Avant Theatre – Hydro Jam – £15,298.95
Planned as a physical festival in the woods at Treherbert for 2021 that has been postponed until 2022 Avant will now trial the venue (first jam in woodland setting across UK), implement the judging system software and filming what is possible to share the exciting opportunities for next year. This is a unique partnership between Avant, Welcome to our Woods and other local venues and businesses. Avant Cymru have joined collaboration that brings Breakin’ competitions across UK together using joint, accredited scoring system and promoting each other’s events, each with a unique USP and is an exciting opportunity to bring an event to the Rhondda that would traditionally be based in city centre locations.
Bringing an event into the heart of the Valleys will also work to break down barriers to participation. In collaboration with Larynx Entertainment, Motion Control Dance and Fusions Elite we are developing a network for Hip Hop culture and breakin across Wales and this networking will increase participation and inform future events and collaborations.
“Avant Cymru are so grateful for the opportunity that the Pen y Cymoedd funding is providing, where we are able to co-create with the community, Welcome to Our Woods, Hip Hop artists across Wales and with Breakers across the UK. The opportunity to bring fun and exciting events to the Rhondda is very important to us, we believe that the Rhondda is an amazing place to live, and we are excited to continue to work with others providing theatre, dance, hip hop opportunities and shows so we can share experiences, stories and enjoy spending time with our community in our communities beautiful landscape” – Rachel, Avant.
“We are thrilled to be supporting Avant with a Vision Fund grant of £15,298.95 for the Hip Hop Jam in collaboration with Welcome to Our Woods. This is a unique partnership project that will bring an event into the heart of the Valleys will also work to break down barriers to participation. They are developing a network for Hip Hop culture and breakin across the UK and this will increase participation and inform future events and collaboration. This project will also further engage the community with Avant’s work to build future audiences for local classes, shows, festivals and jams and strengthen partnership working in the upper Rhondda.” – Kate, Executive Director of Pen y Cymoedd Community Fund
Supporting cultural activity and community spirit / creating a range of sustainable, cultural opportunities in the area.
Cwmparc Community Association – Funding our Future – £21,280.
The Association was established in the late 80’s with view of providing a space for community current day sees the Association provide.
• Education/training
• Weekly classes for all ages
• Afterschool, and Holiday Play
• A Youth services
• A space for Arts/culture/heritage activities
• Job Placements and Volunteering Opportunities
Employing Local People, the Association also runs a community café and gym, offers room hire and non-vocational classes/courses, community resources e.g., internet access, photocopying, printing, distribution of recycling bags, physical activities e.g., Funky Pump Classes, Circuits, as well as a Food Co-op providing weekly food hampers to those in need and Local Councillors surgeries.
The Centre is also used as a base for local businesses such as Sports Massage Therapy. The inclusion of the new Family Hub provides usable outside space, a greater capacity for activities with the potential for the development of a creche and a “Forest School” environmental educational facility plus the opportunity to develop more weekly activities such as Parent and Toddler classes. During the ‘lockdown’ periods, staff have regularly kept in contact via several social media platforms providing online craft and play sessions for children, with on-line activities and competitions for both younger and older children and continue to deliver activity packs to the homes of their young people, on a weekly basis. Since March 2020 they have provided more than 6000 activity packs to children and young people.
Whilst they expect many regular users returning to the Centre and Family Hub when safe to do so, they expect that there will be a community confidence problem to address. As well as this, they have not been able to develop new relationships with a lot of the users expected for 2020/21, such as young people starting in Yr. 7, and consequently with their families due to the length of time the lockdown has continued.
They applied to Pen y Cymoedd to support the cost of employing a new staff member who will:
• Identify the type of activities and support community members of all ages wish to see/ be held by the Association (Hub/ Centre)
• Identify barriers to engagement or participation, this could assist with increasing confidence of users post COVID-19 and increase user numbers.
• Identify organisations who can make use of both the internal and external spaces on a rentable basis.
• Identify local delivery organisations where partnership working opportunities may exist, to provide a holistic approach to community activities and facilities.
• Developing a greater ‘on-line’ presence and deliver an increased marketing strategy.
“As we now slowly return to some form of normality the Funding provided by the Pen Y Cymoedd Vision Fund to help us employ a member of staff will be essential to assisting the Association to regenerate and grow in the future.
Being able to identify and meet the needs of our communities because of the Covid Pandemic, with the help of the grant will enable us to provide more targeted provision to the surrounding communities and establish new activities to meet these needs with the hope that this new provision will be a catalyst to not only regenerating our area but the Association also.” Joanne Jones