More than £1 million is being invested in Merthyr Tydfil to help local residents become artists, musicians, actors and filmmakers, according to the council. Over the next six months, the programme of training activities hosted by partner venues Theatr Soar, The College Merthyr Tydfil, Redhouse Cymru, The Bothy at Cyfarthfa Park, and the Creative Clinic, Gurnos.
“The programme is called Creu Cyffro, which means ‘to create excitement’,” said the council’s head of regeneration and housing, Chris Long. "The aim is to provide a collaborative way of working, supporting training and learning opportunities for both young people and adults, unemployed and employed people.”
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The Creative Industry Training Programme is being supported by 10 partners including Community Music Wales, Wales Millennium Centre, the Open University and Screen Alliance Wales. Other delivery partners include Beacon Bees, local author and playwright Anthony ‘Bunko’ Griffiths, theatre company PuppetSoup, First Campus, Screen Alliance Wales and Into Film.
The first project completed under Creu Cyffro was a Covid community memorial which is now on display at Christ Church in Heolgerrig. Cyfarthfa Castle’s artists in residence Allison Richards and Rob Taylor supported local people to create fused glass images representing each person's experience of the pandemic. The glass is illuminated from behind and mounted on a sweet chestnut base holding 10 candles.
According to the council, Merthyr Tydfil is one of only 100 communities across the UK selected to receive funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund, a £220 million scheme to help the economy recover from the impact of Coronavirus by supporting projects boosting local investment in skills, local businesses and communities, and helping people find jobs.
