Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan S4C Yr Egin, has received recognition for her excellence in the Creative Media in Carmarthenshire’s Celebration of Culture Awards ceremony that was held under the auspices of Carmarthenshire County Council in the Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, this week.
The Celebration of Culture awards ceremony takes place annually in order to recognise those who enrich lives through music, the arts, the media, literature and heritage.
Yr Egin officially opened in October 2018 with a mass event that was a first class creative experience, combining the light of the new period with the magic of Merlin and Wales’ oldest town, all under the artistic guidance of Carys Ifan. Since then Yr Egin has taken root in the land of Carmarthenshire with positive effects on the economic prosperity of the region. Through Carys’ leadership, the most significant development that has been connected to the initiative was creating a lively creative community that is a focus for the creative industries in the county.
For Carys, receiving such praise is a great honour. She said: “Recognition is always a wonderful thing and I am delighted to receive this award. It is now 4 years since I was appointed as Director of Canolfan S4C Yr Egin, I am delighted to be leading this transformative project and to see already the effect that it has had on Carmarthenshire and the region despite the challenges of the pandemic. The role combines my experience of working in the world of television, theatre and live events with my passion for the creativity of the west to flourish and contribute to creating lively communities with the Welsh language as a natural part of our culture, whether that be face to face or online.
“It is a pleasure to cooperate with all the companies and individuals who have co-located in Yr Egin, ensuring pathways for the industry and work experience opportunities for new talent as well as developing ambitious digital and virtual projects here in Carmarthenshire. Receiving the award on International Women’s Day makes it even more special and I look forward greatly to the next period and further innovation.”
Gwilym Dyfri Jones, Provost of the Carmarthen and Lampeter Campuses said: “The University takes pride in Carys’ success and greatly appreciates the excellent work that has taken place in Yr Egin under her leadership. Yr Egin was established as a lively creative centre which succeeded in engaging excellently with the local community and at a national level. In spite of the recent challenges, Carys and the team have succeeded in maintaining and supporting the community within Yr Egin and it is good to see the centre now full of life once more.“
The purpose of the event is to draw attention to the importance of the culture of Carmarthenshire, as well as to display what is being achieved in all parts of the county. The importance of Yr Egin to the media in the region was underlined with three of those qualifying in the Excellence in Creative Media category involved with Yr Egin, i.e. Sam Turton from the company Whisper Cymru and Clwb Asbri that gives young people an opportunity to learn and use filming skills and create digital content. Miriam Hughes, an Adventure Filmmaking student in the first year was also honoured for her success in the category Excellence in Visual Arts and Crafts. The University wishes to congratulate everybody connected to the awards and who received such deserving praise.
