About celf CAMBRIA arts
Celf Cambria Arts is a voluntary arts association based in Tregaron, a tiny market town nestling against the Cambrian Mountains in Ceredigion, Mid-Wales. Celf Cambria Arts was established in December 1996 (a Registered Charity since August 1999), formed to promote education in the arts, culture and enivironment.
How did it start? Late in 1996, Hilary Booth, now the company secretary, heard a radio broadcast which identified the Lottery as a major source of funding for the arts and approached Llanddewi Brefi (yes, it does exist outside Little Britain!) Community Council with the idea of applying to the lottery for funds to improve facilities at the village hall. They suggested that she call a meeting to test the public’s response to the idea. The meeting took place in December that year and a steering committee was formed with the intention of examining the possibilities of arts funding. The committee then decided that they needed to raise some funds and came up with the idea of a small arts festival to be held in the village hall. The group needed a name and Cymdeithas Celf Cambria Arts Association was born.
From the outset, there has been a membership structure for those who wish to show their support for the association. In appreciation, Celf Cambria Arts offers various benefits for being a member.
The first Easter Arts Festival, as it became known, was held in Llanddewi Brefi Village Hall beginning on Easter Saturday 29th March 1997. Almost a thousand people enjoyed an opening day craft fair, a day of music performance and a week-long open art exhibition, and the event raised a thousand pounds for the group. It was a stunning success for a completely new concept in a village with a population numbering only around five hundred.
With this success under our belts and having taken advice from several sources, Celf Cambria Arts decided to become an incorporated association and a company limited by guarantee. We also decided to make their first application to the Lottery, through the Arts Council of Wales. The Arts Council awarded £15,000 towards the cost of capital equipment, including a computer and printer, photocopier, PA and lighting.
Since 1998 Celf Cambria Arts have managed to attract grants and sponsorships from various sources, including the Arts Council of Wales, Performing Rights Society Foundation, County and Community Councils and local businesses. In 1999 the organisation became a Registered Charity. The company turnover has gone from around £2,000 in 1997 to over £80,000 and continues to rise steadily.
Celf Cambria Arts administers a regular programme of live music, which features some of the finest musicians from throughout the world, consisting of around thirty performances a year. ‘Live at the Talbot’, a CD featuring exclusive live performances by many of the artists appearing during the 2003 season, was released in November 2004 by Red Kite Records, a mid Wales record label owned by Grammy Award Winning sound engineer, Martin Levan.
In November 2001 Celf Cambria Arts opened Oriel Cambria Gallery on the main square in Tregaron. but we now rent the gallery at Rhiannon's Gold Centre.
We continue to extend our educational work, running regular workshops in music and visual arts, featuring some of the artists from both the live music programme and art gallery. Celf Cambria Arts works closely with schools in the area, providing workshop opportunities with professional contemporary artists and musicians.
There is now a trading arm to help raise funds for the organisation.
Amdanom Ni
Ym 1996, clywyd darllediad radio gan Hilary Booth yn tynnu sylw at y Loteri fel ffynhonnell ariannu o bwys ym myd y Celfyddydau. Hi bellach yw ysgrifenyddes y cwmni a bryd hynny cyflwynodd y syniad i Gyngor Cymuned LLanddewi Brefi gyda'r syniad o wneud ceisiadau i'r Loteri am arian i wella cyfleusterau yn y neuadd bentref. Fe awgrymon nhw y dylai alw cyfarfod i fesur ymateb y cyhoedd. Wedi cyfarfod ym mis Rhagfyr ffurfiwyd pwyllgor llywio i weld pa mor bosib fyddai i gael arian at y celfyddydau. Penderfynodd y pwyllgor fod angen codi arian a threfnwyd gwyl gelf fach yn neuadd y pentref. Roedd angen enw ar y grwp a dyna ddechrau Celf Cambria Arts.
Felly yn Llanddewi Brefi y cafodd Gwyl Gelf y Pasg ei threfnu am y tro cyntaf, a hynny ar Ddydd Sadwrn, Mawrth 29ain. Daeth dros fil o bobl i fwynhau'r ffair grefftau agoriadol, perfformiadau cerddorol ac arddangosfa gelf am yr wythnos. Codwyd mil o bunnau i'r grwp a bu'n llwyddiant ysgubol i fenter newydd mewn pentref bach gyda phoblogaeth o tua pum cant.
Yn sgil y llwyddiant hwn ac ar ol derbyn cyngor o sawl man, penderfynodd Celf Cambria Arts ddod yn gymdeithas gorfforedig ac yn gwmni cyfyngedig trwy warant. Dyma pryd y gwnaed y cais cyntaf i Gyngor y Celfyddydau. Dyfarnwyd £15,000 tuag at gostau offer cyfalaf gan gynnwys cyfrifiadur, argraffydd, llungopiwr, sustem sain a goleuadau.
Ers 1998 llwyddodd Celf Cambria i ddenu grantiau a nawdd o wahanol ffynonellau gan gynnwys Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, y Gymdeithas Hawliau Perfformio
y Cyngor Sir a Chynghorau Cymuned a busnesau lleol. Ym 1999 daeth y Gymdeithas yn Elusen Gofrestredig a thyfodd y cyfanswm busnes o £2,000 ym 1997 i dros £80,000 gan dyfu'n gyson.
Mae Celf Cambria Arts yn cyflwyno rhaglen reolaidd o gerddoriaeth fyw sy'n cynnig llwyfan i rai o gerddorion gorau'r byd dros galendr o 30 gig y flwyddyn. Rhyddhawyd y crynoddisg 'Live at the Talbot' ym mis Tachwedd 2004 gan Red Kite Records, label record o Ganolbarth Cymru ac sy'n berchen i Martin Levan, peiriannydd sain ac enillydd Gwobr Grammy. Arni ceir perfformiadau byw arbennig gan yr artistiaid a ymddangosodd yn ystod tymor 2003.
Ym mis Tachwedd 2001agorwyd Oriel Cambria Gallery ar sgwar Tregaron gan Celf Cambria Arts.
Cambria Arts
Goyallt
Llanddewi Brefi
Tregaron
Ceredigion SY25 6RS
T (General) 01974 298719
T (Gallery) 01974 298965
T (Music) 01974 299298
E office@cambriaarts.org.uk