– in the Senedd at 5:58 pm on 18 September 2024.
I will invite Heledd Fychan to speak to the topic she's chosen. Heledd Fychan.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'd like to start by saying that I'll give a minute of my time to Peredur Owen Griffiths, Tom Giffard and Sioned Williams, and thank you for being willing to contribute. I will express my concern that we don't have the Cabinet Secretary for the Welsh language nor the Minister with responsibility for culture present for this debate, but I hope that they will be listening back to it, because these are points that I hope that the Government will listen to.
So, the title of this short debate is 'The 2024 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Rhondda Cynon Taf: Securing a Legacy for the Welsh Language in the Valleys'. And there is a question to begin with: 'The best Eisteddfod ever?' That was the question posed by Tudur Owen, that was the question on the front page of Golwg, and that was the question on the lips of many of those who attended the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf last month. Perhaps you will have noticed how little complaint there was, and how few negative headlines there were. That says it all in terms of how successful it was. And without a doubt, as someone who attends the Eisteddfod every year and as someone who now lives in Pontypridd, and attended this year's Eisteddfod everyday in all weathers, it was a hugely successful Eisteddfod. The town of Pontypridd and Ynysangharad park were a hive of activity, with a warm welcome for the thousands who came to support, and the purpose of my short debate today is to reflect on and celebrate their success, as well as consider how we as a Senedd can support the legacy in terms of the Welsh language in the Valleys, and, more widely, support the role of the National Eisteddfod and Urdd Eisteddfod more widely as part of the target of achieving a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and also increase use of the language.
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone responsible for the event’s success: the Eisteddfod staff, staff and officials at Rhondda Cynon Taf council, the local working group under the leadership of the legendary Helen Prosser, the army of volunteers who raised funds and prepared the site, not to mention all of the other vital tasks to put on a successful Eisteddfod—also, of course, the many instructors, competitors, stallholders and everyone who attended, as well as the businesses in the area, which worked so hard to ensure a warm welcome to everyone. Everyone played their part effectively.
And no-one should underestimate the scale of the task. After all, the National Eisteddfod hadn’t been held in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area since 1956, and it was last held in the Pontypridd area in 1893. This meant that the majority of people in the area had never experienced an eisteddfod other than a school eisteddfod, and they had no idea what to expect. Therefore, naturally, although there was excitement amongst many, there was also nervousness among some, and, to be entirely honest, some negativity too, with a number of local people concerned at seeing their local park closing for a period during the summer holiday. They were also worried about traffic and, more than anything, they had the opinion that the Eisteddfod wasn’t relevant to them as they didn't speak Welsh.
More than once in the months leading up to the Eisteddfod, I was tempted to put some Facebook groups on mute because of this. One can only do so much to reason with some of the most prominent voices on such platforms that enjoy stirring the pot. But I’m glad that I refrained, because it was wonderful to see, as the Eisteddfod approached, the tide starting to turn, as people saw the park being transformed into an Eisteddfod maes and as more details about the Eisteddfod were shared. And you should have seen the comments during the Eisteddfod itself, and afterwards, on these very same websites, with some of the greatest sceptics amongst those praising the event to the skies, and even expressing hopes that the Eisteddfod would return to the area very soon. Indeed, after all of the concerns about traffic, the truth is that the messaging on using public transport, together with the effective provision of trains and shuttle buses, worked wonderfully well, and traffic flow was actually better than during an usual week. 'Bring back the Eisteddfod' was the plea amongst many as traffic returned the following week.
And, to be fair, it wasn’t just those who were unfamiliar with the Eisteddfod who were concerned. I don’t know how many regular attendees told me of their concerns as to whether the Eisteddfod would fit in Ynysangharad park. Indeed, I was one of them. And I’m very pleased to state that our concerns were baseless, with many amazed to see how much space there was and how well the Eisteddfod filled Ynysangharad park. It also worked well that some of the park’s resources were incorporated into the Eisteddfod, such as the lido, the play area and the Calon Taf centre. Has any other Eisteddfod ever had a real swimming pool there—I'm not talking about large puddles or mud baths—as part of the provision? Of course, there were challenges: Maes B and the caravan park weren’t located in the park itself, but the solutions put in place worked, and all praise to the organisers that this was the case
With the majority of previous years’ Eisteddfods held on sites on the outskirts of towns or far from everywhere, this year’s Eisteddfod felt different, with the town of Pontypridd part of the maes. Using the library as a welcome centre, and using the Muni and YMa, worked excellently, and we must also praise the efforts of the business improvement district in Pontypridd, led by James Payne, for promoting the town’s businesses, as well as the efforts of those businesses themselves. It was great to see venues such as Zucco’s, Café Royale, Cortile Coffee, Janet's and Prince's packed with people—so much so that some of them ran out of food during the week and they had to close their doors—and the town’s pubs and bars. I saw some Ministers in Clwb y Bont during the week, and youll be aware that Clwb y Bont has faced a host of challenges over the past few years following the devastating floods of 2020 and then the COVID pandemic. But, as demonstrated by the thousands who came to support it during the Eisteddfod, Clwb is yma o hyd—still here.
Following the Eisteddfod, the council confirmed how many people had visited Pontypridd town centre during the eight days of the Eisteddfod. The total number of visitors recorded in the town was 186,012, which represents a huge increase of 119,747 compared to the previous week, and an increase of 115,554 as compared to the same week last year. And the busiest day was Friday 9 August, with 39,155 people visiting the town. So, these are figures that demonstrate that people came to Pontypridd in their droves.
And what has been wonderful for me since the Eisteddfod is that a number of those who attended have returned to Pontypridd after the event, as if they had discovered or rediscovered the cultural wealth available there, as well as all of the restaurants, shops and the market. That is the legacy for local businesses. I hope, therefore, that more towns across Wales, as well as the Eisteddfod, will see that that other models can succeed, and that the Pontypridd Eisteddfod will be a possible model for the future.
Perhaps some Members will remember that I called for free entry to the Eisteddfod in Pontypridd. Although that call was not successful, I was pleased that the Government funded free tickets for thousands of local families, which included travel costs and a contribution towards food costs, and it was wonderful to see so many taking up that offer. This is something that has happened in a number of National Eisteddfods and Urdd Eisteddfods by now, and I’d like to see a commitment by this Government to continue to fund this provision. Why? Well, because, from what I have seen, it is a policy that works, if we want to ensure that people who have never been to an Eisteddfod attend when the Eisteddfod comes to their area so that they have an opportunity to experience the wealth of provision.
In contrast with other free or discounted ticket schemes, some of those who received such a ticket this year could have afforded to buy a ticket. There was an opportunity for anyone with a child at a school in Rhondda Cynon Taf to access tickets. Very sensibly, the majority of those tickets were allocated for the first weekend, which meant that many people then returned and bought their own tickets a number of times during the week. Some of them were parents who had themselves attended Welsh-medium schools but perhaps hadn’t used the language since then, and many were also new Welsh speakers or had no Welsh at all. And what impressed them was the welcome, whether they spoke the language or not. I was delighted to see my son’s friends, at 11 years of age, desperate to go to the maes every day and delighting in the chance to wander around. They're already looking forward, although they are 11 years of age, to going to Maes B in a few years' time. So, I think that's been a success too.
But we also have to mention what such a legacy means and the Senedd's role in this regard. We must ensure that, when the Eisteddfod goes to a particular area, there are then opportunities for people to learn Welsh, to use their Welsh or to access Welsh language education. So, the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill will be significant, because there have been decisions made that have been damaging to the Welsh language by Rhondda Cynon Taff council in recent years: decreasing the number of Welsh-medium schools in the Pontypridd area from two and a half to two, with the closure of Ysgol Pont Sion Norton and the rejection of parents’ calls to make a new school in the Glyncoch area a Welsh-medium school, which means that children in the Ynysybwl and Glyncoch areas will have to travel past a number of English-medium schools to access Welsh-medium education. This isn’t a viable or genuine option for parents who don’t have a car, which means that some parents have already taken the decision to move their children from Welsh-medium education to English provision because of the distance that they would have to travel to get to a Welsh-medium school.
Secondly, we must look once again at how the mentrau iaith are funded and ensure that they have the resources to continue with the important work that they do in areas across Wales in terms of promoting the language and creating opportunities to use it. They work wonders in supporting the Welsh in education strategic plans across Wales, but their role is wider than that, and it is often difficult for them to retain and recruit staff because the wages that they are able to offer are low, while costs have simultaneously increased. And this is something that we, as a Senedd, can look at as part of expenditure on supporting the 2050 targets.
Thirdly, I think that we, as a Senedd, have to look at the role played by the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol and Urdd Eisteddfod in terms of supporting 'Cymraeg 2050', and ensure what we collaborate more closely with both bodies and recognise the contribution that their work makes in terms of the Welsh language’s future. And not just that; we must also recognise the economic value of both organisations, as well as their role in promoting Wales on the international stage. And this, therefore, should influence the level of investment they receive from the Government.
To conclude, therefore, my hope is that today’s short debate, and the Eisteddfod itself, provides an opportunity to spark a wider discussion on the potential of our touring eisteddfods in ensuring the survival of the Welsh language as a living language, beyond the classroom or workplace, and also to spark a debate on what we, as a Senedd, can do to support this work. I look forward to hearing Members’ views, as well as those of the Cabinet Secretary.
Thank you very much, Heledd, for this debate. It’s extremely important that we do consider the legacy of the Eisteddfod, and I want to just talk a little about the cultural legacy, and particularly the choral legacy, because I am a member of a choir. I’ve probably bored people by going on about that, but I do enjoy my activities with the choir, and it is one of the things that gives me pause during the week, so it can help with mental health and all sort of other things that stem from being involved in singing and singing alongside others.
During the week, of course, there were dozens of choirs that competed. It was fantastic in terms of the Eisteddfod's choral activity. One of the most wonderful competitions in this Eisteddfod was the competition for choirs that had never competed before. There were 13 or 14 choirs involved in that competition. It was fantastic.
Choral singing, of course, does give people so much pleasure, but it’s also of assistance with mental health and it brings communities together. I do think it’s fair to say 'thank you very much' to the Eisteddfod for creating that choral legacy. Thank you to all the conductors, the singers and the accompanists for coming together and preparing thoroughly for the Eisteddfod.
The challenge for the Minister, really, today is how the Government is going to support grass-roots culture, particularly after what we heard in today’s debates about losing facilities such as the Blackwood Miners’ Institute and the other things that are happening on the ground. So, the challenge for the Minister and for the Cabinet is how they can support our grass-roots culture, particularly our choirs. Diolch.
Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you also to Heledd Fychan for bringing forward this debate at the Senedd. It’s a very timely debate, I think, not just because of the fact that we’ve had a very successful Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf over the summer, but we saw major events throughout the summer. I watched the Olympics and the Paralympics, and that made me think that when a city or a town or a nation wants to host the Paralympics or Olympics in their country, they always talk about the legacy: what will the legacy of the Olympics be? I think that we can do the same about the Eisteddfod. Of course, the scale is different, but the point is the same.
If we’re going to hit those targets of 'Cymraeg 2050', the way that we’re going to do that is not just in Carmarthenshire or in Ynys Môn, but in places such as Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend and Swansea, and so on. So, it’s important, every time the Eisteddfod goes to those places where people don’t perhaps usually speak Welsh, that we ask ourselves what the impact of this Eisteddfod will be, not just during the week that the Eisteddfod is held, but the impact that the Eisteddfod is going to have in the long term, after the event leaves town and for the years to come. It's about the impact on the Welsh language, the people who attend the Eisteddfod and the community itself. That's something that I hope the Minister will mention in response. Diolch.
Thank you, Heledd. It was a week to remember. I’m certainly of the view that that was the best Eisteddfod that there’s ever been, apart from a few others, such as the one held in Neath, perhaps. But what’s wonderful is that I do think it proved just how beneficial and how important, particularly in terms of the Welsh language, the travelling model is. We know that the National Eisteddfod and the Urdd Eisteddfod have recently had to consider whether they can continue to travel around the country because of costs, because they perhaps don’t receive sufficient funding to provide the necessary infrastructure to travel around the country. I think it’s crucially important. In Neath Port Talbot, we’re looking forward, of course, to welcoming the Urdd Eisteddfod next year—the steel and sea Eisteddfod, which will be held in Margam park. There’ll be a wonderful programme of community events, as I remember you mentioning, bringing people together to raise funds. But I must also praise the Urdd. They have now advertised for two posts—officials who will reach out beyond the Welsh-medium schools that might be, and, of course the Welsh-speaking communities that would be familiar with the Eisteddfod, to work intensively with second language and English-medium schools in order to draw them in too. So, I think it is important, yes, to ensure that feeling of belonging—that the Welsh language belongs to everyone—but that everyone understands that the language is something beyond the classroom, something to be enjoyed, and also that it opens all kinds of doors to opportunities. So, yes, it's important to continue with that travelling model.
The Cabinet Secretary now to contribute to the debate. The Trefnydd, Jane Hutt.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. May I thank the Member, Heledd Fychan, for introducing this short debate in the Senedd today? It's an opportunity to discuss and put a focus on the legacy of the National Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which was held in Pontypridd this year, and its long-term impact on the Welsh language. But it's also an opportunity for me to formally thank, on the record, everyone who was involved in organising the festival. I'd like to thank the Eisteddfod staff, the leader of RCT council, Andrew Morgan, the hundreds of volunteers, the executive committee, Transport for Wales, the menter iaith and all the local partners for an excellent Eisteddfod this year. This is the result of years of collaboration, and I am very grateful to them all.
As we look back on this year's Eisteddfod, I think it's important that we also look forward, as you have done in your contributions. And I think, Heledd, you've made these points very clearly, and Sioned and others. We must do this looking forward, to make sure we use every opportunity possible to ensure that the Eisteddfod stamp is on Rhondda Cynon Taf for years to come. But also that the enthusiasm that was evident during the Eisteddfod week helps us to give the Welsh language a renewed energy in the area.
Welsh Government and Eisteddfod officials had been discussing the legacy of the 2024 Eisteddfod months before the Eisteddfod arrived at Parc Ynysangharad, and it was good to hear from the Eisteddfod last week that work in the area was continuing. The executive committee is now focusing on how to maximise on the goodwill shown towards the Welsh language. And before I respond to all the Member's points about the legacy and the Welsh language, I want to share with you a few additional highlights about the Rhondda Cynon Taf Eisteddfod, because this year's Eisteddfod offered an opportunity to show Pontypridd and the Valleys at their best, and what is possible by working together. The people of Ponty and the whole county have made Wales proud. Raising the energy and spirits of our towns can be a challenge since the pandemic, but Pontypridd's welcome was warm and enthusiastic, from the stall holders at the market, to staff at Clwb y Bont and the local bus drivers. Can I say that I absolutely enjoyed this Eisteddfod? And as I got on the train and stepped off at the station and walked across the bridge, there was a protest going on, which was great, in the town centre—it was all part of the hwyl and the business of the Eisteddfod.
The 2024 Eisteddfod broke several records: the greenest Eisteddfod ever, with over 100,000 train journeys taking place, with Transport for Wales's, as has been acknowledged, faultless service to thank for this; the largest number of tickets sold since pre COVID; the highest number of volunteers registered; and also the highest number of members in the Eisteddfod choir. Da iawn, Peredur. And I hope Rhondda Cynon Taf all realise what they've managed to do, because hosting the Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf has given confidence to Rhondda Cynon Taf to embrace Wales's culture and language.
The Eisteddfod delivered an unforgettable cultural experience for thousands of people in the county, with the Welsh language at the heart of it. And through Welsh Government funding, almost 15,000 people received free tickets and food vouchers to attend. I think the inclusivity of that was something quite remarkable, and I felt it and experienced it with the people all around us when we were there. Fifteen thousand people, many of whom now have experienced, and will experience, Welsh as a living, dynamic, fun language for the first time. It’s very difficult to know the long-term difference that this positive experience will have on local people, but I'm almost certain that more and more people will want to be involved in Welsh activities in the county in the future, and that also makes a difference as we think about Welsh language education in the area. I hope more families will consider sending their children to Welsh-medium schools, building on the county's progress already, because they've seen Welsh as a contemporary and living language. I know that officials are currently looking at the second-year annual reports of the Welsh in education strategic plans, and the local authority is making significant progress.
It was great to see hundreds of children and young people taking part in the Eisteddfod, and those from all schools, regardless of their linguistic background and the language category of their schools. I also know that the number of council staff who've decided to learn Welsh has increased dramatically. Another small but tangible example of a positive impact on Welsh is that many businesses in the area continue to use Welsh signs on their doors and windows. An example that I'm sure the Member will be aware of already, and which you know, is at Zucco’s café, which has added 'Ni’n siarad Cymraeg tipyn bach' under the sign on the door, and that shows more and more people willing to try to use however much Welsh they have, but that's because of the Eisteddfod. Small things, of course, but precious little things. It means we're changing attitudes and encouraging more and more people to come with us on our Cymraeg 2050 journey.
I’m also pleased that the Eisteddfod has forged strong partnerships this year with a large number of local organisations. One of these partnerships was the Bryncynon strategy. The partnership was special for many reasons, both for introducing the Welsh language to new audiences and also for including all parts of the Rhondda Cynon Taf community in the Eisteddfod. The Bryncynon strategy is responsible for foodbanks in the area. As part of their work with the Eisteddfod, local people and the foodbank users wrote a recipe book featuring Welsh recipes, and this is the kind of collaboration that's important. It's the collaboration that goes beyond what's likely to happen anyway. It's important that the Eisteddfod collaborates with traditional and new partners, so that everyone sees and hears the Welsh language around them.
And as I talk about Welsh as a community language, it is timely that I highlight the report of the Welsh communities commission, which was published on the Eisteddfod maes. But the commission also announced the second phase of their work, which is to look closely at the situation of the Welsh language across the rest of Wales and beyond. While this work goes beyond the work of the Eisteddfod, the commission's work will help us to strengthen the Welsh language in areas such as Rhondda Cynon Taf, and the Welsh language, of course, belongs to everyone, wherever they live.
Llywydd, to conclude, I want to finish by acknowledging that we do have work to do, but it has been wonderful to look back at the buzz of the 2024 Eisteddfod and to discuss all of the positives that came from it. Ensuring the legacy of the Eisteddfod is crucially important, and it's true to say that the people of Rhondda Cynon Taf welcomed the festival with open arms, and it's wonderful to see that that work hasn't come to an end. The buzz of the festival has created great interest.
I'm very proud of this good working relationship we've got with the Eisteddfod. I wish all staff and volunteers well as we move towards the 2025 Eisteddfod in Wrexham.
Good luck to everyone in Wrexham with the preparatory work.
Thank you very much, and thank you to everyone who contributed to that short debate. That brings our work today to an end.