SOCIAL CHANGE

Interview with Keith Murrell

During the last two years, there have been so many social changes such as Covid, Black Lives Matter and the increase of use of the Welsh language, I just feel we are moving with the changes.

The word, for the moment, is Cynefin, meaning belonging, what does it mean to be Welsh and African, or Bangladeshi for instance. By opening the space to everyone, future generations are going to look back and say, this is our carnival. I am proud of the opportunities Carnival provides, we had refugees from Oasis, come for 4 years in a row as a choir and now they are touring.

We have given a platform to children, such as Luchia, who first saw Aleighcia Scott, on stage and has since gone on to fulfil her dream, to also play on Butetown carnival stage this year. We do whatever we can to collaborate and give back to local people, such as employing Tiger Bay Security, who has since secured a contract with the WMC. Being involved in Carnival, can create a lot of skills, which are transferable. The next stage for us is that we need to establish economic benefits, such as creating jobs for local people. I would love to see this as we move forward.

Cynefin

I was recently commissioned to do a piece that would tour the festivals within Wales, and a part of that was two pieces performed at the Eisteddfod. This was a progressive move in creating more diverse representation on the traditional Welsh scene, which can go along way to eliminate discrimination, the willingness to welcome us at these events is important and we must be receptive to the opportunities.

We have been involved in working with Welsh language organisations, which is a key part in us moving forward, because it is right culturally, we are Welsh, but proud of our diverse heritage too. We will have the opportunity to bring all of our cultures to the traditional Welsh platforms. In the future, I would also like to see elements of the carnival present in the Eisteddfod, that would be amazing.