Gwyl Undod | Festival of Unity

​The Festival of Unity was a collaboration between Project Unity, St Elvan's, Rhondda Cynon Taf Community Safety Partnership, Menter Iaith RCT YEPS, VEMS and additional community organisations

Founded in summer 2022, the vision of the project was to host a month long celebration of comm-unity in the town of Aberdare, with the emphasis very much on comm-unity cohesion

The inaugural festival took place throughout August 2023, beginning with an Opening Launch Event on Saturday August 5th and culminating in a Community Conference & Performance based event at St Elvan's on Saturday August 26th

A series of additional FREE community activities also took place in Aberdare and the surrounding regions throughout August, details of which are available at www.stelvans.com/festival-of-unity-activities
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Full information on the 2023 Closing Celebration event on Saturday August 26th and a video from the event is available below

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FREE activities offered as part of the Festival of Unity included:

- Panel Discussions
- Human Library
​- Wales & World Food Taster session
- Information Stalls
- Children's activities
- Live Performances
​- Welsh Language workshops

The timetables for the inaugural launch and closing events is outlined below

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Festival of Unity 2023
Timetable

Saturday August 5th

​Launch Event
St Elvan's

​10:00 to 15:00​
FREE Outdoor Children's Activities
Games consoles | Glitter Tattoos | Arts & Crafts
YEPS vehicle in St Elvan's Grounds throughout the day

​10:30 to 11:30
​Festival of Unity Formal Launch
Introduction | Outline of Project Activities | Networking

Saturday August 26th

Closing Celebration
St Elvan's
​Main Space

​​10:00
Doors Open

​Children's Activities
Craft & Colouring - Children's Play Corner - Games consoles | Glitter Tattoos | Arts & Crafts
YEPS vehicle in St Elvan's Grounds throughout the day

Information Stalls
Mezzanine Gallery

10:30
Panel Discussion - Unity & Identity
Facilitator: Mike Church
Panellists
Father Steve Boddicombe | Cllr Mustapha Maohoub | Caitlyn Flood-Molyneux | Osian Rowlands | Chloe Cannon

11:30
Human Library
Throughout St Elvan's

12:30
Big Hearts International Dance Group of Nigeria

13:15
Welsh & World Food Taster Lunch

14:00
Panel Discussion II - Identity Through Creativity
Facilitator: Mike Church
Panellists
Caitlyn Flood-Molyneux Artwork | Community Artists

15:00
GCC | WAM - Yn Gymraeg!
A fully bilingual Welsh & English language version of the popular monthly St Elvan's WAM Night
in partnership with Menter Iaith Rhondda Cynon Taf
Geiriau | Words - Alex Knott
Celf | Art - Osian Roberts
Cerddoriaeth | Music - Rhosyn Jones
Cyflwynydd | Presenter - Osian Rowlands

16:00
Close

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Additional Activities

​The full range of additional activities which took place in and around Aberdare between August 5th and 26th 2023, is available here 

The monthly Comm-unity Cuppa, launched at the Festival, continued to offer an ongoing opportunity for people to come together throughout the following year, to discuss how we could work together to create greater comm-unity cohesion, and offered a FREE monthly safe space to discuss issues over a cup of tea or coffee, tackling isolation and promoting greater wellbeing for a full year after the festival

​For additional information on the Comm-unity Cuppa, click here