Multilingual Video Launch and Discussion

With Ifor ap Glyn (National Poet of Wales 2016-2022) in the chair, a multilingual public launch and discussion was held of the CIALL-supported Island Voices "Jamaican in Wales" video cluster, featuring poet and artist Audrey West, at the Dragon Theatre, Barmouth.

CIALL project manager, Gordon Wells, took part as a panel member in the multilingual launch and community discussion in Barmouth, North Wales, of the Island Voices video cluster, “Jamiekan ina Wielz” featuring poet and artist Audrey West.

In addition to Jamaican and Gaelic, the introductory documentary video is currently also available online in Welsh, English, and Portuguese, in line with Island Voices' “Other Tongues” and “Extensions” initiatives. It wasn't possible to sample all of these on the night, but Welsh, in addition to Jamaican itself, was well profiled through the skilful chairing of panel presentations and the wider discussion by Ifor ap Glyn (National Poet of Wales 2016-2022), who had himself supplied the Welsh translation and narration of the film.

With contributions also from Rita Stringer at the Diversity Project of the Dictionary of Welsh Biography, the discussion was wide-ranging, touching on various histories from a range of perspectives, as well as languages and linguistics (particularly in relation to multilingualism in present-day society). Audrey herself talked freely about her personal, professional, and artistic journey up to today, and was happy to answer questions from the audience about the Jamaican language. Although Dr Joseph Farquharson of the University of the West Indies' Jamaican Language Unit was not able to attend, it was noted that this initiative springs from, and builds on, previous collaborative work with the University of the Highlands on "Mediating Multilingualism".

It was a full hour and a half of viewing and talking in total. This video record gives a taste of some of the topics covered as well as snippets from the film in question in Welsh, Gaelic, and Jamaican.