This Autumn, generations unite at The Welfare Ystradgynlais in a powerful new project fusing art, memory, and activism. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the initiative aims to preserve the voices of South Wales’ mining past - through digital storytelling and community-led banner-making - before they’re lost to time.
“Art & Activism at the Heart of the Coalfield” is an ambitious community project marking 40 years since the end of the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike, a moment that reshaped the Swansea Valley and coalfield communities across South Wales. It also marks over 50 years since the 1974 strike, and 91 years since the opening of The Welfare itself - built in 1934 with the miners’ own pennies. With many of those who lived through these pivotal events now in their 70s, 80s and beyond, the need to capture and preserve their stories is more urgent than ever.
At the heart of the project are hands-on workshops led by local community artists including Cerian Wilshere and Rhiannon Rees. Drawing inspiration from original colliery banners held by the South Wales Miners’ Library, young people will explore the visual language of protest and solidarity, learning about the role art played during the strikes and using stitch, fabric and imagination to express the causes that matter to them today.
Meanwhile, Screen Alliance Wales and filmmaker Ryan Evans will guide young people through the process of digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking. Working with two local youth clubs participants will learn to interview, film and archive stories from elders in their communities - including residents of local care homes whose memories of coal, strike action and activism have never been formally recorded.
These projects form part of Autumn Rising, a wider seasonal programme of events at The Welfare. Alongside the creative workshops and community archive work, the venue will host a traditional Twmpath folk dance (Y Silwriaid, 24th Oct), elements of Amgueddfa Cymru’s Streic! exhibition, as well as live music with visiting performers from coalfields in South Africa (Zulu Tradition, 10th Oct) and Nashville, USA (Willow Hill, 20th Nov). There will also be film screenings (Pouring Water on Troubled Oil & Facing Up To The Fascists, 19th Oct) and a panel discussion on Diversity in Mining (15th Oct). Thanks to the funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, some events will also be BSL/English interpreted.
Wynne Roberts, Director of The Welfare, added:
“We’re proud to mark over 90 years since the opening of The Welfare by looking forward as much as back. Our building was created as a space for community enrichment and this project is a bold step towards keeping that spirit alive for the next generation.”
The stories captured during the workshops will form a digital archive hosted on The Welfare’s website and preserved physically at the South Wales Miners’ Library and through the People’s Collection Wales. Contributions in Welsh will be welcomed, encouraging young people to use the language in real conversations beyond the classroom.
At its core, Art & Activism at the Heart of the Coalfield celebrates the people and culture that built Ystradgynlais and surrounding communities, not through nostalgia, but through action. It recognises that the history of working-class communities has too often gone unrecorded and seeks to change that through creativity, skill-sharing, and a bold act of collective memory-making.
Anyone interested in being interviewed, or local schools and community groups keen to take part in the workshops, are warmly encouraged to get in touch with The Welfare or come along to community sharing sessions on the 19th & 23rd October. There will be a final celebration of the project, including screening of some of the footage collected on Friday 28th November, 6pm.
The Welfare Ystradgynlais is a vibrant community hub offering a range of cultural, artistic, and entertainment events. With a focus on inclusivity and accessibility, The Welfare is committed to providing a welcoming space for all audiences.