Latest news with #NiaDaviesWilliams
North Wales Chronicle
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Musician connects with people living with dementia
Nia Davies Williams, musician in residence at Pendine Park care organisation, led a dementia-friendly workshop at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham. The session, held in the Encore tent on the Eisteddfod Maes, was part of the Cân i Godi Calon (Song to Lift the Spirits) singalong. It featured traditional Welsh songs performed by Ms Williams and Emyr Gibson, a well-known Welsh actor and singer. Jason Bennion with residents Irene Bishop and Josephine Price (Image: Mandy Jones) Among the attendees was 91-year-old Peter Cotton, a former tenor saxophonist. Mr Cotton said: "I have been to the National Eisteddfod many times over the years, it's always good to be back. "It is one of the largest cultural festivals in Europe and I'm proud to see it has returned to Wrexham." Fellow residents Josephine Price and Irene Bishop also enjoyed clapping along and welcomed the chance to join in. Ms Williams has worked for a decade as musician in residence at Pendine's Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon, specialising in dementia care. She has also researched the impact of music on people with dementia, exploring how singing and listening to music can reduce feelings of isolation and trigger memories. Her book, Sketches of Broken Minds: A Musician's Experience of Working in Dementia Care, was published earlier this year. Nia Davies Williams (Image: Mandy Jones) Ms Williams said: "It's so good to be here today at what is the most important cultural festival in Wales, giving people a taste of the work we do at Pendine Park. "We have tried in a fun, inclusive and interactive way to replicate the kind of music sessions which we regularly enjoy with residents at Bryn Seiont Newydd and demonstrate how music can be such an uplifting way to enhance people's moods and trigger a whole range of memories." Pendine Park supported the workshop through its Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) and is among the Eisteddfod's sponsors for 2025. Sarah Edwards, consultant artist in residence at Pendine Park, said: "It was an amazing opportunity to further the message of how arts and music have so much therapeutic value in the lives of people going through a variety of health issues. READ MORE: 'Beautiful' five-bedroom period home on market for £475k Golden celebration couple lead way down memory lane Seh added: "At Pendine Park it is often referred to as the golden thread which runs through everything we do. "We were thrilled to be able to bring along some of our residents from Hillbury and Gwern Alyn care homes in Wrexham to enjoy the workshop and get a chance to visit the Eisteddfod which is such a major event in the city's calendar this year. "It is so good for them to be here at the centre of such a historical event in our community."
Leader Live
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Over 600 join music workshop at Llangollen Eisteddfod
The intergenerational session was held at the Eisteddfod and organised by Pendine Park, a major sponsor of the festival. Led by creative practitioner Emyr Gibson and Pendine's musician-in-residence Nia Davies Williams, the workshop brought together residents living with dementia and pupils from schools across North Wales and Cheshire. Sarah Edwards, Pendine's consultant artist-in-residence, said: "These dementia music workshops are inter-generational and involve our residents living with dementia in our care homes and lots of different schools. "They are fun, interactive music sessions and our residents really get involved in them, and the children do too. "It's all about having fun, shaking their maracas and waving their Pendine flags – just having a good old time." The sessions were supported by 16 care staff and 15 residents from Pendine Park care homes. Funding came from the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, set up by Pendine owners Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill to back arts and community projects. Year 5 teacher Gemma Jones, from The Rofft in Marford, said: "It was so nice to see all the residents enjoying themselves, you can see they are so engaged in the music. "The children really enjoyed joining in and having fun." Nia Davies Williams, musician in residence and Emyr Gibson, creative practitioner at Pendine Park's Bryn Seiont Newydd singing along with Ysgol Y Gwernant pupils (Image: Mandy Jones) Pupil Ted, 10, said: "The music workshop was really good. "I enjoyed the singing. "It was really nice to spend time with older people and shaking the maracas." Care home resident Gwen Davies said: "It was lovely to see so many children, they are so nice." READ MORE: Parade of Nations celebrated by hundreds in colourful spectacle at Eisteddfod Emyr Gibson, well known for his long-running role as Meical in the S4C series Rownd a Rownd, called the workshop a privilege. Mr Gibson said: "It's a privilege to do this, to bring generations together, and also to help people with dementia. "I just love the role, and holding sessions to help people with dementia, you get so much from it." Ms Williams said the workshop embodied Pendine's core values, she said: "Music and the arts are the golden thread that runs through everything we do at Pendine."
