Quakers in Wales at Eisteddfod in Pontypridd

Report from Jane Harries, Bridgend:

The National Eisteddfod is the largest cultural festival in Europe, drawing large crowds each year to a week’s celebration of various aspects of culture – literature, poetry, music, theatre and dance.  The festival often takes place in rural settings.  This year was very different as it was held in Parc Ynysangharad, in Pontyrpidd.  Public transport was deliberately made accessible and festival-goers were able to walk across footbridges from the town itself to reach the park.  As a result, the Eisteddfod felt very much part of the community and welcomed by it.

Because room for stalls was limited on the Maes (Field) this year, Cytûn (Churches Together in Wales) organised most of their events in a church a short walk from the Field itself. This opened up a further opportunity for Outreach, as we were invited to have exhibition space in the church as well as a quiet corner with Quaker literature.

A small group was appointed by Crynwyr Cymru – Quakers in Wales to coordinate a Quaker presence at the Eisteddfod.  The following activities took place:

• A slot in one of the Societies Tents (Pebyll y Cymdeithasau) at 4p.m. on Monday, 5th August.  This was an opportunity for people to come and hear about Quakers in Wales today and to ask questions of a panel of Welsh-speaking Quakers. Simultaneous translation was provided.

• Two short pop-up Meetings for Worship on the field at 11a.m. on Monday 5th and Wednesday 7th August, in front of the Peace Tent.  Friends gathered with Quaker banners, wearing ‘Simple, Radical, Spiritual’ T-shirts and offering Quaker literature to passers-by.

• An exhibition space and a ‘quiet corner’ in St Catherine’s Church where people could sit quietly and / or visit a small Quaker exhibition drawn together by our Friend Christine Trevett, focusing on the history of Quakers in the Rhondda. 

Some Friends also volunteered at the Pabell Heddwch / Peace Tent during the week.  This was a very active space with talks and events organised by a range of peace groups, including Cymdeithas y Cymod (Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales), CND Cymru, Academi Heddwch Cymru, the Women’s Peace Petition Project and Rhondda Cynon Taf PSC.  As usual, the anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were marked on 6th and 9th August.  Visitors to the tent were invited to add names of children who have been killed during the war in Gaza to a huge textile banner, using multi-coloured pens.