Urdd Eisteddfod 2025 first day winners announced
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
The first winners of the opening day of the Urdd Eisteddfod have been announced. The Urdd got underway yesterday (Monday) with tens of thousands of people from across Wales expected at the event, to celebrate talent of the nation's young people, Welsh language and culture.
And the first winners of Eisteddfod yr Urdd Dur a Môr, Parc Margam a'r Fro 2025, were announced as Chloe Swinburn from the Flint and Wrexham region - as Main Artist - and Lleucu Haf Thomas from Pembrokeshire as the winner of the Art, Design and Technology Medal.
The ceremony this year is sponsored by Elw Park-Jones Foundation. The Main Artist receives the Young Artist Scholarship of £2,000 thanks to the generosity of the late Dr Dewi Davies and his family for the most promising work from an individual year 10 to 19-year-old categories.
Chloe is a 22-year-old mature student studying Art and Design at Coleg Cambria. Her ambition is to continue studying art at university, pursuing a degree in Illustration, with the hope of a lifelong career in the art industry.
Chloe said: 'My journey through mainstream education has come with many challenges due to complex personal circumstances. It resulted in having to take time away from my studies and I returned to Coleg Cambria at the age of 19 to resit my GCSEs. My decision to pursue art and design stems from my personal relationship with art and its ability to express what is difficult to convey with words; a struggle I faced growing up.
'Embarking on the foundation art and design program allowed me to enhance my ability to express and illustrate narratives. Along the way, I discovered various artists who have further inspired my creative process. Illustrators such as Angela Harding, Aubrey Beardsley, and Arthur Rackham are particularly significant to me; their work has encouraged me to incorporate elements of storytelling and composition into my own creations.'
The adjudicators for the competition were Bethan Ash and Scott Keenan from Queen Street Gallery and Owain Sparnon. In their adjudication, they said: "The standard of work was high, and several competitors deserved to be in the top five." The three decided on Chloe's work, noting: "The starting point for Chloe's project was a trip around North Wales, where she visits different beaches, chapels and galleries. She was particularly fascinated by the cemetery on Llandysilio Island.
"Among the gravestones, she found the names of local residents, some who had been injured in the war and most notably, the writer Sir Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan). Chloe was inspired by his poem 'Aberdaron' and depicted the landscapes described in his poem."
The Art, Design and Technology Medal is awarded for the most promising work from amongst the national winners of all the year 10 to 19-year-old categories.
This year's judges are Siwan Thomas, Edwina Williams-Jones, Hannah Evans, Owain Sparnon, Laura Thomas, Betsan Haf Evans, Katie Louise Trick, Rhian Stone and Robyn Tomos.
Lleucu Haf Thomas, this year's winner is 16 years old and a year 11 pupil at Ysgol Aberteifi. A regular competitor with the Urdd in the Art, Design Technology and music competitions she loves the expressive arts. Her winning piece has been created entirely from hay.
She said: "I am proud to be a girl from the countryside, and what better than to create art out of nature. I believe it is vitally important to keep the old traditions alive and I'm so grateful to Aeres James from Pembrokeshire for introducing me to the art of weaving back in 2020.
"I now have this extraordinary skill which gives me such great pleasure. I think of an idea and get planning, developing and creating it over countless hours. I get so much pleasure in creating art, and it's a privilege to win this medal and to share my work with everyone."
The judges said: 'The standard of all the pieces made the judges' smile – the work was skilful and full of imagination. It was a pleasure to see such creativity amongst the young people in Wales.
'Different pieces appealed to different judges, but we were all drawn to one specific piece, the tractor made from hay. Hay crafting is one that is in danger of disappearing, so it was nice to see it being used here. The work is precise and full of imagination. It reflects artistic talent and promise, along with knowledge of current politics, drawing attention to the awareness of the political protest 'No farmers, No food'. It's a striking piece, for many reasons.'
Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Find out what's happening near you
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why a Minneapolis neighborhood sharpens a giant pencil every year
Residents will gather Saturday in a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual ritual — the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. The 20-foot-tall (6-meter-tall) pencil was sculpted out of a mammoth oak tree at the home of John and Amy Higgins. The beloved tree was damaged in a storm a few years ago when fierce winds twisted the crown off. Neighbors mourned. A couple even wept. But the Higginses saw it not so much as a loss, but as a chance to give the tree new life. The sharpening ceremony on their front lawn has evolved into a community spectacle that draws hundreds of people to the leafy neighborhood on Lake of the Isles, complete with music and pageantry. Some people dress as pencils or erasers. Two Swiss alphorn players will provide part of this year's entertainment. The hosts will commemorate a Minneapolis icon, the late music superstar Prince, by handing out purple pencils on what would have been his 67th birthday. In the wake of the storm, the Higginses knew they wanted to create a sculpture out of their tree. They envisioned a whimsical piece of pop art that people could recognize, but not a stereotypical chainsaw-carved, north-woods bear. Given the shape and circumference of the log, they came up with the idea of an oversized pencil standing tall in their yard. 'Why a pencil? Everybody uses a pencil,' Amy Higgins said. 'Everybody knows a pencil. You see it in school, you see it in people's work, or drawings, everything. So, it's just so accessible to everybody, I think, and can easily mean something, and everyone can make what they want of it.' So they enlisted wood sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad to transform it into a replica of a classic Trusty brand No. 2 pencil. ' People interpret this however they want to. They should. They should come to this and find whatever they want out of it,' Ingvoldstad said. That's true even if their reaction is negative, he added. 'Whatever you want to bring, you know, it's you at the end of the day. And it's a good place. It's good to have pieces that do that for people." John Higgins said they wanted the celebration to pull the community together. 'We tell a story about the dull tip, and we're gonna get sharp,' he said. 'There's a renewal. We can write a new love letter, a thank you note. We can write a math problem, a to-do list. And that chance for renewal, that promise, people really seem to buy into and understand.' To keep the point pointy, they haul a giant, custom-made pencil sharpener up the scaffolding that's erected for the event. Like a real pencil, this one is ephemeral. Every year they sharpen it, it gets a bit shorter. They've taken anywhere from 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 centimeters) off a year. They haven't decided how much to shave off this year. They're OK knowing that they could reduce it to a stub one day. The artist said they'll let time and life dictate its form — that's part of the magic. 'Like any ritual, you've got to sacrifice something," Ingvoldstad said. "So we're sacrificing part of the monumentality of the pencil, so that we can give that to the audience that comes, and say, 'This is our offering to you, and in goodwill to all the things that you've done this year.''
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Alan Yentob's last interview to be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
Alan Yentob's last interview, When Alan Yentob Met Jenny Saville, will be broadcast on Sunday 8 June on BBC Two and iPlayer. Jenny Saville is one of the most successful figurative painters working today, first coming to prominence as part of the YBA movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She has been reluctant to discuss her work for many years on television, until now. Alan Yentob was working with Jenny on a film for his imagine strand and earlier this year, they met in Vienna on the eve of two major exhibitions she is mounting. This was the last interview Alan Yentob conducted in a career spanning six decades at the BBC, bringing many of the world's leading artists and creatives to the screen. Alan also persuaded Jenny to allow cameras into her painting studio for the first time in almost three decades. Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music TV says: 'Alan Yentob was a titan of arts broadcasting and a passionate supporter of so many of the leading creative artists of the last half century. His final interview, in conversation with Jenny Saville, is testament to his relentless curiosity and advocacy for the arts across many decades - part of a night dedicated to celebrating his work as a programme maker, channel controller and visionary television executive.' Jenny Saville says: 'Alan and I were beginning to work on a documentary about my paintings from across the years. It was an honour to know Alan, who I'd met in my early twenties and we reconnected to make this film.' When Alan Yentob Met Jenny Saville airs as part of a tribute night on Sunday on BBC Two and iPlayer alongside some of the legendary programme maker's best loved films, including imagine… Mel Brooks: Unwrapped, imagine… David Bowie: Cracked Actor, Salman Rushdie: Through a Glass Darkly, imagine… Diana Athill: Growing Old Disgracefully, imagine… Tom Stoppard: A Charmed Life, and Ella Fitzgerald at Ronnie Scott's, as well as Alan's iconic BBC Two idents, from 9.15pm. When Alan Yentob met Jenny Saville is a BBC Studios production for BBC Arts. The Producer / Director is John O'Rourke and the Executive Producer is Tanya Hudson. The commissioning editor for BBC Arts is Mark Bell. Watch When Alan Yentob met Jenny Saville on BBC iPlayer AM2
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Wales Online
Everything you need to know about Barry Pride 2025
Everything you need to know about Barry Pride 2025 The Barry Pride is back next weekend with performances from some of Wales' best drag acts The celebration takes place on Saturday, June 14 (Image: Mark Lewis ) Barry Pride is back and better than ever bringing LGBTQ celebrations to the seaside town for a fifth year. You can expect to see a sea of fabulousness with a parade and live performances from some of Wales' most famous drag performers. Set for Saturday, June 14, the festivities will take place at the same location as last year, King's Square and Central Park with hundreds expected to attend the free event. The colourful parade will trail through the town's streets leading back to an array of performances from RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars, Victoria Scone and Marmalade as well as outstanding tribute acts of everyone's favourite pop acts. Welsh rugby legend, Nigel Owens has even shared his support for Barry Pride sharing a message on Instagram. He said: "I just want to wish you all the very best for Barry Pride coming up on the 14th of June in Central Park, just a few days before my birthday actually - I won't say how old I am. "Well done all of you that have organised it, it is hugely important that we have events like this. Not just to celebrate who we are and a day of enjoyment but also an important message. As well that there has been a lot of great progress over the last decades in equality, diversity and inclusion and the LGBTQ+ community are a part of that but also to highlight that there are still some stigma issues out there that we need people to be educated on and to overcome." Content cannot be displayed without consent Whilst fun, joy and celebration is welcomed to the Barry Pride next weekend, they have made the decision that political parties will not invited to this year's event due to "the lack of support" from the major political parties, including those in government in Westminster, Cardiff Bay and locally. Article continues below Barry Pride released a statement in May saying: "At Barry Pride, we believe in the power of unity, solidarity, and the importance of true representation – from the most visible to the most marginalised. "In the light of the challenges faced by sections of the community and the lack of support from the major political parties, including those in government in Westminster, Cardiff Bay and locally, Barry Pride has made the decision that political parties will not be invited to participate in our 2025 parade. "This will remain the case until political parties can demonstrate an unwavering commitment to supporting our community and this means every member of our community. Please note that this is not a blanket ban on members of political organisations, however, political paraphernalia will not be welcomed. Individual members may attend the parade, either with other organisations or as members of the general public. "We will, however, welcome the opportunity to engage in constructive conversations and would be happy to arrange individual meetings to platform discussion and encourage our community to engage with political parties in constructive ways." Here is all the information you need to know about Barry Pride: Who is performing? Victoria Scone performed at The Welsh Variety Extravaganza (Image: John Myers ) There are plenty of acts performing throughout the day and evening at Barry Pride on Saturday, June 14. The big name acts include RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars, Victoria Scone and Cardiff drag queen Marmalade. Local drag acts will also be performing including Venus Flytrap, Chae With a C, House of Deviant, and Justin Drag. X Factor and The Voice contestant, Amrich Channa will also be singing at the event with music by DJ Kel. When is the parade? The parade takes place at King Square in the town centre of Barry, commencing at 12pm on Saturday, June 14. The glitter filled parade will head back around to Central Square where the fun filled day will continue. What else is happening? You won't complain about being bored when you visit Barry Pride as there are plenty of things to keep you entertained. Article continues below Along with live performances from a great line-up of acts, there will also be stalls, food and drink and an outstanding sense of community at the event on Saturday.
