River Tawe – Eisteddfod

Visual Arts Pavilion – NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD OF WALES
Aug 5 -12 2006

‘the grounds of the old Felindre steel works will be transformed from August 5 – 12, 2006 into a cultural capital.’ a ‘ vibrant, happy-go-lucky bazaar of cultures which is unique to Wales, attracts 20,000 to 25,000 daily visitors’ (www.eisteddfod.org.uk)

River Tawe  – the video journey has been reworked in Welsh for the Visaul Arts Pavilion, Eisteddfod 2006 at Velindre.

Credits :

Nia Jenkins (telynores / harpist)

Robyn Tomos (cyfieithu a sylwebaeth / translation & narration)

Mac Dunlop (sian a golygu sian / sound & editing 2006)

cysyniad, camera a golygu / concept, camera & editing: Annie Lovejoy

camerau / camera: Mac Dunlop, Neil Jenkins

sain / sound: Roger Mills

cludiant dros yr afon a chyngor / river transportation and advice: Dave Hoskins (Marina Abertawe / Swansea Marina)

cyngor, ymchwil a chefnogaeth / advice, research and onsite support: Sue Jones (Amgueddfa Abertawe / Swansea Museum)

fflim o’r archif / archive footage: Cyngor Dinas Abertawe / Swansea City Council

Comisiwynwyd gan / commissioned by Tim Davies a David Hastie (Locws Rhyngwladol / Locws International)

for further information see PDF(s):

River Tawe 2006  (201KB)

 commissioned by Locws International 2002
video exhibited at Eisteddfod 2006

Our faces…

The Lower Swansea Valley was once the largest area of industrial dereliction in Europe. The River Tawe and its banks were poisoned by waste from the tin, zinc, and copper industries.

Our faces, they’re in bronze on the city’s monuments

Mae ein wynebau efydd ar gofebau’r ddinas
Our faces, they’re in bronze on the city’s monuments

Rydych chi’n gwybod ein henwau
You know our names

Morris, Mackworth, Mansell, Villiers, Vivian, Dillwyn, Gilbertson, Grenfell, Mond

Ni fedyddiodd eich strydoedd a’ch tafarnau
We christened your streets and taverns,

enwodd drefi cyfain
named whole towns

Ni adeiladodd y gweithfeydd a roddodd fywoliaeth i filoedd
We built the works that gave a livelihood to thousands

White Rock ac Upper Bank, Hafod, Morfa, Fforest a Rose, Elba, Cambrian, Blackvale, Landore Steel a Little Landore

Not even weeds would grow here

Plants, trees & wildlife now thrive where before nothing would grow. We travel onwards as far as the boat can go, the water becomes shallow and crowded with new waste, a contemporary dumping ground of cars & supermarket trolleys… where concert harpist Nia Jenkins, plays Hasselmans ‘La source’ a tribute to the river.

not even weeds would grow here

Doedd dim chwyn yn tyfu yma hyd yn oed
Not even weeds would grow here

Roedd y slag yn ddiffaith
The slag was barren

Roedd y gwenwyn wedi ymdreiddio’n ddwfn fel y casineb a deimlai’r bobol tuag at yr ysbeilwyr
The poison had gone deep like the resentment people felt against the despoilers

Gydiodd y planhigion cyntaf ddim
The first plantings didn’t take

Bridwyd rhywogaethau gwydn, penderfynol
Tough resistant strains were bred

Gwydn a phenderfynol fel y bobol
Tough and resistant like people

Cafwyd glaswelltydd a fyddai’n tyfu ar y tipiau
Grasses were found that would grow on the tips

Mae meillion a rhygwellt nawr. lle roedd dim ond pengaled a chreulys, taglys a hesg
There is Clover and Ryegrass now. Where there was only Knapweed and Groundsel, Bindweed and Sedge

Mae yna eithin a helyg, ac mae yna goed hefyd;
There is Gorse and Willow, and there are trees too;

Spriws a ffynidwydd arian, llarwydd, bedw a phinwydd gamfrig
Spruce and Silver-fir, Larch, Birch and Lodgepole Pine

Mae cloddiau o ddraenen wen, criafol a barf yr hen r
There are Hawthorn hedges, Mountain Ash and Traveller’s Joy