On Tuesday, the 19th of June, the first ever ‘Drws Agored’ open evening was held at Canolfan S4C Yr Egin. The purpose of the evening was to open the doors of Yr Egin to show the young people of Carmarthenshire exactly what is available to them in terms of opportunities, experiences and jobs in the world of the Creative Industries, all of which is accessible on their doorstep. On offer was an opportunity to get to know Yr Egin staff and the creative community that are based here, as well as taking part in workshops and discussion sessions with industry experts. The evening was aimed at young people from school years 9 – 13 and their parents / guardians.
Carys Ifan, Director of Yr Egin, said
“Developing talent is an extremely important element of Yr Egin’s work, the creative industries sector is growing in the region and throughout Wales and so we are keen to educate young people about the various career paths and opportunities available to them. I sincerely thank all of the companies that are a part of Yr Egin’s creative community for holding interesting and purposeful workshops and talks during the evening and I look forward to holding Drws Agored as an annual event, welcoming more young people here to take advantage of the centre.”
Mari Grug, television and radio presenter, was the guest speaker on the evening, and a wonderful insight into the creative industries was gained from listening to conversations between Cara Walters (student at Swansea University) and Gwennan Campbell (ITV Journalist), Euros Llŷr (Carlam) and Catrin Rowlands (Captain Jac). Special workshops were also led by Screen Alliance Wales, S4C, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Coleg Sir Gâr, Boom Cymru, Rural Office Wales, Peniarth and well-known musician Steffan Rhys Williams.
The evening was organized in collaboration with Careers Wales and the Widening Access team at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. As well as opportunities to chat with them as organisations, students and their parents / guardians who attended the evening also had an opportunity to enjoy the music of DJ Branwen Munn and to taste the best mocktails around supplied by Yr Egin’s cafe – ‘Y Gegin’.
The well-rounded experience offered during the ‘Drws Agored’ evening was a valuable one, according to the Lewis family,
“It was a wonderful event, full of a variety and such interesting workshops. It has certainly been a successful start to the career journey of Ifan, my son, who is in year 10” said Ann-Marie. Her son, Ifan, added
“I really enjoyed the music workshop with Steffan Rhys Williams and also learnt a lot about the work of the Carlam and Captain Jac. It was a great night, which has helped me a lot.”
Llinos Jones, Yr Egin’s Engagement Officer was responsible for organising the event, and said
“As a digital and creative centre in Carmarthen, we recognize the significance of holding events like this to develop a warm and welcoming environment for our young people. It is essential that we ensure that they explore the range of opportunities available and that they feel comfortable returning to the centre. We greatly value the input of young voices and their creative ideas, and this event gave us a valuable opportunity to engage with them. Our door is always open, and if you are a local young person that would like a chat about possible opportunities, please get in touch.”
The evening followed two successful days of workshops and talks regarding opportunities and experiences in the creative fields for schools from across Carmarthenshire – Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin, Ysgol Gyfun y Strade, Ysgol Bro Dinefwr and Queen Elizabeth High School. Over 160 young people were welcomed to Yr Egin during all events. Canolfan S4C Yr Egin is looking forward to developing these important workshops and talks over the next year.
If you are interested in learning more about the open days Yr Egin can offer your young people, please contact us on helo@yregin.cymru.
