Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £19,900 for a new heritage project, Archiving the Past. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project will be the first step in collating and digitalising the wealth of archive material relating to Llangollen Eisteddfod, so that it can be enjoyed by all.
Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will enable Llangollen Eisteddfod to employ an archivist who will work with volunteers and children from Dinas Brân School to bring the history of Llangollen Eisteddfod to life. Work will include developing a sustainable and expandable online archive system, educational resources and displays for use in the community and a short film about the history of the Llangollen Eisteddfod.
The first International Musical Eisteddfod was held in Llangollen in 1947 as a way of bringing people together after the horrors of the Second World War. Over the 70 year history of Llangollen Eisteddfod a huge array of photographs, documents, audio and video has been generated and distributed across the globe. This project will begin the process of identifying and bringing together in one location this wealth of archive material so that it is much more accessible and can be investigated by all that have an interest.
Commenting on the award, Barrie Potter, Chair of the Archive Committee, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will ensure that the history of Llangollen Eisteddfod is preserved and celebrated.”