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North Wales Live
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
National Eisteddfod 2025: Dramatist and Science and Technology Medal winners announced
The winners of the Dramatist and Science and Technology have been announced at the National Eisteddfod 2025, which is being held in Wrexham. Greta Siôn from Gwaelod-y-garth, Cardiff, is the winner of the main drama prize at this year's Wrecsam National Eisteddfod. Her name was announced during a special ceremony on the Pavilion stage today (7 August). The Dramatists' Medal supports playwrights writing in Welsh by offering a unique opportunity to develop their work, along with broader experiences provided by a consortium of some of the leading theatre and production companies working in Welsh here in Wales. This year, the 2025 Dramatists' Medal is awarded for composing a new stage play, or a proposal for a new stage play on any theme for a cast of no more than five performers. Playwrights were invited to submit either a sketch including a story outline, setting and time, character profiles etc., along with three dialogued scenes… or a full draft of a play lasting 30–45 minutes. The Medal is donated in memory of Eiryth and Urien Wiliam, by their children Hywel, Sioned and Steffan Wiliam. This year's financial prize of £3,000is awarded by the Eisteddfod. Members of the consortium include Frân Wen, Theatr Clwyd, Theatr Cymru, Sherman Theatre, Torch Theatre, Arad Goch Theatre Company, and Theatr Bara Caws. Representatives from these companies were among the judging panel, and two freelance artists, Mel Owen and Mared Jarman, also sat on the panel to ensure diverse and representative voices were an integral part of the process. Delivering the adjudication, Steffan Donnelly said, 'As a panel, we thoroughly enjoyed scrutinising, discussing and debating the 20 submissions received – seeking out playwrights who created striking, exciting work that challenged the panel's imagination and thinking. "Everyone on stage today felt that new writing is alive and well in Wales," Daniel Lloyd added: "Presennol by Caer Enlli is a conventional monologue confident in its form, feels complete as a drama, and succeeds in captivating... "It's a very readable play, with every beat clear, the characterisation precise, and the story flowing. The playwright understands the importance of balancing light and shade. The structure is solid, with a clear focus and crisis points. "It's great to see the main character go on such a complete journey – Ieuan at the start of the play is different from the Ieuan at the end. "Through empathy, he discovers who he can be, acts differently, and a new life path begins to blossom before him. Indeed, the paths of the two main characters cross and intertwine in powerful and emotional ways. "This is a drama rooted in a complex and understandable context. And so, for these reasons, it is a pleasure to award the 2025 Dramatists' Medal to Presennol by Caer Enlli." Greta Siôn was a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr before going on to study English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Liverpool. While there, she was president of the drama society and took part in several productions, including a sketch comedy troupe that performed annually at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After graduating, Greta worked as a runner on the drama series Rownd a Rownd for two years, where she had the opportunity to write the digital series Copsan as part of a mentoring scheme. In 2024, Greta received a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Oxford University, and she now writes for the soap operas Pobol y Cwm and Rownd a Rownd as a freelance writer. She greatly values both productions for their ongoing support and the privilege of collaborating with experienced writers and editorial teams who have taught her so much. Greta is also grateful to her entire family for their unwavering support – even when she says silly things like wanting to write for a living! They have nurtured her passion and enthusiasm for the world of drama unfailingly – including her grandparents, who often took her to see plays at Theatr Clwyd when she stayed with them in Ruthin. Presennol is the first full-length stage play she has written. The newly restructured competition reflects the processes of the professional theatre sector and offers a prize that develops drama in the usual way while supporting a playwright's career in the industry. The financial prize has increased to £3,000 and in addition to the monetary award, a sum has been set aside by the consortium and the Eisteddfod to develop the winning work, including a full script reading at next year's Eisteddfod. The Science and Technology Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Wrecsam has been presented to Dewi Bryn Jones, a leading pioneer in Welsh language and speech technologies Over recent years, Dewi has done more than anyone else to develop Welsh computational language tools and resources, enabling the public to use Welsh on their computers and in digital communication. His technologies also support disabled individuals and those with additional needs to communicate in Welsh. Dewi leads a team of software developers at the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University. His vision and contributions have driven innovation in Welsh writing technology, Welsh speech technology, and Welsh machine translation in the digital world. The medal, first awarded in 2004, recognises and celebrates an individual's contribution to science and technology through the medium of Welsh. Fittingly, the first recipient was Professor Glyn O Phillips, a prominent scientist from Wrecsam and the founding head of the North East Wales Institute – now Wrexham University. The aim of the medal is to honour and celebrate outstanding contributions to the science and technology industry through Welsh. Professor Delyth Prys, former head of the technology unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, said: "The award is thoroughly deserved by Dewi. I would go so far as to say that without his contribution, we wouldn't have any Welsh software today." Professor Deri Tomos, a previous recipient of the Science and Technology Medal, added: 'This unit is absolutely vital to the future of the language. Dewi lives and breathes the world of computing – it's a core part of his life, and I'm sure he's delighted to receive this honour." Dewi Bryn Jones, was raised in Pwllheli and graduated in Computer Science from the University of York. He worked in Cambridge, Zurich, and later joined Nokia in Finland. While in Helsinki, he began translating and localising Netscape Navigator, an early web browser before the days of Google and others. He returned to Wales to work with Draig Technology Ltd, contributing to the development of To Bach, a program that helps add accents to Welsh words while typing, which has now been downloaded over 100,000 times. In 2002, Dewi joined the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, where he continues to lead a team of software developers and collaborate with terminologists and linguists. He is now researching new developments in Artificial Intelligence technologies, which are revolutionising the field but pose challenges for minority languages like Welsh. Dewi said: 'It's a great pleasure and honour to do this work and to be part of a team of others who are just as enthusiastic and talented – more talented than me. It's a unit of software developers and language experts with a mix of skills to create all this work. We're creating apps that work in Welsh and showing that it's possible to build resources that expand the use of Welsh and normalise the language in the tech world." Since joining Canolfan Bedwyr, Dewi has completely rewritten the code for Cysill, the Welsh spelling and grammar checker, to make it compatible with modern computers and networks. He led the development of Cysgliad, which includes Cysill and the electronic dictionary suite Cysgeir, first published in 2004 and still maintained and developed today. He has also developed many of the databases and computing platforms that support general and terminological Welsh dictionaries, including the digital version of Geiriadur yr Academi, and is responsible for developing and maintaining Y Porth Termau Cenedlaethol. Over twenty years ago, Dewi began researching speech technology for Welsh, collaborating with researchers in Ireland working on similar technology for Irish Gaelic. He has developed synthetic Welsh voices that give speech to people who cannot speak due to medical reasons, as well as voices for games and other digital products. In 2017, he developed Lleisiwr, which enables NHS Wales patients to create synthetic Welsh versions of their own voice before losing the ability to speak, with an innovative bilingual version following in 2020. He is currently working with the NHS and a Scottish company to create a variety of bilingual synthetic voices with different accents for children and young people in Wales. Many of these technologies have been combined in Macsen, the first Welsh-language personal assistant, which can be controlled using Welsh voice commands and includes a range of Welsh-language skills such as weather updates, news, music, Wikipedia searches, translation, and more. Dewi has also played a key role in including Welsh in Mozilla's international Common Voice project, which allows volunteers to contribute their voices to an open database of recordings that supports the development of speech technology in many languages. He was central to the successful efforts to establish a Master's degree in Language Technologies at Bangor University, where he now lectures. He also supervised the first PhD in Speech Technology through the medium of Welsh and was the main author of the Language Technologies Handbook – the first of its kind written in Welsh on language and speech technologies. In other news, the National Eisteddfod yesterday announced that Niclas Parry is the new President of the Court and Chair of the Management Board. This was confirmed at today's Court meeting (7 August) following an open recruitment process. He succeeds Ashok Ahir, who was appointed in 2019. Mr Parry was a solicitor in Mold before being appointed as a judge in the Crown Courts in North Wales. He is also well known as a football commentator and recently accompanied the Wales women's team to the European Championship in Switzerland. Upon taking up the role, he stated that he would fight against any suggestion of relaxing the Welsh language rule and is committed to working in a practical way that includes Eisteddfod participants. Mr Parry also promised to ensure transparency in the decisions of the Court and the Management Board. 'I have no doubt at all that we must remain faithful to the Welsh language rule. It is entirely possible to live for a week using Welsh without missing out at all, as the provision for non- Welsh speakers is better than ever,' he said. And when the curtain falls on the National Eisteddfod on Saturday, the work of three key volunteers will come to an end. For 18 years, Cledwyn Ashford from Cefn-y-Bedd near Wrexham has led the Chief Steward Team, but last year he announced his intention to hang up the blue tabard for good. His friends Iolo Povey from Dyffryn Nantlle and Dylan Jones from Mold will also be stepping down from volunteering at the Eisteddfod. Between them, they have given 56 years of service to the National Eisteddfod. Volunteers are the backbone of the National Eisteddfod every year, and without them, it would be difficult to run the festival. From the dozens of Wrexham area residents who have tirelessly raised funds to the hundreds who are willing to share their time during the Eisteddfod, their contribution is essential.
Leader Live
02-08-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Architects to be recognised at Eisteddfod in Wrexham
St Mary's Church in the centre of Bangor has been converted into a flexible arts and performance space for Frân Wen, a professional theatre company that provides activities specifically for young people. Designed by the London-based architecture firm Manalo & White and led by architect Takuya Oura, selectors Sarah Featherstone and Gavin Harris described the project as 'a thoughtful and imaginative reworking of a Grade II listed church, balancing respect for the building's historic character with a clear understanding of contemporary cultural value.' The firm will receive the Norah Dunphy Gold Medal for Architecture in a special ceremony on the opening day of the National Eisteddfod, held this year in Wrexham. The inside of Nyth in Bangor (Image: Eisteddfod)The medal is awarded in honour of Norah Dunphy, the first woman in Britain to gain a Bachelor's degree in Architecture, and commemorates Thomas Alwyn Lloyd, architect and one of the founders of the Town Planning Institute. The award recognises an architectural project of high quality and design standard that demonstrates excellence in architecture and a commitment to environmental sustainability, considering materials, building performance, decarbonisation, and end-of-life recycling. Takuya Oura said, 'Designing the project was challenging, as we had to meet Frân Wen's needs and their desire for a building that was accessible to all. 'But those challenges were met and resolved, and we are extremely happy with the finished work and very proud to receive this honour at the National Eisteddfod.' Frân Wen was launched 40 years ago as a Welsh-language theatre and education company working with local schools to stage plays. But as it grew, its base in an old primary school in Porthaethwy became too small. Chief Executive Nia Jones said various options were explored to improve their facilities, including building an entirely new structure, 'We were intrigued by the plans drawn up by Takuya, which went far beyond the brief we gave him. 'We're incredibly proud of how the project has transformed this building and created much more space for Frân Wen. This award is an important recognition of our efforts.' St Mary's Church, a Grade II listed building, had stood empty since 2014 but was purchased by Frân Wen in 2019 for £150,000. Since opening, the centre – named Nyth – has hosted schools, arts groups, and local support organisations, with over 25,000 people passing through its new double doors. After removing the pews, the nave and side aisles of the old church were transformed into a single open space for rehearsal and performance. The pews were repurposed as wooden wall linings, and the old organ was reused as an art installation and an acoustic aid for visually impaired users. In their adjudication, the selectors said, 'The design removes overt religious overtones without erasing the building's identity. Subtle cues – such as etched glass referencing stained glass in an abstract form – honour tradition while inviting reinterpretation. 'The use of raw, utilitarian materials like breeze blocks and exposed metal decking offers a stark contrast to the church's original finishes, introducing a tactile and informal quality that speaks to younger, more diverse audiences. MOST READ: "Beautifully presented" family home on the market in Wrexham Yellow weather warning for Flintshire with Storm Floris set to hit the UK Plans submitted to build new Home Bargains store in Flintshire 'Yet crucially, the intervention never feels temporary. Craftsmanship remains high, with careful detailing and a commitment to quality across all materials and finishes. 'Discussions with heritage officers were handled intelligently and sensitively, including interventions such as widening the main entrance to improve access and visibility, and laying the groundwork for future photovoltaic installations. 'The project responds not only to place and memory but also to the evolving needs of post-COVID society – providing well-ventilated, adaptable spaces that support community resilience. A poetic, practical, and progressive transformation.'
North Wales Live
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
First National Eisteddfod 2025 winners announced as festival gets underway in Wrexham
The first National Eisteddfod winners have been announced as the festival gets underway. One of Europe's biggest cultural festivals, it is being staged in Wrexham, Wales' newest city, this year. In recent weeks Eisteddfod staff and contractors have transformed farmland at Is-y-Coed on the eastern outskirts of Wrexham, into a small town with a 1,500 seat pavilion, a range of performance spaces and stalls as well as a temporary Gorsedd circle. And the first winners have been announced after the cream of Welsh art talent submitted a range of artistic works to impress the selectors. The first winners are: The Dewi Bowen New Artist Scholarship will be awarded to Barnaby Prendergast, from Bethesda near Bangor, who submitted three pieces of artwork. Awarded in memory of Dewi Bowen by his niece, Elizabeth, the scholarship is given to an individual who has been studying or working as an artist for less than five years. The Gold Medal for Fine Art is being presented to Gareth Griffith in a special ceremony on the Eisteddfod Maes The artist, who lives in Mynydd Llandygai near Bangor, said he was delighted to win the award, "I've exhibited my work at Y Lle Celf at the National Eisteddfod several times since the 1970s, but this is the first time I've won this award. I'm very happy to receive it – it's quite an honour for an artist to be recognised in this way," said Gareth who presented five items for consideration. Architects behind a project to transform a church into a community arts centre have been awarded the Gold Medal for Architecture. St Mary's Church in the centre of Bangor has been converted into a flexible arts and performance space for Frân Wen, a professional theatre company that provides activities specifically for young people. It has been designed by the London-based architecture firm Manalo & White and led by architect Takuya Oura. Intricate and colourful glass models of bird skulls have won the Gold Medal for Craft and Design for an artist from Denbighshire at the National Eisteddfod. Verity Pulford from Eryrys near Ruthin received the medal in a special ceremony. She submitted two pieces of work for the selectors to consider for the Eisteddfod's extensive art exhibition, Y Lle Celf. Selectors said they were collectively impressed by the overall quality and depth of the submissions across all categories. For more information about the festival, visit:
