: Oedolyn Mewn Addysg Cymunedol

After a year (2024) of creating incredible St Fagan’s inspired textile and mixed media art Cutting Edge members gathered at the Gweithdy Gallery, St Fagans National Museum of History on 25th & 26th April to exhibit their work and to provide craft and sewing activities for visitors in celebration of Global Intergenerational Week. And what an awesome two days it was!

Visitors were delighted to be able to view the exhibits close up and to read the workbooks describing how the project developed over time. They were also delighted that they could join in the various activities and we received lots of feedback over the two days, both in conversation and the Visitors Book. Here's a taste of what people said:

“As a fellow quilter and textile artist it is lovely to go out and see everyone’s work. Congratulations." Lesley , Higham Quilters, Gloucester
“Very impressive to see such a stunning piece of local inspiration and imaginative work” Byron family
“Fabulous exhibition. Well done all. Thank you for making us feel so welcome“ Sue & Vicki
 
The children tried out most things from colouring to stamping and sewing, which seemed to be a crowd pleaser. After colouring a picture on fabric many were eager to have a go at sewing and soon became hooked!
One little girl drew a large letter E on a textile square and began sewing it. She was disappointed to be dragged away half way though, but took some threads to finish it at home. However, later in the day she reappeared to pick up some more thread as she had run out of one of the colours. She must have found a little corner on her travels around the grounds to continue her sewing!
The adults enjoyed the sewing too!
The group from Pontadawe stitch group thoroughly enjoyed making brooches and owls:
“What a wonderful exhibition, so inspiring. Thank you for my owl/penguin. I love him! You are all a lovely bunch. Diolch yn fawr I chi gyd“!" Glenda , Stitch Pontadawe. 
“What a lovely event. Thanks for the brooch kit. I really enjoyed making it. All lovely friendly people” Dawn

Plenty of owls appeared thanks to Carol. They were so popular that she had to go home on Friday evening to prepare more!
“Thank you Carol for helping me make my owl!.

There was some great colouring and sketching going on. Pat's little leather bound sketch books were as popular as Carol’s owls. Not surprising as they were a fabulous little gift to take home.
“Lovely day out with lots of great crafts, the children really enjoyed themselves. Thank you so much"

The Cutting Edge members weren’t shy of immersing themselves in the activities either. They thoroughly enjoyed chatting to visitors too as it was an opportunity to pass on tips, advise and direct them to resources. One visitor was planning to repair altar cloths and was delighted to be introduced to another visitor who could help her find the braids that she needed.
Some feedback from the Cutting Edge group members: 
“I enjoyed the afternoon. A lovely way to spend it. I loved looking at the exhibits again and had fun stamping!” Sally
“It was a fun day with so much interest and appreciation… met some lovely people, some commenting that they were inspired to try something creative themselves and very polite children who all said thank you for helping them. Loved it” Ella.
“What a lovely time spent today meeting visitors who were so interested in our groups work. So many were amazed at the range of different textile / art skills exhibited.  My favourite moment though is the young boy in the photo above who was determined to stitch around his daffodils before leaving . So good to have had the opportunity to encourage the youngsters."  Liz
“Such a great couple of days and so many people leaving inspired to carry on stitching." Eleri

The Monopoly quilt was popular and a number of suggestions were made for a permanent home for it, though many were of the view that it should stay at St Fagans.
“Fantastic range of work and skills. Really enjoyed the whole exhibition especially the Monopoly quilt." Lesley, Rhoose
Carol’s stitched family tree project was also popular. Carol was overwhelmed by the repose she received. As a result the seeds of a workshop are now forming!

Over the two days we welcomed over 650 visitors who came from near and far, some as far as the Netherlands!
Two Dutch ladies who visited wanted to buy pieces of our art work. When we asked what they were interested in they pointed to Dianne’s postcard and Monica’s Thomas the Taylor post card. The cards were gifted to the ladies and addresses were swapped with a promise from Monica and Dianne that they would post them a fabric postcard too!
A brilliant two days enjoyed by both visitors and Cutting Edge members alike. 

A huge thank you to:
St Fagan’s staff member Loveday who went above and beyond to make sure that we had everything we needed. She even joined in and helped when we were very busy, which was really appreciated!
Jan’s husband Alan for taking photos for us. They are a fabulous addition to our album!
And an enormous thank you to all our amazing Cutting Edge members for their inspired pieces of work and dedication to make the two day event at St Fagans such a memorable occasion. You are all stars!

We held the event during Global Intergenerational Week which fell at the end of the Easter holiday. It certainly ticked all the boxes for intergenerational engagement as both children and adults went away happy and more confident with the new skills they had acquired.

“Fabulous exhibition and lovely to see the skills on show. Lovely initiative and great for children of all ages to experience”!
"Fantastisch!" Lia, the Netherlands
“Superb inspiring exhibition. I enjoyed the diversity too – patterns, stitch, water colours. Also enjoyed the hands-on activities. Relaxing and fun.” Gwynedd
“Such an excellent event, with wonderful pieces of work to admire and inspire! So kind and generous to supply everything for the intergenerational projects we did” Caroline
“Excellent exhibition. Lovely talented ladies”

Following the event, we were delighted to receive the image of the event sent by Mike who is a member of the St Fagans Sketching Group. He visited on the Saturday and sat quietly in the corner sketching the scene before him. He thought our work, like his, was amazing:
“I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition of members work from the Cutting Edge Textile Group at St Fagans. It was a beautiful day, and the event was very popular with families enjoying the last of the Easter holidays. There were lots of fun activities for children and adults. I was encouraged to visit the Cutting Edge Textile group exhibition to see what they do by a member of the CE group who attends the St Fagans Sketching Group. The answer is a lot and to a very high standard too! Everyone was so kind in sharing their work. I have got loads of ideas and tried to capture the event in my sketchbook” Instagram @mikelinewalker

End note:
Monica posted a fabric postcard to one of the Dutch women who visited our exhibition and surprisingly it arrived before she returned home to the Netherlands! This is the email Monica received from Thea:
“Dear Monica,
It was a surprise to find that the card you sent me has arrived already when I came home from my holiday tour through Wales. 
It was very nice to meet you at the exhibition and that I was allowed to make a choice out of the cards you had made. All in all it was a very inspiring exhibition and I enjoyed it very much.
The cards I will show tomorrow to the members of the quilt club I join and I am sure they will love them as well. I still have to find a nice place to put them. It will be in my house or in my school where I will enjoy looking at them, but I am not sure yet.
Best wishes, also to the other members of the Cutting Edge Textile Group
Thea“

To find out more about the Cutting Edge Group please visit: Cutting Edge | Sharing textiles knowledge, ideas and skills

Fis Medi diwethaf, wnaethon ni ddathlu Wythnos Addysg Oedolion, ochr yn ochr â darparwyr dysgu eraill ledled Cymru. 
Roedden ni’n llawn cyffro i gynnal gweithgareddau ym mhob un o’r saith amgueddfa yn nheulu Amgueddfa Cymru, gan adeiladu ar ein cynigion cyfredol a threialu sesiynau a gweithgareddau newydd.
Yn Sain Ffagan, datblygon ni raglen lawn o weithgareddau ar gyfer yr wythnos, gan gynnwys sesiynau blasu a gweithdai crefft, teithiau natur meddylgar, a chyfleoedd i ddysgwyr Cymraeg a Saesneg.
Cafodd rhaglen Amgueddfa Cymru ei hyrwyddo trwy’r adran newydd Dysgu Oedolion a Chymunedau ar ein gwefan, gyda gweithgareddau hefyd yn cael eu hysbysebu ar dudalen Digwyddiadau pob safle. Cawson ni gyfle i hyrwyddo ein rhaglen trwy lwyfan Wythnos Addysg Oedolion, a gefnogir gan y Sefydliad Dysgu a Gwaith, a chynhalion ni ymgyrch gynhwysfawr ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol cyn ac yn ystod yr wythnos, ar X (Twitter), Instagram a Facebook. 
Yn rhan o’r gwaith hwn, aethon ni ati hefyd i hyrwyddo ein cyfres o diwtorialau a sesiynau blasu crefft rhithwir a’r adnoddau dysgwyr hunandywys rydyn ni’n eu cynnig. 
Buon ni’n gweithio’n agos gyda phartneriaid gan gynnwys Dysgu Cymraeg Caerdydd, Menter Caerdydd, Addysg Oedolion Cymru a Creative Lives, i gyfoethogi’r rhaglen a sicrhau ei bod wedi’i theilwra i anghenion y dysgwyr roedden ni’n gobeithio eu denu.
Yn ystod yr wythnos, gwelson ni 160 o bobl yn cymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau dysgu yn Sain Ffagan, a chyfanswm o 331 o bobl ar draws safleoedd Amgueddfa Cymru. Rydyn ni’n falch iawn o ddweud mai dyma oedd yr Wythnos Addysg Oedolion fwyaf erioed i ni yn Amgueddfa Cymru. Gallwch weld rhai o’r uchafbwyntiau yma: https://youtu.be/lgKtmLHr1_Q 
Roedden ni’n awyddus i gasglu adborth gan y dysgwyr i’n helpu ni i ddatblygu a gwella ein darpariaeth addysg i oedolion ledled y sefydliad. 

Dyma sampl o’r adborth a gawson ni:

“Amgylchedd gwych, cadarnhaol, creadigol.” 
“Mae dysgu sgìl newydd yn hwyl ac yn rhoi boddhad.”  
“Profiad cymdeithasol a therapiwtig dros ben.”  
“Roeddwn i wir wedi mwynhau’r gweithdy. Profiad hwyliog a chadarnhaol iawn. Roedd yr hwyluswyr yn wirioneddol gyfeillgar, ac roedd y gweithdy yn therapiwtig a chymdeithasol.”  
“Wedi mwynhau’n fawr – cyfle gwych i ddysgu sgìl newydd. Athro gwych. Rwy’n teimlo wedi ymlacio’n llwyr ‘nawr.” 
“Taith gerdded ddifyr a diddorol iawn – gwelais i bethau nad oeddwn i wedi sylwi arnynt o’r blaen.” 
“Yn agor drws i fyd hudol.”  
“Roeddwn i wir wedi mwynhau’r daith natur feddylgar yn Sain Ffagan. Dysgais i lawer, a byddwn i’n ei hargymell! Roedd yn wych cael rhywun mor wybodus yn arwain y sesiwn.” 
“Amgylchedd cyfeillgar iawn; felly os ydych chi am roi cynnig ar rywbeth newydd, ewch amdani!” (gwehyddu bwydwyr adar helyg) 
“Wedi fy ngrymuso! Ffordd wych o ddysgu sgìl newydd.” 
“Llawer o hwyl! Ewch amdani, byddwch chi’n mwynhau dysgu sgìl newydd!”  
“Dw i’n meddwl bod digwyddiadau yn y Gymraeg yn dda iawn.”  
“Rydw i bob amser wedi eisiau gwneud torch hydref, a rhoddodd y cwrs yr hyder i mi. Roedd yn gwrs ysbrydoledig.” 
"Roedd yr hyfforddiant yn rhagorol. Roedd yna help pan oedd angen, ond rhoddwyd digon o le ac amser i chi roi cynnig arni eich hun.”  
“Wedi gwir fwynhau tynnu lluniau eto ar ôl 20 mlynedd. Rhaid i mi ailgydio ynddi nawr!” 
“Roeddwn i wedi mwynhau’r sesiwn sgetsio yn Sain Ffagan yn fawr iawn, yn ogystal â natur galonogol y grŵp.”  
“Sesiwn ysgogol, gefnogol a chalonogol dan arweiniad rhagorol Marion a Gareth. Diolch i Loveday am drefnu mor wych.” (Gweithdy sgetsio yn Sain Ffagan gyda Creative Lives).  
“Mae’n teimlo mor wych rhoi cynnig ar rywbeth newydd a gweld y canlyniadau mor gyflym.” (Sesiwn flas ar enamlo).  

Rhaglenni gwaddol: 

Diolch i’r cyfleoedd a gawson ni i dreialu gweithgareddau yn ystod Wythnos Addysg Oedolion, rydyn ni bellach wedi lansio tair rhaglen Addysg Oedolion reolaidd newydd yn Sain Ffagan ac yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd:
Ein rhaglen Teithiau Disgrifiad Sain fisol (a rennir rhwng y ddwy amgueddfa bob yn ail fis, ac a fydd yn cael ei lansio yn Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru yng Nghaerllion cyn bo hir, gyda’r bwriad o’i hymestyn i safleoedd eraill yn ôl y capasiti). 
Ein Grŵp Sgetsio misol yn Sain Ffagan, mewn partneriaeth â Creative Lives (ac yn adeiladu ar lwyddiant Grŵp Arlunio Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd). Rydyn ni wedi cynnal tair sesiwn hyd yma. Denodd y sesiwn gyntaf 6 unigolyn, yr ail 8 unigolyn, a’r drydedd 24! Bu’r adborth yn gadarnhaol ac mae’r neges yn cael ei lledaenu i bobman. Os hoffech ymuno â ni fis nesaf, mae croeso i chi wneud. Mae’r holl wybodaeth ar gael yn y ddolen uchod. 
Sesiynau Bore i Ddysgwyr Cymraeg tymhorol newydd ar y cyd â Dysgu Cymraeg Caerdydd a Menter Caerdydd. Y tymor diwethaf, bu i ni groesawu 35 o ddysgwyr Cymraeg i’r Amgueddfa i gymryd rhan mewn sesiwn ar draddodiadau’r Nadolig yng Nghymru. Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at groesawu grŵp o siaradwyr a dysgwyr Cymraeg ar 25 Ionawr ar gyfer Dydd Santes Dwynwen, lle byddwn ni’n archwilio’r casgliad o Lwyau Caru, ac yna’n cynnal y Bore i Ddysgwyr Cymraeg nesaf. 
Mae’r chwe addewid sy’n rhan o’n strategaeth ddeng mlynedd Amgueddfa 2030 wedi’u hymgorffori yn ein rhaglen addysg oedolion drwyddi draw, ac yn benodol yr addewid i ysbrydoli creadigrwydd a dysgu am oes. 
Edrychwn ni ymlaen at barhau i dyfu ein darpariaeth addysg oedolion, a gobeithiwn eich croesawu i un o’n hamgueddfeydd yn 2024 i gymryd rhan mewn gweithgaredd neu i fwynhau defnyddio un o’n hadnoddau hunandywys i ddysgwyr. 

On Tuesday 12th September Amgueddfa Cymru kindly hosted our ESOL class on an ESOL trip-out to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Welsh Refugee Council volunteer Souleymane Ouedraogo submitted the following report on the special outing. 

As part of an outing organized by Welsh Refugee Council ESOL tutors Marie and Chris; ESOL learners from different cities in Wales gathered at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. We were warmly welcomed to Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum of Wales) by museum staff recalling that Wales has several museums including that of Cardiff created more than a century ago. 

We then went to visit the Clore Discovery Centre. In this learning centre, there are multiple carefully preserved objects from geological, paleontological, archaeological and natural history research. Each object has its origin story. After the tour of the centre, there was time for a practical exercise that combined theory and practice seen during previous ESOL lessons. We practiced brilliantly with the support of our guide and the WRC delegation. It was both fun and educational at the same time. 

We then proceeded to visit the Art Gallery. Pictures and paintings are often tinged with landscapes and varied reliefs. Everyone can analyse and appreciate the artwork in their own way. Some paintings are very old (over 500 years), others more recent. You often have to get closer to better understand the artistic work. You need eyes to see, but even better, you need to have ingenious eyes to understand the messages conveyed by these beautiful paintings. Thanks to the great work of painters of other times, each new generation has elements of research to better understand history. 

I would like to thank the Welsh Refugee Council for organizing the outing but even more so the National Museum for having offered this invitation. It has allowed us to not only learn a little more about the culture of Wales but to also create contacts for possible opportunities in the future. 

 “I would like to reiterate our thanks to Amgueddfa Cymru, for an excellent day for our students.  I thought that there was a really nice balance of activities, excellent use of relevant artifacts and pictures – not to mention your enthusiastic and motivating presentation.” said Martin Smidman Volunteer & Partnership Manager at the Welsh Refugee Council.

Diolch yn fawr Amgueddfa Cymru.

Mae Amgueddfa Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Ffoaduriaid a Cheiswyr Lloches, gan gefnogi pobl i integreiddio i’w cymunedau newydd, ers blynyddoedd lawer. 

Fel rhan o’r gwaith hwn, rydyn ni wedi datblygu partneriaethau gyda chyrff allweddol fel Addysg Oedolion Cymru. Maen nhw wedi bod yn gweithio gyda ni dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, ochr yn ochr â’u myfyrwyr ESOL (Saesneg ar gyfer siaradwyr ieithoedd eraill), i ddatblygu adnoddau newydd i ddysgwyr ESOL er mwyn cefnogi dysgwyr Saesneg i archwilio ein hamgueddfeydd a’n horielau. 

Mae’r adnoddau newydd yn cwmpasu Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau yn Abertawe, Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru yn Llanberis ac Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru yng Nghaerllion. 

Mae’r adnoddau wedi’u creu gan diwtoriaid Saesneg i ddysgwyr ac wedi eu profi gan ddysgwyr ESOL. Maen nhw’n dilyn cwricwlwm ESOL ac yn addas ar gyfer gwahanol lefelau, o Lefel Mynediad i Lefel 2. 

Erbyn hyn mae’r adnoddau newydd wedi’u profi, eu mireinio a’u treialu, ac maen nhw’n barod i’w lawrlwytho o’n gwefan i unrhyw ddysgwr neu grŵp ESOL sy’n ymweld ag un o’r amgueddfeydd (gweler y dolenni uchod). 

Mae gennym set o adnoddau ESOL hefyd ar gyfer Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru a gafodd eu datblygu mewn ffordd debyg fel rhan o Broject Creu Hanes a ariannwyd gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri yn 2014. 

Rydyn ni’n parhau i weithio gyda’n partneriaid ac aelodau o’r gymuned i ddarparu cyfleoedd ystyrlon i bobl sy’n wynebu rhwystrau i gymryd rhan yn y celfyddydau a threftadaeth ddiwylliannol.

Rydyn ni’n dysgu cymaint gan y bobl sy’n ymweld â’n safleoedd ac sy’n derbyn y cyfleoedd dysgu rydyn ni’n eu cynnig. 

Mae helpu pobl sydd newydd gyrraedd Cymru i ymgartrefu ac integreiddio i’w cymunedau newydd yn faes pwysig iawn o’n gwaith a gobeithio y bydd yr adnoddau newydd hyn i ddysgwyr yn gymorth i lawer o bobl ar y daith honno. 

Diolch yn fawr i Addysg Oedolion Cymru a’r tiwtoriaid a dysgwyr Saesneg sydd wedi cyfrannu at greu’r adnoddau newydd hyn i ddysgwyr.