Meeting/Cyfarfod 11/03/09

MERTHYR TYDFIL ARTS CULTURE & MEDIA FORUM
FFORWM Y CELFYDDYDAU, DIWYLLIANT A’R CYFRYNGAU

4.00pm, Wednesday, 11th March 2009
4.00yh, Dydd Mercher, 11eg o Fawrth 2009

Civic Centre / Canolfan Ddinesig

Present:
Gus Payne – Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (GP), Anne-Marie Carpenter (Chair) (AC), Dinah Pye - Active Music Service (DP), Michelle Powell - Communities First (MP), Alison Harris – VAMT (AH), Lis Mclean - Menter Iaith (LM), David Jones - Yo! Maz (DJ), Kate Strudwick - H4A(KS), Jo Richards – Dance practitioner (JR).

1. Welcome / Apologies:
Apologies received from; Lesley Hodgeson - Glamorgan Gates, Karen Dusgate - MTHA, Sally McIntyre - Communities First, Chris Long - MTCBC, Lee Davies - 3Gs, Lisa Davies - Zoom Cymru.

2. Minutes from last meeting
All agreed last minutes as correct.
Meeting with Community Music Wales, Yo! Maz, MTCBC and Merthyr Tydfil College postponed until tomorrow (12/3/09) due to snow.

3. ACMF structure
GP presented the group with a proposed plan for a new ACMF structure. The intention of the plan is to establish two targeted groups to concerntrate on strategic and operational areas of the forum, allowing the main ACMF to be able to showcase proposals and invite specific speakers, to interest the broader arts community, while also reducing the duration of the main meetings to one hour maximum.

The table agreed the proposal. Structure to be confirmed at next meeting (subject to any response from wider group).

MP confirmed that she has been nominated by CF, to be the CF link for the borough.

Action: GP to forward a Declaration of Interest to ACMF members

4 Updates
• Marquee (GP)
Aberfan Carnival (supported by Aberfan CF), have agreed to manage the marquee and seem have all the requirements in place. GP is waiting for copies of the relevant documentation from Abervan Carnival before Legal draw up the agreement.
• Public Art Strategy (GP)
Proceeding as planned. Community Empowerment strand is now being delivered by Groundwork Merthyr RCT. The other two strands were not confirmed for this year.
• Hong Kong Alley Artwork (MP)
Town and Park Communities First have been successful in being awarded funding to lead on this project (GGates, the Info Shop and MTCBC are also linked). A consultation exhibition has been launched, with no objections to any of the work. Nat West have still not agreed for their side of the wall, but MP is still hopefull. Painting is due to begin on 23rd March. Park and Town CF will also be survaying users of the alley way.
There are also future plans to deliver a mosaic at Merthyr Tydfil Train Station
• Creative Communities (MP)
Kevin Jakeawy is no longer employed for this project (but is available for consultancy work). Strinda Davies at Rhondda Cynon Taf is now leading on the project. CC’s application to the Outcomes Fund means that it is now moving away from the social enterprise emphasis, closer towards a participation and community arts emphasis. The potential similarities to H4A mean that CC and H4A need to discuss the implications and possibilities. Watch this space!
Action: KS to contact Strinda Davies to discuss possibilities
• Soar Arts Centre (LM)
Soar chapel had it’s dissolution service earlier this week (10/3/09). The service was very moving. A bilingual book is being published, charting the history of the chapel and it’s congregation. Menter Iaith now have access to the land behind the chapel, which has been bought by MTCBC. The eventual main enterance to the Arts Centre will be through the car park and permission has been grated by Cadw to create a new entrance into the building. £300,000 is still needed to complete the work but LM feels very positive (especially in the context of the level funds already secured).
LM also expressed her gratitude towards the ACMF and towards AH in particular for her introduction to the ACMF, where the support from the non-Welsh speaking community was first initiated.
• H4A (KS)
H4A’s performance Valley’s Girl has now moved from Dowlais Engine House to the Canolfan Gymraeg on 28th March, due to staffing issues. H4A dance sessions are still taking place at the Engine House who continue to be supportive. The project is one play in four acts, following the seasons of the year and life (Merthyr is winter). Songs from each area work independantly but can also work with the other three. Hopefully audiences will travel to see all four performances.
LM has been impressed by the intergration of the Welsh language in H4A.
H4A are looking at the potential to be able to use the Eisteddfod site, when it visits Ebbw Vale in 2010.
Will also be running two programmes per year to teach simple crafts to group leaders who can then pass on the simple skills to their community groups.
Tiddly Proms coming back through Night Out in July.
• Global Village (GP)
The Global Village workshops application to Arts Council of Wales has been successful. There have also been contributions from both CF Town and Park (MP leading) and Penydarren (Lee Davies 3Gs leading). A meeting is scheduled on 18/3/09 to progress this.
KS communicated that H4A would also like to be involved.
• Arts Centre (GP)
No news as yet. The meeting where Artservice were due to present their feasibilty study to MTCBC has been postponed.
JR suggested inviting Hamish Fiffe from the University of Glamorgan to a future ACMF meeting, for us to get a University of Glamorgan perspective.

5. Thought Sheet Matrix
Due to lack of time, this item was postponed until the 1st April meeting.

6. AOB
LM praised the 3Gs’ Iron and Steal production at Myfanwy Theatre, for its participative value and standard of work. Others who had also seen the production were in strong agreement with LM.

7. Next meeting:
1st April, 4pm, Bishop Hedley High School