... in Wales does little to embrace cultural Wales, so says Dennis Coughlin of the Heath, Cardiff in today's Western Mail (the second letter).
I recently visited the Eisteddfod at Llandow where what seemed an entirely white Welsh speaking gathering were enjoying this traditional event of Welsh language, literature, history and music. I support this subsidised festival because it helps protect the ancient language and culture for this minority who have a long Welsh speaking lineage.But you cannot impose this elite parochial version of Wales on the rest of us. This is your world.Literature, art and history are international and the English language provides access to a cornucopia of cultural treasures from Kafka to Corrie, Socrates to the Simpsons, and Voltaire to The Vulcan. This is my world and I cannot be restricted to cultural borders.
Is Dennis correct, is there a minority elite that has created a cultural border that excludes the majority of peoples in Wales ?
If Dennis is correct there would be a great injustice being played out behind minority cultural doors !
If Dennis is correct .................... remember the 14 July 1789, not every "Bastille" is stone built.
John, saying that a Welsh Language Cultural Festival is elitist because it excludes non Welsh speakers is as silly as saying that a Rap Festival is elitist because it excludes Morris Dancing. Of course Morris Dancers are allowed to attend Rap Festivals, they may even be allowed to experiment in Morris Brake Dancing in order to enable a connection between two different cultural expressions of street dance (something I'd love to see tried).
ReplyDeleteIf your friend Dennis had gone to the Eisteddfod with open eyes rather than blinkered ones he would have seen competitors competing on works by Italian, German, English, American, African and many other nationalities' authors and composers transformed into a Welsh Language context. He would have seen competitors from Sweden, China, the USA, Latin America, Italy and of course England winning competitions. He would have seen a number of non-whites on stage!
If Denis had said Literature, art and history are international and the Welsh language provides access to a cornucopia of cultural treasures from Kafka to Corrie, Socrates to the Simpsons, and Voltaire to The Vulcan, he would be describing the Eisteddfod! His border is that he can't envisage that any language other than English can extend cultural experience- that is not just elitist, but very, very sad and insular!
If only Dennis, I've not met him except through his letter published in the Western Mail, had called for an "all Wales Eisteddfod", a cultural celebration that was inclusive of all the peoples of Wales who could submit in their various native languages!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Socrates would be presented in ancient Greek, Voltaire in French ....