A sparkling event

The building was officially opened by Rhodri Glyn Thomas the Minister of Heritage and Culture. He clipped this Hoopoe bird to our central winch point and The St Dogmaels Village Choir sang it into flight. The Hoopoe was constructed by Ann, Bill and Toby on the 2 days before the opening whilst working on other urgent finishing off tasks

We are incredibly proud and honored that Dic Jones, the Arch Druid in waiting, wrote a poem especially for the occasion. The poem he kindly and skillfully translated into English. He read both of these for our esteemed guests, the poem follows below.

Canolfan Byd Bychan

Pan oeddwn yma dd'wetha yr oedd Geler
A'i hen beiriannau yn meddiannu'r lle
Part ma's a helem, injin stim a beler,
A Mrs Jones a'r fflasged a'r shwc de,
A Wil Trewinsor, Ffynnon-cyff a'i siort
Yn handlo sgube ac yn tynnu to,
Yn cario llafur eto, a chael sbort
Fel 'roed ni'n arfer gwneud ar hyd y fro.

A heddiw dyma ni - pagoda gwych
Y theatr bypedau'n codi i'n ne',
A'i chrefft i ddoniau dwylo dyn yn ddrych
A'i harddwch yn anrhydedd i'r holl dre'.
O Geler i Byd Bychan - fe'na mae,
Mae byw yr hen freuddwydion yn parhau.

Small World Centre

The last time I was here was threshing day
With Geler’s implements a sight to see.
We celebrated harvest the old way
While Mrs Jones supplied the jugs to tea
And we old-timers fondled once again
The oat-sheaves and the grain of days gone by
And leant on the old pitchfork now and then,
Ribbing each other while the sweat would dry.

And now this grand pagoda rises tall
Above the rooftops of your noble town,
Holding whoever enters in its thrall -
A veritable jewel in your crown.
From Geler to Byd Bychan, Ann and Bill,
The living of a dream is in us still.

Speeches & programme

So what has Bill just reacted to that Ann is so shocked about ?

You had to be there.

Agoriad Canolfan Byd Bychan Canolfan Byd Bychan Opening Tuesday 17 June/Dydd Mawrth 17 Mehefin 2008 18.00 – 18.30 Tour of building/Taith yr adeilad 18.45 – 19.15 Official opening speeches/Areithion Agoriadol Swyddogol Welcome & Project Background/Croeso & Chefndir y Prosiect Ann Shrosbree & Bill Hamblett, Artistic Directors/Cyfarwyddwyr Artistig, Small World Theatre/Theatr Byd Bychan Dr Alison Creed, Curriculum Development Officer/Swyddog Datblygu Cwricwlwm, OCN Wales/RhCA Cymru, Presentation of OCN certificates/Cyflwyniad Tystysgrifau, Dic Jones, incoming Archdruid/darpar Archdderwydd Cllr./Cyng. Keith Evans, Leader of the Council/Arweinydd y Cyngor, Ceredigion County Council/Cyngor Bwrdeistref Ceredigion Hazel Lloyd-Lubran, Vice Chair/Is Gadeirydd, Ceredigion Economic Regeneration Partnership/Partneriaeth Adfywio Economaidd Ceredigion Rhodri Glyn Thomas AC/AM, Minister for Heritage/Y Gweinidog dros Dreftadaeth, Welsh Assembly Government/Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru - Opening of Building/Agoriad yr Adeilad St Dogmaels Community Choir/Côr Cymunedol Llandudoch 20.00 Finger buffet/Pryd Bys a Bawd Music by local group Radwm (Delyth Wyn & Helen Blackburn)/Cerddoriaeth gan Tours of the building for other guests/Areithion yr Adeilad ar gyfer westeion eraill .

We chose the Hoopoe to launch the building as it was featured in our show Ali's dream that was the centre point of the re-forestation project in Northern Sudan 1985 to 2000.

The Hoopoe was the narrator of the story and we made a mask and a light, painted cotton costume tailored to look like a Hoopoe bird . It was also significant as the mythical convener of the Conference of the Birds and as such had a resonance with our forest in a desert theme. While we traveled both banks of the Nile replanting the desert we came across the real thing on several occasions skipping amongst some precious leaves raising it's crest and emitting the distinctive hoopoe sound from which it gets it's name. Over a Million trees were planted and now a forest grows where once there was desert.

Link to info on history and the Sudan project

Small World Theatre Canolfan Byd Bychan Bath House Road, Cardigan, Ceredigion Wales SA43 1JY Tel: 01239 615952 Fax :01239 615835 e mail info@smallworld.org.uk