As part of a ground-breaking new project led by Literature Wales, over 200 young people have created their own poetic manifestos for Wales. The project is an opportunity to ask questions, voice opinions and create a vision for a future Wales – and all through the medium of creative writing. In workshops with poets Eurig Salisbury, Aneirin Karadog (Bardd Plant Cymru) and Martin Daws (Young People’s Laureate for Wales) they have written and recorded poetic responses to their local areas and communities, exploring themes of citizenship, culture, language and landscape. 
Members of the Merthyr Young People’s Writing Squad, children at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire and pupils at Ysgol y Berwyn in Bala have worked with Bardd Plant Cymru Aneirin Karadog and Eurig Salisbury in Welsh; meanwhile Young People’s Laureate for Wales Martin Daws has visited young people from Butetown, Archbishop McGrath High School, Ystradgynlais Young Carers, Welshpool Young Carers, Llanfyllin High School, Gaba Youth Group in Llanfyllin, Ysgol y Gorlan in Porthmadog, and Ysgolau Tregarth and Bodfeurig in Bethesda. On Wednesday 19 June, these young people have been invited by Welsh Government Assembly Members to present their Manifesto to community members and VIPs at Cardiff’s historic Pierhead building. Here they will perform and present the first Young People’s Manifesto for Wales. Literature Wales Chief Executive, Lleucu Siencyn, said: “The making of this Manifesto is just the beginning. The voices of these young poets, joining together to speak about their heritage, will lead to further collaboration with musicians, film makers and many more young people. One young person says ‘I love the inspiration...I love the ambition’. There’s so much to be inspired by when listening to the Manifesto, and I hope everyone who hears it will be inspired too.” Young People’s Laureate for Wales, Martin Daws, said: “Creating opportunities for the voices of the next generation is a key role of any poet, and I'm truly honoured to have worked on the Young People's Manifesto with so many outstanding young people. The poem itself represents a rich diversity of voice, experience and opinion, combining very personal perspectives of an epic horizon.” Aneirin Karadog, the Bardd Plant Cymru (Children’s Poet Laureate) said: “I was lucky to work with two groups of young people, one in Merthyr and the other in the Eisteddfod yr Urdd. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to give these young people a blank sheet of paper to fill with their desires and hopes for a better Wales. The workshop participants all understood the importance of the task ahead of them, and showed a great skill in thinking, and expressing these hopes and dreams in poetry.” The Manifesto will be available to listen to and read online at www.literaturewales.org, on youngpeopleslaureate.org and barddplantcymru.co.uk If you would like to take part in the next Young People’s Manifesto project, in either Welsh or English, or would like further information, please contact Literature Wales: 029 2047 2266 / post@literaturewales.org |
| web site: soundcloud.com/literature-wales/maniffesto-pobl-ifainc |
| e-mail: post@literaturewales.org |
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 |
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