing services for our communities including for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, we wanted to describe through the creative arts, enduring human qualities that are part of NHS values and those of the wonderful communities we serve.

We are privileged to work with inspiring artist, spoken word poet, Duke Al Durham and his team collaborators, illustrator Dom Tsoi, producer Tom James and visual creative Trevor Burgess in supporting them to create a unique poem and performance which we can share digitally and as part of a performative event next year.

‘’Writing rhymes is my therapy. From a young age, I’d scribble raps and poems in my old lyric book. It was my way of expressing myself; an escapism to challenge my OCD. A passion of words, flow and rhyme flared. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 23, the pen was there to help me understand and articulate how I felt. Now I aim to make an impactful change using one rhyme at a time.’’

-Duke Al Durham

Mae Tîm y Celfyddydau ar gyfer Iechyd a Lles yn falch iawn o gomisiynu Duke Al Durham i gydweithio â ni ar ein prosiect a ariennir gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, Ysbyty Brenhinol Caerdydd: pobl, lle, dyfodol.

Wrth i wasanaethau yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Caerdydd ddatblygu a newid ar gyfer y dyfodol, gan ddarparu nifer o wasanaethau lles ar gyfer ein cymunedau, gan gynnwys ar gyfer rhai o’r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymunedau, roeddem am ddisgrifio drwy’r celfyddydau creadigol, rinweddau dynol parhaus sy’n rhan o werthoedd y GIG a’r rhinweddau sy’n perthyn i’r cymunedau gwych yr ydym yn eu gwasanaethu.

Mae’n fraint gennym weithio gyda’r artist ysbrydoledig, a bardd y gair llafar, Duke Al Durham a’r cydweithwyr yn ei dîm, y darlunydd Dom Tsoi a’r creawdwr creadigol Trevor Burgess i’w cefnogi i greu cerdd a pherfformiad unigryw y gallwn eu rhannu’n ddigidol, ac fel rhan o ddigwyddiad perfformiadol y flwyddyn nesaf.

“Ysgrifennu odlau yw fy therapi. O oedran ifanc, byddwn i’n sgriblo rapiau a cherddi yn fy hen lyfr geiriau. Dyma oedd fy ffordd o fynegi fy hun; dihangfa i herio fy OCD. Arweiniodd at gynnwrf o eiriau, llif ac odlau. Ar ôl cael diagnosis o Ddiabetes Math 1 yn 23 oed, roedd y pen ysgrifennu yno i’m helpu i ddeall a mynegi sut roeddwn i’n teimlo. Nawr rwy’n anelu at greu newid effeithiol gan ddefnyddio un odl ar y tro.”

-Duke Al Durham

One thought on “Duke Al Durham Commissioned to Create Poem and Performance for CRI

Leave a Reply