Cardiff is hosting an event to explore ways of promoting and protecting the Welsh language in the city.
The conference, organised by Cardiff Council, will be held at City Hall in Cardiff’s Civic Centre on Thursday 6 March at 10am.
The aim of the event is to engage and consult with the Council’s partners, stakeholders and external bodies to produce an action plan with the aim of protecting and nurturing the Welsh language in Cardiff.
Guest speakers include the First Minister Carwyn Jones, Cardiff Council’s Cabinet member for Adult Health and Social Care, Cllr Huw Thomas, and Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws. Group sessions and workshops will take place during the day based on the six themes of the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Strategy: language in the family, children and young people, community, workplace services, Welsh and technology, entertainment and resources.
Cardiff Council Leader Cllr Heather Joyce said “As a Council, we want to understand how Welsh is used and promoted within Wales’ capital city as well as discussing the future development of the language. We will be working with our Welsh language partners and other organisations to discuss the implications of the Welsh Government’s new Language Standards, and how we can further raise awareness of Welsh within the local authority.”
Cllr Thomas said: “This will be the first in a series of events which aim to achieve the objectives of the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Strategy and to prepare Cardiff for the Welsh Language Standards that will be introduced next year.
“As the capital of Wales, it’s important that Cardiff leads by example in relation to the Welsh language, which is why we are working with our partners and other organisations to ensure it is protected and nurtured.”
First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said: “I’m pleased Cardiff is taking an active role in working with people to protect and promote the language in our capital. It is one of the areas that has seen a rise in the number of Welsh speakers in recent years and is a great example to other local authorities.
“It is important that everybody has the opportunity to use the Welsh language in all aspects of their lives. We all have a role to play in ensuring this happens and local authorities across Wales play a vital part in ensuring the Welsh language continues to thrive.”
Delegates from more than 40 organisations have been invited to attend and contribute to the event, including National Museum and Galleries, S4C, Probation service, institutes of further and higher education in Wales, Sherman Theatre, Menter Caerdydd and Mudiad Meithrin.
The event will also feature performances and contributions from the Ely and Caerau Children’s Centre, Berllan Deg Primary school in Llanedeyrn and Dawnswyr Bro Taf.
Cllr Thomas continued: “We recognise the value and importance placed on the Welsh language by communities in Cardiff and across Wales and we want to ensure that the action plan produced in conjunction with other organisations facilitates fulfilling the requirements of the strategy in Cardiff.”
