Plaid AM speaks at Portrait of a Nation event
2 Tachwedd 2008
Event: Portrait of a Nation – Cardiff
Where: St David’s Hall Foyers, St David’s Hall, Cardiff
When: Monday 3 November, 6 pm
Attendees: Alia Radman, Youth Ambassador for Cardiff
Natasha Hirst, Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for Wales member
Bethan Jenkins, Assembly Member for Wales
Young people involved in the project
Contact: Kate Sullivan, kate@equinox-pr.co.uk, 02920 764100/07877 99514
Young people reveal their Portrait of Cardiff
Young people from Cardiff are unveiling an exhibition on Monday the 3rd of November, which reveals how their city impacts on their cultural heritage and identity and what it means to be a young person from Cardiff in 2008.
Hundreds of young people from the capital have taken part in the two-year long Portrait of a Nation project, empowering teenagers across the UK to take part in a journey exploring the impact their cultural roots have on their identity, backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Liverpool Culture Company (LCC).
The youngsters from Cardiff have been working on a variety of local heritage projects investigating how constantly changing neighbourhoods have influenced the people who live in Cardiff today and the impact their cultural roots have on their identity. Their findings have been translated into a range of art, performance, sculpture, fashion, graffiti, dance and photography.
Their journey will culminate in December when they will travel to Liverpool to represent Cardiff and showcase elements of this exhibition at the special finale Portrait of a Nation event at St George’s Hall. Here they will share their stories about their identity and Cardiff with young people from the other 16 cities** involved and fuel the debate, “Who Do We Want To Be?”
Natasha Hirst, HLF Committee for Wales member, said:
“Portrait of a Nation has helped young people across Cardiff learn more about where they come from, who they are and what they hope for the future. It’s given them the opportunity to explore and understand the differences and similarities between communities and has united them in celebrating what makes their city so special. We’ve provided the platform for young people to voice what matters to them and now it’s time to listen. This exhibition will provide a fresh insight into our city and our cultural identity created entirely by the young people who will shape our future.”
Alia Radman, a youth ambassador for Cardiff, aged 15, got involved in a local history research project on her area. The findings of which formed the basis of a design for a major lights display to represent the 22 suburbs in the city. She said:
“Cardiff is special because it has residents from all over the world that are friendly to everyone and we designed our light to reflect that. Through my involvement in the project I’ve learnt I have the potential and determination to accomplish anything as well as having the best city to represent. I feel honoured to live and be part of Cardiff and want to show everyone how proud I am of it. Portrait of a Nation has been an amazing experience that has given me the opportunity to have my opinions heard and I can’t wait to get to Liverpool to share my story.”
Bethan Jenkins AM said:
“Portrait of a Nation has been a wonderful opportunity for young people to express their concerns and hopes and has proven extremely successful in empowering young people to express their identity. As we look to the next generation of civic leaders in Wales, it is heartening to see that young people from all walks of life have articulated their views in such a creative way.”
The Cardiff Portrait of a Nation exhibition is in the St David’s Hall Foyers between the 3 and 8 November, 10am – 4pm. Free admission.
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Further information:
For further information please contact Kate Sullivan at Equinox PR on 02920 764100, email kate@equinox-pr.co.uk.
Notes to Editors:
* The 17 cities taking part in Portrait of a Nation are: Belfast,
Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Canterbury, Cardiff, Derby, Inverness, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford.
The Heritage Lottery Fund enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and countryside or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. We have awarded grants totalling more than £190million to more than 1600 projects in Wales since 1995.
The Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 is run by The Liverpool Culture Company, an organisation set up by Liverpool City Council to deliver the culture programme up to and beyond 2008.
