Re: Western Mail article

I am entirely in favour of this project which will commemorate an important moment in Merthyr's political heritage. It is essential therefore that every effort is made to be accurate about the facts relating to 1831. The article in the Western Mail of 13 August 2011 has inaccuracies and misrepresentations as follows:

1831 'considered the first incident of organised workers' unrest against low wages etc . . . in the world'. Not true; there are numerous examples before 1831, not least the riots in Merthyr in 1800 and 1816 and the South Wales coalfield strike of 1822, not to mention many cases in England.

What happened to Dic Penderyn 'went on to influence the rise of the trade union movement and the Chartists'. Not true; trade unionism and Chartism were British movements that had their beginnings long before 1831. Many trade unionists and Chartists would never have heard of Dic Penderyn. It is therefore quite wrong to talk about 'his legacy'.

Merthyr's political history is of Welsh national importance and to some extent of British importance too. Therefore it is all the more important to get it right. To understand that history it is valuable to remember that there was no more violence in Merthyr after 1831 and that Merthyr's most famous MPs - Henry Richard and Keir Hardie - were both pacifists.

My personal interpretation of 1831, for which there is much evidence, is that it was the first example of what a few years later became known as 'Physical Force Chartism'. The insurrection in 1831 was about REFORM so that life would be better. It therefore pre-dates and is more significant than the 1839 march on Newport.

Joe England

Cyfarfod / Meeting 3

Theatr Soar, Canolfan Gymraeg Merthyr Tudful

15.08.11

5pm

Present / Presennol:Gus Payne, Lisa Powell, Edwyn Parry, Lis McLean, Russell Shurmer.

Chair / Cadairydd: Jamie Bevan
Apologies / Ymddiheuriadau:Viv Pugh, Rhian Prosser, Gavin Lewis, Karen Dusgate, Craig Pierce.

1. Minutes from last meeting / Cofnodion diweddaraf:No ammendments to be made

2. Raising Awareness / Codi YmwybodFollowing a Dic Penderyn event publicised in the Western Mail over the weekend the group agreed that while the focus of the memorial should be the Merthyr Rising, the name Dic Penderyn is one that seems to capture the public’s imagination and should be used if need be (the actual art-work could still include clarification of the historical facts).
The author of the WM article (Robin Turner) should be targeted for future press releases.

JB to draft a press release designed to raise awareness of the group.
LP to draft a leaflet which can be taken to events and activities to promote the groups aim
EP to create a Facebook page
GP to creat a blog page along-side the Arts, Culture and Media Forum blog-site.


3. Funding / CyllidCosts need to be identified.
In addition to whatever funding is available as part of the site development (through Physical Regeneration) it was agreed to be positive to also include some sort of community fund raising, where members of the community and businesses could take some ownership of the project by donating towards the project.
Fund-raising activities could include a carnival event
The project could also have a prescence at other events including things like Family History Day and the Global Village event

GP to consult with GL and CP to put a costing together for the final art-work.

4. Workshops / Gweithdai:Initial awareness building sessions could be part of other workshop sessions, using the theme of the Merthyr Rising and workers rights etc. together with the wider related issues still seen in the world today (consumerism, poverty, etc.)
Potential project partners could be H4A, Global Village, Writing Squads, Soar activities, Old Town Hall activities.
Schools could also potentially put a performance together.
Two community performances could help raise awareness. One in English and one in Welsh.
More focused workshop sessions should also be part of the overall project to help engage the general public.
20 workshops was agreed as an initial plan, working with approximatley 6-10 different groups to produce an exhibition that could travell to 4 locations around relevant Merthyr Rising locations (Dowlais Library, Cyfarthfa Castle, Old Town Hall and Soar were suggested).

LM to cost performances
GP to consult with CP to put a costing together for workshops.

5. Bilingualism / DwyieithogAll public information should be in both Welsh and English

6. Date of next meeting:  Monday, 19th September, 5pm, Soar.
Dyddiad y cyfarfod nesaf:  Dydd Llun, 19eg o Fedi, 5pm, Soar.

Cyfarfod / Meeting 2

Merthyr Rising Memorial Meeting

Cyfarfod Cofeb Gwrthryfel Merthyr

Theatr Soar, Canolfan Gymraeg Merthyr Tudful

11.07.11

6pm

Present / Presennol:

Gus Payne, Jamie Bevan, Viv Pugh, Lisa Powell, Lis McLean, Michelle Powell, Russle Shurmer, Rhian Prosser, Anne-Marie Carpenter.

Appologies / Ymddiheuriadau:

Tony Rogers, Gavin Lewis, Edwyn Parry, Craig Pierce, Joe England.

Chair / Cadairydd: Jamie Bevan

Minutes from last meeting / Cofnodion diweddaraf:

Consultation: RP: Baker Associates have been appointed to consult on the Castle Cinema Site, which will include a public art element.

The consultation will take place on 29^th and 30^th September and 1^st October at a Town Centre shop location to be confirmed.

Stake-holder sessions to be held at Soar, Friday 14^th and 21^st October, 9am-5pm.

Consultation will include online and more traditional processes.

RP will feed in the Merthyr Rising idea to the consultants.

The Merthyr Rising is particular to this site being the original location where the rising began.

Meeting attendance: Information on today’s meeting has been sent to the Arts, Culture and Media Forum, together with other email contacts. It was also announced in Contact magazine which is sent to every address in the borough.

In addition the press information used in Contact could be sent to the Merthyr Express as a press release and information could be put on the Town Centre website, with a page dedicated to the  project (ACTION: RP)

Site building: As consultation has not yet begun, we are still unsure what will eventually be on the (Castle Cinema) site. There will however be a square type space included. Any artwork or building will need to be sympathetic and in keeping to the other buildings in the area (Old Town Hall, Hope Chapel, Library etc.)

Dic Penderyn: Even though the focus of the proposed public art would be as a generic memorial to the Merthyr Rising, the use of the name Dic Penderyn in the name was discussed:

GP has had email feedback from Joe England from the Heritage Forum who is in favour of the idea but also noted that Dic Penderyn, though a martyr was not a leader and actually played only a modest part in the uprising. JE suggested some form of text being part of the memorial to explain the roles of other leaders including Henry Richard, Keir Hardie and Morgan Williams who were prominent socialist leaders from Merthyr, significant on the world stage.

The group agreed that the others mentioned should have a role and be remembered in Merthyr but that the Castle Cinema site does have specific references to the Merthyr Rising.

A further role of this steering group could be to inform public art decisions in remembering people like Henry Richard, Keir Hardie, Morgan Williams and others in town centre developments currently being proposed and developed.

The Art-work / Celfwaith:

Should be a professional work, designed by a professional artist, with workshops designed to engage and inform the community about the subject matter and the role of public art, rather than the community designing the work.

Though the group do not want to restrict the artist at such an early stage, initial preference is for a sculptural object, as opposed to other forms of artistic intervention (e.g. paving stone designs).

Time scale was discussed: It was agreed that an art-work would best be installed around the same time as the building project, which has a 3 year deadline.

An artist should be appointed to work with the architects.

(ACTION: GP to update the brief according to feedback)

Workshops / Gweithdai:

RS: Some workshops could be funded through the THI (Townscape Heritage Initiative) training budget.

LM: Soar could also run some sessions.

MP: Town and Park Communities First have a Trevithick Trail group who could also be included in the workshop sessions

Target groups should be used but there will also need to be open sessions that can be advertised to the broader community to attend.

VP can help with workshop sessions, providing the relevant historical facts.

Exhibitions of community art-work around the themes of the project could be held, showing work by community members.

Workshop activities should include other art-forms working around the subject area (e.g. poetry and literature)

Field trips should also be included, taking groups to relevant public art sites with a session leader explaining the reasoning behind the art-work ideas.

Contacts / Cysylltau:

VP to contact the Cynon Valley Historical Society, who may also be interested.

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 15^th August, 5pm, Soar.

Dyddiad y cyfarfod nesaf:  Dydd Llun, 11eg o Awst, 5pm, Soar.

Cyfarfod 1

Cyfarfod Cofeb Gwrthryfel Merthyr

Theatr Soar, Canolfan Gymraeg Merthyr Tudful 6.06.11

6.00 o’r Gloch

 

Presennol

Gus Payne, Rhian Prosser, Edwyn Parry, Tony Rogers , Lisbeth McLean.

Ymddiheuriadau

Jamie Bevan, Gavin Lewis.

Rhoddodd Gus cyflwyniad i bwrpas y cyfarfod, sef sefydlu grŵp gyda’r nod o osod cofeb er cof Gwrthryfel Merthyr ar hen leoliad y ‘Castle Cinema’.

Esboniodd Rhian fod rhaid adeiladu adeilad arall ar y safle ond bod bwriad i osod rhyw fath o gelf gyhoeddus ar y safle. Dywedodd  bod ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus hefyd yn fwriad er mwyn penderfynu ar y fath o gelf i osod.  Felly mae sefydliad y grŵp yma yn gweddu’n dda gyda chynlluniau’r cyngor.

Gofynnodd Rhian i’r grŵp datgan beth yn union maen nhw am weld ar y safle gan fod y cyngor yn hapus i wrando.  Dywedodd Rhian fod ymwelwyr wedi gofyn (yn ystod  Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Blaenau’r Cymoedd) ble roedd ein teyrnged i Dic Penderyn.

Nodwyd bod rhaid codi ymwybyddiaeth gymunedol a sicrhau ymrwymiad y gymuned tuag at y cynllun.

Awgrymodd Rhian ddylai Michelle Powell (Cymunedau’n Gyntaf y Dref) cael gwahoddiad i’r cyfarfod nesaf. 

Dywedodd Rhian ei bod hi wedi siarad gyda’r ‘Heritage Trust’ a'i bod yn awyddus bod y gwaith celf yn deyrnged i Morgan Williams, arweinydd cyntaf y Siartiaid yn hytrach na Dic Penderyn.

Dywedodd Lis ei bod hi wedi sôn am y cynllun mewn cyfarfod Partneriaeth Ganol y Dref yn ddiweddar a bod dim gwrthwynebiad i’r syniad.  Hefyd trafododd hi’r cynllun gyda Mark Taylor ar ôl y cyfarfod a dywedodd bod cyllid ar gael, er nad oedd yn sicr am faint o gyllid.

Dywedodd Rhian fod y cyllid ar gael a bod y cynllun yn clymu mewn gyda’r Strategaeth Celf Gyhoeddus.

Trafodwyd beth hoffai’r grŵp gweld y gelf yn edrych fel.  Trafodwyd dylid y gelf symboleiddio’r faner goch, adlewyrchu’r hen ddelwedd draddodiadol ond apelio at, ac ysbrydoli’r hen ac ifanc.  Nodwyd bod rhaid cynnwys yr iaith Gymraeg ar unrhyw gelf o’r fath.

Awgrymodd Rhian ddylai’r grŵp cysylltu â Craig Pierce, Glamorgan GATES er mwyn trafod syniadau.  Dilynodd trafodaeth am opsiynau celf gymunedol neu gelf broffesiynol.  Penderfynwyd dylai’r grwp ystyried ysgrifennu crynodeb a’i chyflwyno i arlunwyr proffesiynol, awgrymwyd dylid gofyn i arlunwyr awgrymu cynrychioliad o’r faner goch.

Gofynnwyd pryd buasai’r gelf yn cael ei osod ac atebodd Gus dylai cael ei pharatoi a chadw tan fod yr adeilad wedi adeiladu.

Cytunwyd dylai agoriad y cofeb cael ei hyrwyddo a dathlu.

Trafodwyd y syniadau canlynol:

·        Celf wedi gosod yn y llawr yn ogystal â chof golofn.

·        Llwybr awduron rhwng y Coleg, Hen Neuadd y Dref a Soar yn y dyfodol.

·        Gofod perfformio/cornel siaradwyr o gwmpas y cofeb

Gweithred:

·        Rhian i adrodd nôl i Gavin Lewis ac ystyried arlunwyr

·        Grwp i ysgrifennu crynodeb ar gyfer arlunwyr, Gus I’w gydlynu

·        Mae angen gwahodd mwy o bobl i’r cyfarfod nesaf

·        Rhian i ffeindio mas beth yw’r cyllid

Nodwyd Rhian hoffai’r cyngor gweld y grwp yn datblygu i gynnwys celf gyhoeddus ar led y dref. 

Gofynnodd Lis pryd byddwn yn debyg o weld y cynllun yn cael ei gwireddu ac atebodd Rhian fod rhaid gweld beth sy’n digwydd gyda’r adeilad yn gyntaf a dylem wybod mwy ymhen y 4-6 wythnos nesaf.

Dyddiad y cyfarfod nesaf:  Dydd Llun 11 Gorffennaf am 6 o’r gloch yn y Ganolfan Gymraeg.

Meeting 1

Merthyr Rising Memorial Meeting

Theatr Soar, Canolfan Gymraeg Merthyr Tudful 6.06.11

6.00 pm

Present

Gus Payne, Rhian Prosser, Edwyn Parry, Tony Rogers , Lisbeth McLean.

Appologies

Jamie Bevan, Gavin Lewis.

Gus explained the purpose of the meeting, to establish a group with the aim of erecting a memorial to comemorate the Merthyr Rising on the old Castle Cinema site.

Rhian explained that another building will be built on the site and that there is also an intention to erect some sort of public art there.  Rhian said that a public consultation was planned to explore options and that the establishment of this group fits well with council plans.  

Rhian asked the group to state exactly what they’d like to see at the site because the council are happy to listen to their suggestions.  Rhian said that visitors (during the Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod) asked where the tribute to Dic Penderyn was in Merthyr.

It was noted that the community needs to be informed about the memorial to ensure community ‘buy in’.

Rhian suggested that  Michelle Powell (Communities First Town ward) should be invited to the next meeting. 

Rhian said that she has spoken to the Heritage Trust and that they are keen to see a tribute to  Morgan Williams, the first Chartist leader rather than  Dic Penderyn.

Lis said that she had mentioned the intention of setting up this group at the last Town Centre Partnership meeting and that there was no opposition to the idea.  Lis also discussed the idea with Mark Taylor after the meeting and he confirmed that there is already some money put aside for such a scheme but couldn’t say how much was available.

Rhian confirmed that a budget is available and the the plan ties in well with the Public Art Strategy.

The group discussed what they would like to see the art look like.  It was felt that it should symbolise the red flag, reflect the old traditional image but appeal to, and inspire people of all ages.  It was noted that any such art should incorporate the Welsh language.

Rhian suggested that the group should contact Craig Pierce, Glamorgan GATES to discuss ideas. A discussion followed regarding whether the art should be community art or whether a professional artist should be commissioned.  It was decided that the group should draw together a brief to be presented to professional artisits, it was suggested that artists should be asked to present a representation of the red flag. 

It was asked when the art should be put up, Gus said that it should be made and kept until the building was finished.

It was decided that the opening of the memorial should be promoted and celebrated.

The following ideas were discussed:

·        Art inlaid in the floor around the memorial.

·        Author trail between College, Old Town Hall and Soar in the future.

·        Performance space/speakers corner around the memorial.

Action:

·        Rhian to report back to Gavin Lewis and think about artisits

·        Group to draw up a brief for artists, co-ordinated by Gus

·        Need to invite more people to next meeting

·        Rhian to find out about budget

Rhian noted that the council would like the group to expand to incorporate other public art throughout the town centre. 

Lis asked what is the likely timescale of this project. Rhian answered that the council are likely to have more of an idea of what’s happening with the new building in about 4-6 weeks time.

Date of next meeting:  Monday 11 July , 6 pm at the Ganolfan Gymraeg.