With the 2013 National Eisteddfod held in Denbighshire and District, work is well underway on the preparations and the organising for the festival, held from 30-10 August next year. The first major event in the Eisteddfod calendar is the Proclamation Ceremony, which will be held in Denbigh on Saturday 23 June this year.
The Proclamation must be held at least a year and a day before the Eisteddfod visits the area, and the Gorsedd of the Bards will parade through the town before reaching the Gorsedd Stones. The Chair of the local Executive Committee will then present the first copy of the List of Competitions to the Archdruid. The Archdruid will also announce that the Eisteddfod will be held in the area the following year.
Eisteddfod Organiser, Hywel Wyn Edwards, says, “The Proclamation is the first opportunity to show the welcome that the Eisteddfod’s been given in the area, and we are eager to see a large number of people parading through Denbigh town centre with the Gorsedd of the Bards, to reflect the warm welcome we’ve received here little over ten years since our last visit.
“If you’re part of an organisation or body in the local area who’d like to be involved in the procession through Denbigh, contact the Eisteddfod office, so we can make sure that the whole of Denbighshire and District has a day to remember, and that the rest of Wales – and beyond – see the warm welcome awaiting them next year.”
Send an email to [email protected] or ring 0845 4090 400 as soon as possible if you’d like to get involved.
The Eisteddfod is already working closely with Denbighshire County Council and Denbigh Town Council on the preparations for the day, with plenty of activities taking place in the town throughout the day, including an opportunity to buy merchandise to raise money for the 2013 Eisteddfod. The Proclamation is also the pinnacle of the Denbigh Summer Festival, held throughout the previous week. So, remember to keep 23 June clear in your diaries and come down to the centre of Denbigh to have a taste of what’s in store next year.
In the meantime, the Vale of Glamorgan National Eisteddfod is held at the old Llandow airfield near Llantwit Major and Cowbridge from 4-11 August this year. For more information go to www.eisteddfod.org.uk.
