Trac Cymru advocates on behalf of the traditional arts
Wales’ traditional arts are a foundation stone in the nation’s identity. Our music, song, cerdd dant, dance, and storytelling carry and express our distinctive history, languages, culture and way of life. These creative forms are an integral part of Wales’ culture, the values and emotions they express bind us together.
We work to identify areas of development and collaboration across the traditional arts sector within Wales and internationally in order to develop understanding and practice, and actively advocate on behalf of the Tradition with public bodies and other organisations.
We keep Welsh Government Ministers and teams briefed, and work in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Creative Wales department.
One of our Patrons, Cardiff MP Kevin Brennan, chairs the Westminster government’s All Party Parliamentary Group on the Folk Arts and we keep him briefed about issues and developments in Wales.
We work closely with the Arts Council of Wales, from whom we receive revenue funding.
The Gregynog Declaration
This declaration was agreed unanimously at a folk arts conference organised by Trac Cymru in Gregynog, Powys, on 8 February 2003.
“This conference recognises that dancing, singing, cerdd dant, storytelling, and making music are part of our birthright and call upon local, national and international agencies to ensure that our opportunities for doing so are actively encouraged, not further diminished.
We believe the values inherent in our traditional forms of expression are ties that bind us together, and that the challenge for the future is to renew our forms of expression in ways that both satisfy the rising generations and honour the preceding ones.
The conference calls upon the Government at Westminster, the Welsh Assembly Government and all Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies :
• to have regard for our natural cultural resources and the part they can and should play in the economic and social regeneration of Wales, and in particular of rural Wales;
• to test all policies for relevance to the aspirations of fully re-possessing our cultural birthright;
• to support the provision of spaces for traditional culture to be enjoyed without undue restrictions;
• to support the self-determination of all groups engaged in traditional culture;
• to encourage initiatives to make our traditional forms of expression accessible to all the people of Wales.
Traditional arts are a cornerstone of social cohesion and an expression of Wales distinctive history, language, culture and way of life. They are the voice of community. Wales must encourage that voice to be heard.”
As part of our work, we are part of a number of committees including:
Creative Wales Music Panel
National Eisteddfod Panel on Folk Music
Music Partnership Forum Wales
Musicians Union Live
Artworks Alliance
European Folk Network (on the Board as a Founder member)
Pan-World Indigenous Music Network
Cerdd Cymru Music Wales project partnership panel
We’ve worked with many partner organisations across Wales, including:
Clera
Cymdeithas Ddawns Genedlaethol Cymru
Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru
Cymdeithas Cerdd Dant
Wales Arts International
Ty Cerdd
Creative & Cultural Skills
Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Wales Millennium Centre
St David’s Hall, Cardiff (Folk Proms)
CânSing
Making Music
Community Music Wales
University of Wales, Bangor
S4C
BBC Radio Wales & Radio Cymru
Cwlwm Celtaidd Interceltic Festival
Sesiwn Fawr festival
Green Man festival
Tafwyl festival
Focus Wales
British Council Cymru
Arts & Business Cymru
as well as international work in collaboration with
WOMEX
Folk Alliance International
EFDSS
Association of Festival Organisers
English Folk Expo
British Underground
Folkworks
Ethno
Music PEI (Canada)
