This festival, labelled the first of its kind in west Wales by the Heritage Lottery Fund, who supported the first event, promises to be ‘a thrilling day out, full of exciting and magical entertainment with links to our historical past and an insight into our folklore,’ Councillor Haydon Jones affirms.

The baby dragon, which has been travelling Europe recently, will re-enact its birth and then later in the day be named. There is also the invitation to suggest a name for baby dragon in a special book.

To celebrate this day a new song is being looked for; a song about the baby dragon, other Welsh dragons or the Dragon as the Spirit of the Welsh people. Anyone wishing to offer a song, in Welsh or English, to be performed on the day should contact Marc Gordon on 07766 370561. The song judged to be the best on the day will be awarded a recording session at the Red Kite Studios.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to join in with lots of activities such as making costumes, puppets, dragon’s wings and eggs with Trysordy Scrap Store, then taking part in the procession of dragons through the town at 3pm . You can have a go at archery in the encampment of Cwm Rhefeloidd and then watch these gallant men and Owain Glyndwr go into battle. The birds of Pant Glas will be flying, Big Small Events and Teatro do Elefante from Portugal will be fire juggling, providing theatre, and strolling minstrels will be performing around the medieval fayre.

A very modern addition will be the chance for visitors to broadcast live to the Heart of The Dragon Website. www.heartofthedragonwales.org

Also ongoing during the day will be the Attic Theatre and Hanes Emlyn’s exhibition as well as impromptu performances around town. Plus the chance to win an amazing Dragon Crystal donated by Rainbow Crystals.

In the evening Owain, with Merlin, returns on horseback through town to the castle to reclaim his flag and meet his bride. There is to be a wedding feast, the marriage itself, the performance of the winning song, dancing, music and dancing, fire juggling, story telling and the fire sculpture.

Interested in being involved contact:

Pamela on 01559 371427
or
Annette on 01559 370969

Contacts:

Pamela Gaunt / Artistic Director
01559 370969
pamelagaunt@aol.com

Marc Gordon / Music & Song Competition Organiser
07766 370969 /01239 710700
marcgordon@btinternet.com

Annette Ecuyere Lee / Festival Organiser
01559 370969
ecuyere@btinternet.com

Sharing a common interest in community theatre, street theatre, circus skills and storytelling with local mythology, Teatro do Elefante participated in Heart of the Dragons two day Festival in Newcastle Emlyn in 2007.

The Portuguese company, led by Rita Sales and Fernando Casaca, promised to return an invitation to the Baby Dragon with its team of local professional performers including Debbie Howlett, Pamela Gaunt and Jenny Hanrahan.
The two companies have just completed a tour of schools, colleges, parks in the Setubal area, where Portuguese children between ages of 3-17 watched a performance of two languages and two cultures telling the World Dragon Creation Story with storytelling, mime, physical theatre, circus and magic.

Sebutals mayor offered an official welcome to the artists, and the group were shown many local cultural events, including visiting ‘Queima do Judas’ (a traditional Easter Fire festival in Palmela) and watching Teatro do Elefantes Baby Theatre in Sebutal and Abrantes.

Storyteller Pamela Gaunt said “We were delighted to tell our towns unique story of the Last Dragon of Wales and then introduce our First NewBorn Baby Dragon…. Portugal has many water dragon stories because of its close connection to the sea, and Teatro do Elefante introduced us to their work here. It is so important for young people to see how different countries can collaborate and work together, as Baby Dragon needs a global community to grow up safely.”

Debbie Howlett added “We were given wonderful hospitality and the trip was such a success that we all feel inspired to see our truly international cultural collaboration grow and develop’’

It was the first trip overseas for the Dragon, since it travelled in its giant egg (before its hatching) to Ireland and Poland.

Many children from the three countries have now painted European Dragon Flags which will be on display at the next Heart of the Dragon Festival at Newcastle Emlyns castle on Saturday July 4th.The festival is part funded by Awards For All and in partnership with Carmarthen County Council and will include medieval fayre, battle reenactments, dragon procession, the return of Owain Glandwr and a Naming Ceremony to give Baby its name!

Anyone interested in participating in Heart of the Dragon Festival should contact 01559 371427

This is your opportunity to take part!

• Become part of the retelling of the story so far….greeting the arrival of the coracle with the dragons egg…the growing of the egg…the amazing birth from the giant egg…
• Parade your dragons through the town on the Grand Dragon Procession
• Take part in the Naming Ceremony by choosing a name for Baby Dragon, and witness what happens next as a Prince returns and a prophecy is fulfilled……………..

Drama, costumes and music making workshops are all available.

Also available, for free, are our unique ‘Inspiration Packs’ containing a 30min DVD and our delightful storytelling and music CD….

The aim is to inspire you all to be involved again and make the next

Heart of the Dragon Festival on July 4th 2009 truly spectacular!

Workshops

All workshops will be led by local community artists with many years of experience.

Bookings are being taken now, cost you nothing, and will take place in March, through till June.

For booking a workshop please contact
Pamela Gaunt
01559 371427
pamelagaunt@aol.com

Or for an ‘Inspiration Pack’ please contact
Deborah Howlett
01559 370842
thehowlettclan@homecall.co.uk

Gweithdai

Diolch unwaith eto i arian Gwobrau i Bawb Cronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri, gall Calon y Ddraig gynnig gweithdai i ysgolion, grwpiau cymunedol a grwpiau ieuenctid yn yr ardal i archwilio’r stori, a helpu creu’r bennod nesaf.

Dyma’ch cyfle i gymryd rhan!

• Byddwch yn rhan o ailddweud y stori hyd yma…cyfarch y cwrwgl yn cyrraedd gydag wy’r ddraig…tyfu’r wy…yr enedigaeth ryfeddol o’r wy enfawr…
• Gorymdeithiwch gyda’ch dreigiau trwy’r dref ar Orymdaith Fawreddog y Dreigiau
• Cymerwch ran yn y Seremoni Enwi trwy ddewis enw i’r Baban Ddraig, a bod yn dyst i’r hyn sy’n digwydd nesaf wrth i Dywysog ddychwelyd a chyflawni proffwydoliaeth………………..

Mae gweithdai drama, gwisgoedd a chreu cerddoriaeth ar gael.

Yn ogystal, mae ein ‘Pecynnau Ysbrydoli’ unigryw ar gael yn rhad ac am ddim sy’n cynnwys DVD 30 munud a’n cryno-ddisg dweud stori a cherddoriaeth hyfryd…

Y nod yw ysbrydoli pob un ohonoch i gymryd rhan unwaith eto a gwneud

Gŵyl Calon y Ddraig ar 4 Gorffennaf 2009 yn hollol drawiadol!

Bydd pob gweithdy’n cael eu harwain gan arlunwyr cymunedol lleol a chanddynt flynyddoedd mawr o brofiad.

Gallwch gadw lle nawr, yn rhad ac am ddim, ac fe’u cynhelir o fis Mawrth tan fis Mehefin.

Er mwyn cadw lle mewn gweithdy cysylltwch â
Pamela Gaunt
01559 371427
pamelagaunt@aol.com

Neu i gael ‘Pecyn Ysbrydoli’ cysylltwch â
Deborah Howlett
01559 370842
thehowlettclan@homecall.co.uk

Heart of the Dragon has received a grant of £4,895 to work with local community groups to become part of the next Heart of the Dragon Festival planned for July 4th 2009.

The success of the first festival in 2007 left many people asking ”when is it happening again?”…so the grant gives the opportunity of schools, youth clubs, drama groups, to work with professional storytellers, musicians, puppet and mask makers to take central roles in the re-enactment of the towns local legend of the Last Dragon.

Lady Mayoress Maureen Webley, says:

“I am delighted that the Dragon Festival Committee have been successful in obtaining Awards for All funding, as a great boost towards the preparations for the 2nd Dragon Festival in Newcastle Emlyn, which hopefully will be as successful if not more so than the first. The interest being shown by a number of international groups is very exciting and the town looks forward to seeing their involvement in the Festival”

The festival will be held around the grounds of Emlyns castle and river, where there will be historic battle re-enactments, medieval fayre, birds of prey show, a dragon procession,the now famous arrival of the coracle bearing the dragon egg (which appeared in the town in 2006) a second chance to see the hatching of the First Baby Dragon of Wales, and a fulfillment of Merlins prophecy with Owain Glandwr returning to reclaim his Dragon Queen! See www.heartofthedragonwales.org.uk

To book a visiting artist to work with your group please contact pamelagaunt@aol.com 01559 371427. Or for an inspiration pack with a storytelling and music CD and a thirty minute DVD contact Debbie at thehowlettclan@homecall.co.uk 01559 370842

For further information on Awards for All or to obtain an application pack please call 01686 611 740 or website www.awardsforall.org.uk

Tomorrow, 25 April, from 6.00 to 8.00 p.m., the people of Newcastle Emlyn will proclaim a mighty call to all Wales for dragons everywhere to join them at the Heart of the Dragon Festival on 7 and 8 July.

July’s Festival will tell of the birth of the new Welsh Dragon in a major community-led celebration of Welsh mythology, art and song, a first for West Wales and in the very place where the last Dragon of Wales was slaughtered centuries ago.

Hundreds of schools, community groups from Scouts to rugby clubs, Chambers of Commerce and councillors have been joining in the initiative to create dragons supporting the story.

At tomorrow night’s Proclamation, magical music, spectacle and storytelling at Newcastle Emlyn’s ancient Castle will end in the ceremonial unveiling of a giant Welsh Dragon’s Egg, first found mysteriously floating in a coracle down the River Teifi through the town ten months ago.

And the call will go out to all Wales and the whole world to bring their dragons to the Heart of the Dragon Festival in July.

Artistic Director Pamela Gaunt said:

“The new baby dragon of Wales will heal rifts and herald a new beginning for the people of the land, our art, community and culture. The new dragon’s birth in this place of slaughter of the last dragon of Wales symbolises a new beginning for Wales.

We call to everyone in Wales and beyond to join us with their dragons on 7 and 8 July.”

The Dragon’s Egg has already travelled to Ireland, where hundreds of Dubliners created banners and greetings for Wales. Later in the year it will go to Poland and Prague.

Groups from Ireland, Poland, Czech and Portugal will come to Newcastle Emlyn for July’s festival.

Carmarthenshire County Councillor Haydon Jones said:

“This has been a hugely successful campaign and a superb bid. It’s the biggest award of this kind for this area that I’ve heard of and I’m sure the festival will benefit Newcastle Emlyn enormously and provide something long into the future for the people of the town.”

Wales’s best-loved superstar singer Katherine Jenkins said:

“I was thrilled to hear about the fantastic and well-deserved Heritage Lottery support for the Heart of the Dragon Festival.

”I wish the community of Newcastle Emlyn a glorious festival and a wonderful new Welsh Dragon and I hope that all the international links they’re making will help put Wales firmly on the map of Europe and the world.

“Good luck to everyone, congratulations and well done!”