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This section includes information about workshops and projects delivered by the Library.
The Chinese in Wales Association and Schools in Ceredigion
The Library celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with a large event in September. 5 schools and 120 learners came from Ysgol Felinfach, Ysgol Dihewyd, Ysgol Ciliau Parc, Ysgol Myfenydd and Ysgol Comins Coch, to experience activities and learn more about the history of one of the most important events in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese in Wales Association worked with the Library to:
- Organise suitable activities, presentations and performances for the event.
- Celebrate and learn more about Chinese culture and the Chinese community in Wales. Ceredigion is one of the least diverse counties in Wales and therefore it is important that the learners are given the opportunity to experience a different culture.
- The event was also open to the public from 3-6pm and many families and individuals came to participate in activities and watch performances.
The North Wales Africa Society
The North Wales Africa Society wanted to learn more about storytelling during their summer workshops for families. Around 50 individuals from the North Wales Africa Society came by bus from Bangor to the Library. The visit included:
- Storytelling workshops with storytellers Phil Okwedy and Peter Stevenson, who told the story of Henry Box Brown. Henry was enslaved in the USA but escaped to Britain and travelled around Wales telling his story in the 1850s and 1860s.
- Phil and Peter told stories using 'crankies'. A 'crankie' is a large open wooden box like a picture frame containing a long scroll that turns with a handle on top. It is widely believed that Henry Box Brown was the first person to bring this form of storytelling to Wales.
- A chance to see the newspaper reports that record Henry Box Brown's visits to Wales.
- The opportunity to make their own little crankies with Peter and Phil in a workshop following the storytelling session.
The Welfare, Ystradgynlais and Ysgol Maesydderwen, Powys
The project concentrated on the experiences of refugees and their sense of belonging in Ystradgynlais and the surrounding area. Ystradgynlais was the home of refugee artist Josef Herman for over a decade. The Library worked in partnership with the Welfare Hall in Ystradgynlais. The Welfare Hall also works closely with a group of Syrian refugees. The project included:
- The Syrian refugees visited The National Library for a day trip.
- Learners at Ysgol Maesydderwen have been learning about Josef Herman, his artwork and his experiences of moving to Wales. Local artists Vivian Rhule and Menna Buss delivered workshops about Josef Herman in Ysgol Maesydderwen.
Kitchener Primary School, Cardiff
The aim of the project was to learn and understand more about religions in their area of Cardiff. The Cardiff Commitment contacted the Library to ask if we could support this project with our archives. The project included:
- An emphasises on how to live together and coexist in a community that has various religions.
- Creating a documentary film on this theme using clips from the Wales Broadcast Archive to enrich their film.
- The Library organised for filmmaker Mo Jannah to go to the school to deliver a film-making workshop and inspire the class.
- Related to the project, an Iftar was held at the school during Ramadan for the Muslim community. Families and relatives gathered to pray and break the fast on the school grounds.
- The learners researched Ramadan to prepare for the Iftar.
Ysgol Plascrug, Aberystwyth and Whitestone Primary, Swansea
An understanding of 'cynefin' is an important element of the Curriculum for Wales. The schools developed a partnership to explore their cynefin and to gain an understanding of another part of Wales. Whitestone Primary visited Ysgol Plascrug and The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and Plascrug visited Whitestone in the summer term. The project included:
- A workshop with author Darren Chetty about cynefin and how to think about the diversity in their area.
- Archival material from the Library’s collection was made available for the schools to explore their cynefin.
- The staff also had a chance to discuss good practices in their schools.
- The schools produced videos of their cynefin, which discussed the diverse communities of both areas, to share with the other school.
Ysgol Hamadryad, Cardiff
Ysgol Hamadryad wanted to learn more about the experiences of Black miners from Wales and the connection between Paul Robeson and the miners. The learners had the opportunity to:
- Learn more about Black miners in Wales with the author and historian Rebecca Eversley-Dawes, who came to deliver a primary and secondary source research workshop.
- Research the connection between Paul Robeson and the miners. They watched a clip from the film ‘Proud Valley’.
- Participate in a poetry workshop with Alex Wharton, Children's Laureate Wales, where they listened to Alex Wharton’s poem ‘Diolch Mr Robeson’ and created couplets about the Black miners from Wales.
- Create commemorative plates for the Black miners with the artist Lowri Davies. The couplets they created in the workshop with Alex Wharton were included on the plates.
Ethnic Minority and Youth Support Team Wales (EYST) and Lioness Community Project
The aim of the partnership was to create a podcast about identity, language and culture by using items from the Library's collection to discuss these topics in more depth. The podcasting sessions included:
- Developing podcasting skills by working with special equipment.
- Three sessions looking at different items from the Library's collection, discussing various events and scenarios and sharing their thoughts and experiences.
- A 'drop-in' session at an EYST youth club to learn podcast creation skills.
Sketty Primary School, Swansea
Sketty Primary School learners investigated the 'Battle of Swansea', 1969, apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela and the Anti-Apartheid movement in Wales. Investigating a local incident led to providing context to an international subject. The learners were given opportunities to:
- Browse Peter Hain's archive about the anti-apartheid protests.
- Ricardo Erasmus also visited the school to share his experience of living in South Africa and the meaning of the word Ubuntu.
- Create anti-apartheid/Ubuntu posters with a local artist Sarah Hopkins based on Paul Peter Piech's 'Racism is a Poison' poster.
- Listen to Peter Hain explaining his role in the anti-apartheid movement when he visited the school.
Monkton Priory Primary School, Pembrokeshire
The aim of the project was to learn more about storytelling and folk tales in Wales. Around 40% of Monkton Priory learners come from a Gypsy and Traveller background. There were opportunities to:
- Learn more about Gypsy, Traveller, and Romani folk stories in a storytelling workshop with author Richard O'Neill
- Take part in filmmaking sessions organised by Into Film Cymru. The videos were based on Richard O'Neill's message ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’
- Create a version of the Welsh Gypsy folk-tale ‘Winter’ with their new filmmaking skills.
Cathays High School, Cardiff
The learners of Cathays High have designed a mural to represent their community. UNIFY, artists who have created several famous murals in Cardiff delivered 6 workshops with Year 7 learners in art lessons. The workshops included:
- Visiting street murals in Cardiff.
- Researching The Wales Window, Alabama by John Petts and its history.
- Designing a mural that celebrates diversity in the community and showcases how art can bring people together.
Ysgol Bodhyfryd, Wrexham and Bom Dia Cymru, CLPW
Ysgol Bodhyfryd wanted to learn more about their cynefin, local area and communities in Wrexham. Bom Dia Cymru is a group of Portuguese speakers who meet weekly in Wrexham. The school had many session with Bom Dia Cymru which included:
- Sharing stories.
- Learning Portuguese sentences and words.
- Comparing folk dances from the Library's collection.
- Performing folk dances.
- Creating a piece of art together.
- Visiting the National Library of Wales together.
Wales Migration Stories
The aim of the project was to work with community groups to co-create learning resources about migration into Wales. We contacted 4 community groups:
- KIRAN Cymru
- The Jewish History Association of South Wales
- Tiger Bay and the World
- Arandora Star Memorial Fund
Items from the Library's collection alongside items supplied by the community groups were used to tell stories of migration into Wales. The packs will be tested with Ysgol Bro Pedr, Lampeter.