The National Assembly for Wales is to underpin its commitment to widening its engagement with the people of Wales at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Llanelli.
Increasing engagement and participation in the democratic process is one of the core strategic aims of the Assembly Commission during the Fourth Assembly.
As part of that commitment the Assembly has orgnaised a series of high-level panel discussions about issues affecting communities across Wales.
There will be a panel discussion on the impact of the First World War on Wales, on 4 August, the first in a programme of events to commemorate the centenary since of the start of the conflict.
There will also be a session on the future of the Welsh language in the digital age.
Other panel discussions include the new super prison proposed in Wrexham in partnership with the Wales Governance Centre, and a discussion facilitated on Women in the Arts as part of the Presiding Officer’s Women in Public Life programme.
The full programme is as follows:
Monday 4 August
Time: 14.00–15.00
Event: one hundred years since the beginning of the First World War – Remembering, learning, understanding, grieving.
Hosted by: National Assembly for Wales and National Library of Wales
Venue: Society Pavilion 1
Speakers
Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales, David Melding AM
Lyn Lewis Dafis – Head of Digital Development, National Library of Wales
Dr Gethin Matthews – Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
Aled Eirug – PhD Student, Cardiff University
The Deputy Presiding Officer will be launching the National Assembly for Wales’s programme of events to commemorate one hundred years since the beginning of the first world war. This will be followed by a panel discussion, chaired by Lyn Lewis Dafis.
Tuesday 5 August
Time: 12.30–13.30
Event: Women in the Arts: Is Wales leading the way?
Hosted by: National Assembly for Wales
Venue: Society Pavilion 2
Speakers
Professor Elan Closs Stephens - Chair of the Audience Council Wales and National Trustee for BBC Wales
Mari Emlyn - Artistic Director, Y Galeri, Caernarfon
Marian Wyn Jones – Press and Arts Adviser
Elen ap Robert - Artistic Director of Pontio
Professor Elan Closs Stephens will chair a discussion on the relationship between women and the arts in Wales. The discussion will question why a relatively large number of leaders in arts organisations are women but statistics show that fewer women take leading roles in other organisations. The panel will discuss whether other traditionally male dominated industries could learn from the arts in this respect.
The panel will also discuss whether women who lead arts organisations still have a chance to be artists and whether they are able to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
The discussion will be followed by a Question and Answer session.
Wednesday 6 August
Time: 13.00–14.00
Event: Wrexham Prison – Good or bad idea?
Hosted by: The Wales Governance Centre and Cardiff University
Venue: Society Pavilion 1
Speakers:
Lleu Williams – Wales Governance Centre
Rt Hon Elfyn Llwyd MP – Member of Parliament for Dwyfor Meirionydd
Reverend Nan Wyn Powell Davies
Winston Roddick QC - Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Police
Jamie Bevan – Welsh language campaigner
Following research undertaken by the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, this event will ask whether the new Wrexham ‘super prison’ is a good or bad idea. Lleu Williams from the Centre will be speaking to Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd MP; former prison chaplain, Nan Powell Davies; North Wales Police Commissioner, Winston Roddick QC; and Welsh language campaigner, Jamie Bevan.
Thursday 7 August
Time: 12.00–13.00
Event: A worldwide stage for Welsh – the language in a digital age
Hosted by: The National Assembly for Wales
Venue: Society Pavilion 1
Speakers:
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM - Commissioner with responsibility for the Assembly’s Official Languages
Rhodri ap Dyfig – Digital Participation Expert
Geraint Wyn Parry – Chief Executive, Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters
Huw Marshall – Digital Manager, S4C
Gareth Morlais – Head of the Welsh Language Unit, Welsh Government
A panel of experts will discuss the future of the Welsh language in the digital age. The discussion will focus on how changes in the way we communicate and share information affect languages like Welsh and how such languages can adapt to technological developments.