In 2010 – 2011 the Mudiad was awarded a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to run a special project called ‘Dathlu ein Treftadaeth’ which celebrated our Welsh heritage. The project’s aim was to promote Welsh nursery rhymes to children attending the cylchoedd meithrin (Welsh-medium playgroups) and cylchoedd Ti a Fi (Welsh-medium baby and toddler groups) throughout Wales.
As part of the project, Welsh nursery rhymes were taught to the children at the playgroups ensuring that the songs would be transferred from generation to generation. A National Roadshow called ‘Taith Dathlu ein Treftadaeth’ (Celebrating our Heritage Tour) was held throughout Wales with Gwenda Owen, a well-known singer and children’s entertainer, performing shows for the children which featured some of the nursery rhymes that they had learnt at the cylchoedd meithrin.
High quality recording equipment and digital cameras were bought for every Development Officer so that they could collaborate with volunteers from the local community and a cylch meithrin to record the children singing a nursery rhyme of their choice. The volunteer was recorded talking about the chosen nursery rhyme and reminiscing about the times when he/she used to sing the song when he/she was a child, and about any local traditions or stories associated with the song.
Pod-casts of these recordings were created and placed on the Mudiad’s website so that the songs may be heard and shared by everybody worldwide.
As a record of the project, a booklet was produced and distributed to all the Mudiad’s cylchoedd, which featured some of the stories and traditions associated with a selection of the Welsh nursery rhymes. You can download your free copy of this booklet below.