Introducing Video of the Week from Wales Arts Review. We’ll be showcasing some of the best new art in Wales with a new video shared every week. From music to drama and everything in between, videos will not be limited by medium. Today we take a look at “Ail-ddychmygu” by Ifor ap Glyn and “Song of Us” by Owen Sheers.
This week we have not one but two videos to celebrate, with poems written and performed by Ifor ap Glyn and Owen Sheers, developed in collaboration with the Wales Cancer Research Centre.
The poems – both rooted in conversations with researchers at the forefront of tackling cancer in Wales – are intended to inspire a new generation of cancer researchers. Both will be included in a free education pack designed to improve skills in literacy and digital competency in key stage three pupils (age 11 – 14).
Ap Glyn spoke of his Welsh-language poem, saying: “It was a privilege to contribute to this project, especially because of the opportunity to speak directly to some of the scientists and medics who are constantly working on cancer research here in Wales. And as they explained their work to me, I was getting ideas about how I might share that through a poem. It’s important to keep bridging between the twin worlds of the sciences and the arts in this way.”
You can watch ‘Ail-ddychmygu’ by Ifor ap Glyn below.
Sheers, speaking of his experience creating his poem for the project, said: “Poetry is looking at the world with language, a way of exploring beyond the surface of things. For this poem I was able to do just that, guided by the stories of some incredible cancer researchers so as to use the biology of the disease to explore just how impactful and far-reaching their work is. It’s a field of research that is as fascinating as it is vital. I found my conversations with the researchers truly inspiring and I hope the film-poem goes some way towards inspiring a future generation of researchers.”
You can watch ‘Song of Us’ by Owen Sheers below:
Both poems are intended to inspire entries in the associated poetry competition open until 30th April 2021. The films, competition details and education pack are all available on the Wales Cancer Research Centre website.
