Arts, culture, music and creative industries are facing a very difficult time as they try and survive the impact of pandemic. We thought this would be a good time to remember the amazing groups and businesses in this area that Pen y Cymoedd has supported in its first three years.
If you are a group or business trying to plan for next year and have new projects or developments in mind – contact the Pen y Cymoedd staff team to discuss how fund may be able to help.
When Vattenfall asked the community what they wanted from the Pen y Cymoedd Community Fund some of the key priorities were:
- Supporting existing cultural events and activitie
- Encouraging participation in cultural activities
- Local culture being valued as a resource for education, self-expression and tourism
- Support for creative industries
- Providing equipment for established groups
- Creation of a range of sustainable, cultural opportunities in the area
The fund has supported 53 organisations, groups and businesses focussed on cultural activities with a total investment to date of £588,541.47
From rock and pop music workshops to Gala performances, equipment and uniforms for choirs to art studios and tutors.
We have funded Ukelele Bands, Uilleann Piping Festivals, productions of Hairspray, Belle a’r Bwystfil and South Pacific. The funding has upgraded musical equipment and equipment for quilters.
We were proud to support the inaugural Rhondda Arts Festival and have now supported them with COVID Survival funding to ensure they can come back bigger and better in 2021.
Funding has supplied instruments for youth tuition, paid for 16 concerts in care and residential homes and much more.
The latest support includes:
£5,000 to Treorchy Male Voice Choir as they plan for when they can be together again and start singing and entertaining their many followers.
£12,500 to Rhondda Arts Festival Treorchy
£1,000 to Cwmbach Male Voice Choir towards their 100 year celebration events next year
£24,100 to Taking Flight Theatre – this was intended for a project starting in Treorchy in September that has sadly had to be put on hold. We hope next year brings opportunities for arts and theatre to safely become part of valleys life again and we are excited to see what funding will help them achieve.
£8,420 to Hot Jam for music workshops with young people during pandemic
We wish these groups and businesses all the best during these difficult times and look forward to seeing a return to people enjoying music and theatre, singing in choirs, attending concerts, booking photoshoots and joining their friends in art clubs and quilting groups again soon.