A project to develop the Welsh language music scene in Swansea reaches its conclusion this December.
Led by Menter Iaith Abertawe, Swansea’s Welsh language initiative, the project has seen a total of 68 live events with over 9,500 people attending since the start of the project in September 2022. The project has also given opportunities to over 170 different artists who use the Welsh language in their work or from the Swansea area, and seen the foundation of a new annual Welsh language contemporary arts festival, Gŵyl Tawe, at the National Waterfront Museum.
Tomos Jones, Head Officer for Menter Iaith Abertawe, said “The success of this project has really proven the appetite for regular Welsh language cultural events in Swansea. The support from the Arts Council of Wales has enabled us to programme a wide variety of events, showcasing different genres and giving opportunities to new artists. This has enabled us to build partnerships and reach new audiences, and we are confident that this project will have a significant and long-lasting effect on the Welsh language arts scene in the area.”.
As well as regular events at Tŷ Tawe, Swansea’s Welsh language, Arts, and Community Centre, the project has also seen regular collaboration with other venues in the city such as The Bunkhouse, Elysium, and the Mission Gallery.
Scott Mackay, Venue Manager for the Elysium Bar & Gallery, said “Working with Menter Iaith Abertawe has allowed us to host an incredible range of Welsh-language music; allowing us to platform acts who would otherwise have been out of our reach and affording local acts opportunities to appear on the bill with some really incredible performers. The breadth of musical talent in Swansea, and Wales, right now is truly inspiring and we can't wait to see what 2025 has in store!”.
Alongside the live events, the project has also established a new weekly music club for young people aged 11-18 in partnership with Urdd Gobaith Cymru. The young people attending the club have received opportunities to develop their musical, songwriting, and recording skills through the medium of Welsh, and members have also received opportunities to go on and play live gigs as part of the wider project. These weekly workshops will continue to run in 2025 and beyond.
Throughout the project, an allocation of free tickets was also available to Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Region students, encouraging new speakers to engage with Welsh language culture and arts.
Rhiannon Britton, Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Region Quality Officer, said “This project has been amazing for our learners and so many of them have taken advantage of the free tickets to the Welsh language gigs. It has given them the opportunity to meet other speakers and learners at the events and practise their new language skills – something that can be challenging in the Swansea area. The project has also opened doors to a new world of Welsh music and culture for them that would not have been possible without this project. I know they're looking forward to more gigs in the future!”.
In keeping with the programme over the last two years, the project wraps up with a series of varied gigs to round off 2024. Sunday the 1st of December sees returning Welsh indie treasures Melys visit The Bunkhouse, with a bilingual support bill featuring Pseudo Cool, Y Dail, and Swan Hill promoted in collaboration with the R*E*P*E*A*T fanzine. On Friday the 6th of December, Griff Lynch, lead vocalist of the popular group Yr Ods and solo pop-electronic artist, visits Tŷ Tawe with support from local indie-funk heroes Ci Gofod and rising stars Taran.
The final show of the project is the largest non-festival show so far, with acclaimed alternative folk musician Georgia Ruth performing at the Taliesin Arts Centre on Monday the 16th of December. In this special one-off show, Georgia will be playing her 2024 Welsh Music Prize nominated album ‘Cool Head’ in its entirety with a full band and strings to bring the atmosphere of this very special record to Swansea.
Although this specific project is coming to an end, Menter Iaith Abertawe already have plans in place for 2025 and beyond.
“We can’t wait to share our plans for next year with everyone”, explains Tomos Jones, “we have some great gigs to announce for early 2025, and there is some very exciting news about Gŵyl Tawe coming very soon. We’re really excited for the future of the Welsh language arts scene in Swansea.”.
Remaining gigs:
Sunday 1/12 – Melys + Pseudo Cool + Y Dail + Swan Hill / The Bunkhouse
Friday 6/12 – Griff Lynch + Ci Gofod + Taran / Tŷ Tawe
Monday 16/12 – Georgia Ruth / Taliesin Arts Centre