Page Title
Access Resource - Transcripts for Visual Arts In Ynysangharad Park
My Contribution the USW Graduate Exhibition 20th - 22nd May 2022 includes a mini art trail of 5 Works In Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd. Each Installation features a QR code link to an audio description and story, and a QR code link to a transcript and information suitable for hearing impaired people.
Art Trail
Interview by Gwenllian De’Tedstone (8)
Mum, what have you made?
Hey Gwen, thanks for asking,
As part of my contribution to the PArt of Pontypridd graduate art trail, I’ve made a mini art trail in the park which includes some representations of creatures inspired by mythology and legends that have been described to me by local people. I have included some things made by local people as well.
Who did you talk to?
I talked to lots of people including children and adults at a craft activity I facilitated in the park a few weeks ago, people in the park, a local drama group, family and friends, people I work with, people online, and a local support group for people with disabilities.
What are the things made from?
Most of the art is made from natural materials like willow, wood, and wool, I’ve also used plaster of Paris, and some recycled things like glass jars.
How will people find them?
There are five installations, this one is the first, so there are 4 more to find. People can use a map, or they can just go and search for them using these clues;
1) each installation is in view of the Lido building
2) Most things are placed in and near trees
3) Each installation has windchimes nearby so they may be able to hear their way to them too.
How will they know what it is?
To make the art as accessible as possible for all abilities every installation has a QR code that links to an audio of the story, explanation, or description, and another QR code that links to my website page for a written transcript.
So, visitors can use a mobile device to scan a QR code and find out more information about each artwork.
Without giving too much away, what do you think of it Gwen?
I like listening to the stories, and I really like the one hidden in the tree near the ice cream hut.
Blodeuwedd the Owl
Helen Lloyd from Ynysbwl has fond memories of cwtching up by an open fire as a child over 60 years ago while her Nanna told her stories of Faeries and mythology.
Helen has kindly shared with me a Mabonogian tale of magic and betrayal.
Audio Narrator - Jan Tedstone
Installation Description
This artwork is set within large trees and consists of Two woven willow structures. A large, rounded owl surrounded by blossom branches sits below a crescent moon.
"The tale of Blodeuwedd, from the fourth branch of the Mabinogi
The hero Lleu has been placed under a curse by his mother, that he may never have a human wife.
To counteract this curse, his loving uncles Math and Gwydion, who are magicians, take the flowers of the oak, broom and meadowsweet, and conjured up the fairest and most beautiful maiden anyone had ever seen. They named her Blodeuwedd, which translates as “flower faced”.
Blodeuwedd was always drawn to the warmth and glow of sunshine, as flowers are.
Sometime later, while her husband Lleu is away, Blodeuwedd fell in love with the lord of Penllyn, and the two lovers conspire to harm Lleu.
Lleu is struck by a spear, he transforms into an eagle and flies away.
Gwydion tracks him down and finds him perched high on an oak tree where he sings to Lleu and lures him down from the tree, then he used magic to switch Lleu back to his human form.
Gwydion and Math nurse Lleu back to health.
Blodeuwedd has fled to the forest, where Gwydion, furious by her betrayal of his nephew, tracks her down and turns her into an owl, proclaiming that she will never show her face in the light of day, that she loves so very much, ever again. That she will be hated by all other birds, and she will forever live in darkness and isolation."
"I saw Fairies In MY Garden"
Ellie is 7 years old and lives in Rhydfelin.
Ellie has a hearing impairment and asked for her story to be narrated. Casey Hooker (15) from Dreamers Drama group kindly volunteered.
Installation Description
This art installation is situated within the low branches of a large Christmas tree.
When looking in through the gap in the branches a visitor can see a magical fairy scene within. Hanging centrally to the scene and on its side is a nest-like structure made from sticks containing a little fairy room of moss, flowers, mushrooms and glowing stones. Around the outside of the scene decorated glass jars containing lights are hung from branches.
These jars were made by participants of a workshop recently held at the park.
Four fairies, or Tylwyth Teg, as they are known in Welsh Folklore, are floating at the forefront of the scene.
I have made the fairies based on Ellie’s descriptions.
The needle felted Fairies made from super soft wool roving's have brightly coloured dresses of Greens, Pinks, Oranges and Blues. They have long, thick hair, and they have bright wings made from feathers.
Section from a conversation with Ellie.
Cara - I was told that you saw something really magical, what was it?
Ellie - YES, I saw 4 fairies
C - Wow, that is magical, where did you see the fairies?
E - There were at the bottom of my garden by the Christmas tree
C - Amazing! What were they doing?
E - They were flying and dancing
C - How big were they?
E - Umm,
A bit smaller than my barbie
C - What did they look like?
E - They all had colourful dresses and hair
C - Did they have wings?
E - Yes
C - What did their wings look like?
E - Umm,
They looked like butterfly wings
C - Amazing, you must have been very excited!
E - I WAS, they were so pretty.
Dragonflies
This story is taken from an Interview with Sue from Pontypridd, this was her favourite recollection.
Narrated by Crystal Calder aged (13)
Installation description
This art installation consists of four large Dragonfly's sculpted from willow and suspended from a tree near the river
"I was told as a child that dragonflies are the miniature dragons of the fairies.
The dragonfly is born on the surface of the water then transforms into a creature of the air. The dragonfly weightlessly darts about as a miniature dragon of the faerie realm, symbolizing transformation, and self-realization. I like to imagine they are good natured faerie dragons."
Pwca
Story kindly shared by Bill from Pontypridd, narrated by Coby Jones (12)
In Welsh legends and Folklore, the shape shifting creature is known as the Pwca. It will either have very dark or very light fur or hair and is considered to be the bringer of both good and bad fortune, sharing similarities to the yin and yang Chinese philosophy.
This art installation consists of a willow sculpture of the shapeshifter as a hare, positioned in front of woven willow silhouettes of other forms it may take such as a bird, fox or human.
" I was told a story about a shape shifting creature from long ago. It could change into different animals like a hare, fox, bird, or sometimes a human, but there would be something that always gave it away like whiskers or a tail. It could talk to humans and would give advice or warnings."
Jewelled oversized eggs
What magical creature do you think would hatch from eggs like these?
This artwork was created as a prompt for creative imagination.
This descriptive transcript is taken from several interviews with local children.
Contributors
Safi Dylon (8)
Sofia Lynham (7)
Lexi Morris (8)
Gwenllian De'Tedstone (8)
What's your name?
SD – Safi
How old are you Safi?
SD - 8
LM – My name is Lexi Rose Morris, I am 8 and in August I turn 9
What's your name?
SL - Sofia
And how old are you Sofia?
SL – 7
And what's your name?
GDT – My name is Gwen, I am 8.
SL – we can see two eggs, one’s blue and one’s green, and they have different types of patterns.
LM – I see two big eggs, they look umm, one of them look like its like in a river and the other one looks like its on grass, and then I like the sticks around it and all those things.
What sort of size are they?
SL – umm, in the middle, hugey thing .. huge size, and there's loads of stick for a nest
SD – Really big, they could be a giants egg
Fantastic, what colours are they?
GDT – Blue, green, gold and purply?
SL – all different types of colours
LM – Green and Blue, dark purple and umm, brown
SL – they have all rhinestones on them. They have all different coloured gems and, orange, yellow, green and purpley colour and green
SD – I think the diamonds are the eyes
What creatures might come out of eggs like that?
LM – dragons, unicorns um they might be dinosaurs
SD – I think its a unicorn egg maybe
What do the nests look like?
SD – bird nests
What kind of magical creatures do you think would hatch out of those eggs Sofia?
SL – probably a unicorn,
A unicorn! Id love that!
SL – coz they are all different colours and unicorns are all different colours
Do you think a different kind of creature would hatch from those eggs Gwen?
GDT – Yeah, a dragon
SL – A unicorn is like, its something opposite of a dragon
GDT – or a dragon unicorn
A dragon unicorn!
SL – a dragon and a unicorn
SD – it looks like it would be, umm, a secret egg, an earth egg.