Penodwyd tri artist sydd â’u cartref yng Nghymru gan y Bartneriaeth Prosiect ISLIFAU – AR EIN RHINIOG: ALT-Architecture, Jesse Briton a Rufus Mufasa.

Bydd yr artistiaid yn gweithio gyda’r Bartneriaeth a thrigolion y fro i dynnu cysylltiadau ar draws Cwm Aber (Abertridwr a Senghennydd) a dadlennu cyneddfau diwylliannol ac amgylcheddol yr ardal a sut y gallai’r rhain fod o ragor o fudd i gymunedau.

Gynt yn gymuned lofaol, mae gan Gwm Aber stori newydd i’w hadrodd.

Amcan y prosiect ydi canfod straeon cyfoes man a lle a’u rhoi yn yr amlwg a chwilio sut y gall celfyddyd a gweithgaredd diwylliannol roi lle i gymunedau gysylltu â’u bro mewn ffyrdd newydd sy’n cyfoethogi bywyd pob dydd.

Gewch chi wybod rhagor am y prosiect, cwrdd â’r artist a chymryd rhan o roi tro am stondin wib ‘Islifau – Ar Ein Rhiniog’ yn Sgwâr Abertridwr o un tan chwech o’r gloch ar 26 Awst neu yn Senghennydd y tu allan i Sonia’s Plaice o un tan chwech o’r gloch ar 27 Awst.

Mae ALT-Architecture yn mapio ac yn rhoi yn yr amlwg fannau awyr agored yr ardal ac yn canfod cyfleoedd i ymyriadau celfyddydau a diwylliant eu hamlygu, eu gwella neu eu defnyddio er budd cymunedau’r cyffiniau.  Meddai ALT-Architecture,

Rydym yn cael y berthynas a’r cysylltiad cymhleth rhwng pobl a thirweddau’n gyfareddol, felly rydym wrth ein boddau o gael ein comisiynu i weithio gyda chymunedau Cwm Aber ar y prosiect cyfranogol hwn.   Mae’n wefr i ni feddwl am ein trochi ein hunain mewn sgyrsiau, chwilio a syniadau creadigol i ddeall a dehongli cyneddfau dihafal Cwm Aber.  Gwelwn botensial aruthrol i’r prosiect yma feithrin perthynas hir oes a sgyrsiau parhaol wedi’u llunio o gwmpas cysylltiadau rhwng cenedlaethau, cyneddfau diwylliannol ac amgylcheddol, a gwell iechyd a lles.

Mae Jesse Briton yn chwilio achosion cyfoes ynghlwm â menywod a gwaith yng Nghwm Aber.  Meddai Jesse Briton,

Rwy’n llawn cyffro o fod yn chwilio’r berthynas rhwng Menywod a Gwaith yng Nghwm Aber. Mae i’r ddau gyfoeth o hanes ym mêr esgyrn y cyffiniau ac mae’n gyfaredd i mi weld sut maen nhw’n eu hamlygu eu hunain heddiw, yn enwedig o gofio’r deunaw mis aeth heibio. Rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn wneud cyfiawnder â menywod lleol a chychwyn ar y daith tuag at rywbeth sy’n gyffrous, yn annisgwyl ac yn gwbl chwyldroadol.

Mae yna gymuned Gymraeg ei hiaith sylweddol yng Nghwm Aber ond ychydig o gyfleoedd sydd i ymwneud â’r celfyddydau a diwylliant yn y Gymraeg a thrwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.   Mae Rufus Mufasa yn gweithio gyda’r bartneriaeth i chwilio a datblygu ymyriad arloesol yn y celfyddydau fydd yn mynd i’r afael â’r angen yma.  Meddai Rufus Mufasa,

Bydd y cyfle yma’n rhoi lle i mi chwilio tafodiaith ieithoedd brodorol, y gorffennol a’r presennol, ar yr un pryd â chwilio posibiliadau’r dyfodol.  Fy niddordeb yn iaith y dirwedd a’r bobl fydd yn bwydo fy ymateb artistig, a fydd yn anrhydeddu’r cyfan mae gan Abertridwr a Senghennydd i’w gynnig i mi ar yr un pryd â cheisio ailddychmygu ein dirnadaeth o fan a lle, cân ac enaid.

Mae’r gweithgaredd yma’n rhan o gyfnod cyntaf ymchwil a datblygu’r hyn fydd, gobeithio, yn rhaglen fwy hirdymor o weithiau.

Mae Partneriaeth Prosiect ISLIFAU – AR EIN RHINIOG yn cynnwys Islifau – grŵp cymuned y Celfyddydau yng Nghwm Aber, Tîm Datblygu’r Celfyddydau Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili a’r corff celfyddydau gweledol Addo.

Meddai’r Cynghorydd John Roberts,

Nid yn ddi-hid y mae rhoi cynigion grant fel hyn. Maen nhw’n gofyn llawer o amser ac ymdrech. Mae gofyn iddyn nhw ddangos pwrpas clir ac uchelgeisiau cadarnhaol o ran eu hamcanion a’u nodau. Mae Cwm Aber wedi cael hyd i grŵp bach diddorol o artistiaid i’w penodi, sy’n barod ac yn fodlon treulio amser gyda ni i gyd. Gobeithio y deuant i wybod rhywbeth am ein hardal a’n helpu i ddod o hyd i brosiect cymuned hirdymor y gall Cwm Aber elwa arno yn y dyfodol. Bellach rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld beth ddigwydd nesaf.

Meddai Gary Metcalfe, Cadeirydd Islifau – Grŵp Cymuned y Celfyddydau yng Nghwm Aber,

Rydym yn falch o fod yn gweithio gyda’n partneriaid yr haf yma i gael gwybod rhagor am y bobl yn ein cymuned. Mae’n gyfle gwych i bawb fod ynghlwm hyd yn oed os nad ydych yn meddwl eich bod yn ymddiddori yn y Celfyddydau, fe allech gael eich synnu.

Meddai David Chamberlain, Uwch-swyddog Datblygu’r Celfyddydau, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili,

Mae ‘Ar Ein Rhiniog’ wedi ein helpu i feithrin cysylltiadau dwfn â Chwm Aber a ddaeth ag unigolion a chyrff ynghyd mewn ffyrdd llawer mwy diddorol ac arloesol nag yr oeddem yn eu rhagweld pan gychwynnon ni.  Rhagorodd yr artistiaid o ran ennyn diddordeb y bobl leol mewn tair thema allweddol, a ddatblygwyd gyda phobl Cwm Aber, y mae creadigedd yn helpu i’w datgloi.

Meddai’r Dr Sarah Pace, Curadur a Chyd-gyfarwyddwr Addo Creadigol,

Mae’r prosiect yn gyfle tan gamp i bwyso a mesur y cwbl sydd gan Gwm Aber i’w gynnig ac i chwilio sut y gall gweithgaredd yn y celfyddydau a diwylliannol gyfoethogi fwy fyth gyneddfau diwylliannol ac amgylcheddol yr ardal ac effeithio’n gadarnhaol ar fywydau pob dydd pobl.   Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig o gofio’r argyfwng newid hinsawdd ac argyfwng iechyd meddwl mwyfwy gwledydd Prydain, a ninnau’n dod allan o’r cyfnod clo a Brexit ac yn gwneud ein gorau i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd newydd o fyw’n gynaliadwy mewn byd sy’n prysur newid.

Cofiwch ddod i gysylltiad os carech gael gwybod rhagor neu ddod yn rhan o’r prosiect drwy e-bostio sarah@addocreative.com

Cyllidir y prosiect gan gronfa grant Cysylltu a Ffynnu Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru er mwyn datblygu cynigion cydweithredol rhwng cyrff, unigolion a phobl broffesiynol greadigol. Rhoddwyd cyllid dros ben a chefnogaeth mewn da yn garedig gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili a’r Rhwydwaith Lles Integredig (IWNGwent), sy’n awyddus i gefnogi cyfleoedd lles cymunedol sy’n deillio o bob cwr o’r prosiect.

Three Wales-based artists have been appointed by the UNDERCURRENTS – ON OUR DOORSTEP Project Partnership: ALT-Architecture, Jesse Briton and Rufus Mufasa.

The artists will work with the Partnership and local residents to draw out connections across the Aber Valley (Abertridwr and Senghenydd) and reveal the area’s cultural and environmental assets and how these may further benefit communities.

A former coal mining community, the Aber Valley has a fresh story to tell.

The project aims to identify and make visible contemporary narratives of place and explore how art and cultural activity may enable communities to connect with their locale in new ways that enhance everyday life.

You can find out more about the project, meet the artist and take part by visiting the ‘Undercurrents – On Our Doorstep’ pop up stall in Abertridwr Square from 1 – 6pm on 26 August or in Senghenydd outside Sonia’s Plaice from 1 – 6pm on 27 August.

ALT-Architecture is mapping and making visible the area’s outdoor spaces and identifying opportunities for arts and cultural-led interventions to highlight, enhance or make use of them for the benefit of local communities.  ALT-Architecture said,

We are fascinated by the complex connection and relationship between people and landscapes, so we are delighted to have been commissioned to work with the communities of the Aber Valley on this participatory project.  We are excited about immersing ourselves in conversations, exploration and creative ideas to understand and interpret the unique qualities of the Aber Valley.  We see huge potential for this project to establish a long-lasting relationship and ongoing dialogues shaped around intergenerational connections, cultural and environmental assets, and enhanced health and wellbeing.

Jesse Briton is exploring contemporary issues around women and work in the Aber Valley.  Jesse Briton said,

I’m so excited to be exploring the relationship between Women & Work in the Aber Valley. There is such a deep and rich history to both in the local area and I’m fascinated to see how they manifest themselves today, particularly in light of the last 18 months. My hope is that we can do justice to local women and start the journey towards something that is exciting, unexpected and completely radical.

There is a significant Welsh-speaking community in the Aber Valley but limited opportunities to engage with arts and culture in and through the Welsh language.  Rufus Mufasa is working with the partnership to explore and develop an innovative art intervention that will address this need.  Rufus Mufasa said,

This opportunity will allow me to explore the dialect of indigenous languages, of the past and present, while exploring the possibilities of the future. My interest in the language of the landscape and the people will inform my artistic response, and honouring all that Senghenydd informs me with will be shape-shifting of our understanding of place, song and soul.

This activity forms part of an initial research & development phase of what is hoped will be a longer-term programme of works.

The UNDERCURRENTS – ON OUR DOORSTEP Project Partnership is made up of Undercurrents – Arts in the Aber Valley community group, Caerphilly County Borough Council Arts Development Team and visual arts organisation Addo.

Cllr John Roberts said,

Grant bids like this aren’t given willi-nilly. They take a lot of time and effort. They need to show clear purpose and positive ambitions in their aims and objectives. The Aber Valley have found an interesting little group of artist appointments ready and willing to spend some time with all of us. Hopefully they’ll get to know something of our area and help us find a long-term community project that the Aber Valley can benefit from in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next now.

Gary Metcalfe, Chair of Undercurrents – Arts in the Aber Valley Community Group, said,

We are pleased to be working with our partners this summer to find out more about the people in our community. It is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved even if you don’t think you are interested in the Arts, you may be surprised.

David Chamberlain, Senior Arts Development Officer, Caerphilly County Borough Council, said,

’On Our Doorstep’ has helped us develop in depth connections with the Aber Valley that has brought individuals and organisations together in much more interesting and innovative ways than we envisaged when starting out. The artists have excelled in getting local people engaged in 3 key themes, developed with the people of the Aber Valley, that creativity is helping unlock.

Dr Sarah Pace, Curator & Co-Director of Addo Creative, said,

The project is a great opportunity to take stock of all that the Aber Valley has to offer and to explore how arts and cultural activity may further enhance the area’s cultural and environmental assets and impact positively on people’s everyday lives.  This is especially important in light of the climate change emergency and the UK’s growing mental health crisis, and as we emerge from lockdown and Brexit and try to find new ways to live sustainably in a rapidly changing world.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more or get involved in the project by emailing sarah@addocreative.com.

The project is funded by an Arts Council of Wales’ Connect & Flourish grant fund for the development of collaborative proposals between organisations, individuals and creative professionals.  Additional funding and in-kind support have been kindly given by Caerphilly County Borough Council and the Integrated Wellbeing Network (IWNGwent), which is keen to support community wellbeing opportunities that emanate from across the project.