An old industrial brownfield site in Ebbw Vale is turning pink this month as the Eisteddfod’s iconic pink pavillion has started to be erected for this year’s Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod.
The Eisteddfod is being held at The Works, the site of the former Steelworks in Ebbw Vale where a £350m regeneration project that includes a Community Hospital, a Learning Campus, an Environmental Resource centre, a business hub, new homes and green spaces is underway.
The Assembly Government has provided £300,000 of funding from the Head of the Valleys programme to help prepare the site for the Eisteddfod and to ensure that the legacy of the festival benefits the local community.
Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration Jocelyn Davies AM paid a visit to the site to help put up the pavilion and visit the Lle Celf area of the site, which it’s hoped will be used as an arts space after the Eisteddfod.
Ms Davies also met two BSL interpreters who, thanks to £5,000 of Welsh Assembly Government funding, will be present for the whole of the Eisteddfod for the first time. This is part of a commitment to making the Eisteddfod the most accessible yet.
The Deputy Minister said:
“It has been really interesting to see the work that goes into preparing for an Eisteddfod, both physically with the building of the site and the pavilion and in terms of providing services for visitors to the maes.
“This is the first time that the Eisteddfod has been in the area for over half a century so I am delighted that the Welsh Assembly Government has been able to contribute to opening up the Eisteddfod to new people and that the local community will be able to enjoy a festival like this on their doorstep as well experiencing some longer term benefits from the Eisteddfod.
“I am also pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government has contributed to making the Eisteddfod more accessible. The Eisteddfod is an event that the whole of Wales can enjoy and the money we have provided will make it easier for people with hearing impairments to get the best possible experience.”
