Y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon

Adolygiad Polisi: Cyfraniad y Celfyddydau a Chwaraeon at Adfywio Cymunedol

Maindee Festival Association

The residents of many local areas in Wales feel that they have lost their (traditional) sense of "community". This view has often been expressed to us by residents from different cultural backgrounds in Victoria Ward, where our Association has been active for the last seven years. One feature of effective community regeneration is to help people recognise their relationship and identity with their local area. Bringing people together to share local common experiences is a potential first step, but for people at risk of social exclusion,  "public meetings" do not appear to be an attractive vehicle for this. We believe that community arts and sports events have great potential to bring people together in this respect, and can help create a common sense of identity in a community, from which other institutions can grow. An excellent example of this is the experience of Newport Sure Start at our 2002 and 2003 Maindee Festivals:  "Last year, as a result of a survey compiled during the festival, Newport Sure Start managed to establish a Parenting Programme, Baby Group and Dads-r-us Group. This year we have generated new members for all these groups and received very positive feedback on the services we currently run in Maindee. BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE RELAXED AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES THEY WERE MORE WILLING TO GIVE US 5 MINS OF THEIR TIME, (WITH THE ADDED ATTRACTION OF FREE FACE PAINTING!!!) We were also able to engage families from the ethnic communities in a non-threatening environment. Thank you for all your hard work! It's been good working with you all in Maindee. Every good wish for the future of this first rate community festival." Alison Prowle, Newport Sure Start  Our Association has organised the Maindee Festival in Newport, South Wales, since 1997. (see http://www.maindee.org/mfa.html ) Our aims and objectives are concerned with using the arts as a way of building bridges between different sections of our diverse local community. They are set out in our constitution (see http://www.maindee.org/MFA-Constitution.doc ). Attendance at the festival has risen each year. Our 2003 Festival attracted 6000 visitors. We would be delighted to welcome members of the Culture Committee to our 2004 Festival, to be held on Saturday July 10th. (mail info@maindee.org for further information ) John Hallam Chairperson Maindee Festival Association December 2nd 2002