History \\ Hanes

“There’s a misconception because we live in a rural place that we’re unambitious. This isn’t the case. There’s a lot of ambition and creativity bubbling here – just not a lot of opportunity to share.” – D, 25

Origins – Arts Alive, 1988

Peak has been providing spaces for creative learning since our beginnings in the late 1980’s as ‘Arts Alive’, a community, artist-led project for children and young people. Arts Alive founder Liz Buckler, who remains a co-opted advisor to our Board, began with the question: “Can learning be relevant, challenging, enjoyable and irresistible, so that at home time, our children are curious for more? If not, why not?”. In 2001 we moved into Yr Hen Ysgol, Crickhowell (supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Powys County Council) and in 2003 we employed our first staff roles (supported by Brecon Beacons National Park). Since the early 2000’s we’ve been developing intergenerational community arts, crefft* and wellbeing activities at Yr Hen Ysgol with community groups including Brecon Mind for adult mental health service users.

Development of Peak Cymru, 2010-2020 

‘Peak’ (adopted as our company name in 2018) joined the Arts Council of Wales portfolio in 2016.  Across the decade preceding the Pandemic, Peak drew inspiration from the distinctive landscape of the Black Mountains to develop opportunities in contemporary art for the benefit of the region’s artists, communities, and visitors, exploring the potential for artist exchange, residencies, exhibitions, artist-led projects, curator visits and festivals. Intergenerational arts and health outreach projects, and programming for children and young people, including Criw Celf, took Peak into communities and partnerships across schools and settings in the region.

Programme, Partnerships and Collaborations, 2018 – 2020

Between 2018-2020, we worked with over 130 artists, over 400 children and young people and engaged with over 800 people of all generations in 12 communities across Powys, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and RCT.

Across these years our work with young people grew, and we prioritised working with rurally isolated young people facing financial, health and academic challenges. To do this, we worked in partnership with organisations in the health, environment, education and housing sectors. Selected projects from this time include:

Skyline (2018 – 2019) Collaborating with artist Owen Griffiths, The Green Valleys CIC and Welcome to Our Woods, Peak developed a creative engagement strategy for a feasibility study into large-scale community land transfer in Rhondda Cynon Taff – hosting conversations on climate, land ownership, empire and industry to imagine the potential of public land surrounding the village.

Illumine (2018 – 2019). An 18-month digital arts training project for young ‘Image Makers’ (16-25 yr olds), produced by Peak on behalf of Powys County Council. Working closely with artists and industry professionals to ‘reimagine’ the Brecon Beacons and wider area, young people created new digital materials for display in y Gaer, Brecon’s new cultural hub. Peak’s Participation Manager received 2019 Marsh Award for excellence in Gallery Education for the project.

Hinterlands Wales (2018-2021). In partnership with Glandwr Cymru / Canal & River Trust, we invited artists and communities to explore the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal as a space for creativity, biodiversity & wellbeing through three strands: Ahoi! What Grows Here? with artists Ella Gibbs and Owen Griffiths; Performance Butty - a floating art school for young people with artist Stefhan Caddick; and Pont-y-Ddôl, a habitat creation project with artist Rebecca Chesney.

sPeak (2019 – 2020). A young people’s advisory panel and creative group developed to embed co-design practices across our programme and governance. The final in-person meeting of the 2019-20 cohort held in March 2020 just before lockdown, set out their clear direction for Peak’s future programme: “Themes we’d like to see programmed at Peak: neurodiversity, sustainable living, resilient communities, slowing down, wellbeing, LGBTQ, climate change…”  – members of sPeak.  

Covid – what changed for Peak across 2020-23

 The pandemic, and the profound disruption of this time created unimaginable stresses and challenges, but this time also pushed a comprehensive review of our mission, pwrpas* and ways of working, prompting a period of research and action learning.

In June 2020 we published a statement acknowledging that as an organisation we had failed to be actively anti-racist in our structures, governance and programming. In July 2020, and supported by paid advisors, we wrote an Anti-Racism Policy and implemented an Anti-Racism plan. Specifically, we now programme 30% artists from global majority identities, alongside yearly actions.

In Autumn 2020 we hosted Storm Kitchen Talks, a programme exploring climate, colonialisation, food, land, arafwch*, deep time and radical futures. As a weekly conversation series Storm Kitchen Talks was broadcast from the Mon & Brec canal on Wednesday evenings in October, as we travelled along the canal with invited guests from across the UK, broadcasting on zoom to an international audience.

In Autumn 2020 we also began to entirely reimagine how we approach working with and through Cymraeg, and we did this in collaboration with artists, writers and curators through the development of Welsh language futures group Pegwn. We set out to explore ways of reframing bilingualism in a way that actively rejects binaristic approaches to the two languages’ co-existence, where Welsh is often only approached as the cyfieithiad o Saesneg.*

In Summer 2021, we partnered with Art Night to present Creating dangerously (we-I insist!) by Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle. During the Pandemic, we secured two new spaces, Platfform 2, at Abergavenny Train Station, and this partnership launched our presence at the station. We piloted a summer professional development programme for young artists, curators and writers offering paid opportunities to invigilate the space alongside mentoring and group workshop.

In 2022 we undertook a year of collaborative research, which has directly informed our Strategic Plan and future strands of activity. The programme unfolded primarily through Casgleb (supported by ACW Connect+Flourish funding) which supported Young People and artists to explore varied ways of listening, sharing, voicing and dysgu*, together researching and imagining sustainable futures for our communities and our languages. This work was undertaken in partnership with Trafnidiaeth Cymru*, Young People, Pegwn, LUMIN and Owen Griffiths; programme highlights included Platfform Haf and Local 37 (radio broadcast from Platfform 2 hosted by LUMIN, 2022).

Gwreiddiau – Arts Alive, 1988

Mae Peak wedi bod yn darparu gofodau ar gyfer dysgu creadigol ers i ni ddechrau yn yr 1980au hwyr fel ‘Arts Alive’, project cymunedol wedi’i arwain gan artistiaid ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc. Cwestiwn cychwynnol sylfaenydd Arts Alive, Liz Buckler, sy’n parhau i fod yn ymgynghorydd ar ein Bwrdd, oedd “Gall addysg fod yn berthnasol, yn heriol, yn braf ac yn ein hudo, fel bod ein plantos yn awyddus i ddysgu mwy yn eu hamser sbâr? Os na, pam ddim?” Yn 2001 symudom i adeilad Yr Hen Ysgol, Crug Hywel (wedi’i gefnogi gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a Chyngor Sir Powys) ac yn 2003 cyflogwyd ein staff cyntaf (wedi’i gefnogi gan Barc Cendlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog). Ers yr 2000au cynnar rydym wedi bod yn datblygu celfyddydau, crefftau a gweithgareddau lles cymunedol ar gyfer pob cenhedlaeth yn Yr Hen Ysgol, gyda grwpiau cymunedol yn cynnwys Brecon Mind er lles defnyddwyr gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl oedolion.

Datblygiad Peak Cymru, 2010-2020

Ymunodd ‘Peak’ (a fabwysiadwyd fel enw’r cwmni yn 2018) â phortffolio Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn 2016. Yn ystod y ddegawd cyn y pandemig, bu Peak yn dwyn ysbrydoliaeth o dirlun hynod y Mynyddoedd Duon er mwyn datblygu cyfleoedd mewn celfyddyd gyfoes er lles artistiaid, cymunedau, ac ymwelwyr â’r ardal, gan archwilio cyfnewidfeydd artistiaid, preswylfeydd, arddangosfeydd, projectau wedi’u harwain gan artistiaid, ymweliadau gan guraduron a gwyliau. Arweiniodd projectau ymgysylltu - mewn celf a iechyd oedd yn cwmpasu cyfranogiad gan bob cenhedlaeth, a rhaglenni ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc, gan gynnwys Criw Celf - at Peak yn gweithio ar y cyd â chymunedau a phartneriaethau mewn ysgolion a lleoliadau amrywiol yn y rhanbarth.

Rhaglen, Partneriaethau a Gwaith Casglebol, 2018 – 2020

Rhwng 2018-2020, buom yn gweithio gyda dros 130 o artistiaid, dros 400 o blant a phobl ifanc ac ymgysylltu gyda dros 800 o bobl o bob cenhedlaeth mewn 12 o gymunedau ar draws Powys, Sir Fynwy, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent a Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Tyfodd ein gwaith gyda phobl ifanc yn ystod y blynyddoedd hyn, ac rydym yn blaenoriaethu gweithio gyda phobl ifanc sydd wedi’i hynysu’n wledig sy’n wynebu heriau ariannol, heriau iechyd a heriau academaidd. Er mwyn gwneud hyn, rydym yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda sefydliadau yn y sectorau iechyd, amgylchedd, addysg a thai. Mae projectau dethol o’r cyfnod hwn yn cynnwys:

Skyline (2018 – 2019) Gan gydweithio gyda’r artist Owen Griffiths, The Green Valleys CIC a Welcome to Our Woods, datblygodd Peak strategaeth ymgysylltu creadigol ar gyfer astudiaeth dichonoldeb ar drosglwyddiad tir cymunedol ar raddfa fawr yn Rhondda Cynon Taf – gan gynnal sgyrsiau am hinsawdd, perchnogaeth tir, ymerodraeth a diwydiant er mwyn dychmygu potensial tir cyhoeddus fyddai’n amgylchynu’r pentref.

 Illumine (2018 – 2019). Project hyfforddiant celf ddigidol 18 mis ar gyfer ‘Gwneuthurwyr Delweddau’ ifanc (16-25 oed), wedi’i gynhyrchu gan Peak ar ran Cyngor Sir Powys. Gan weithio’n agos gydag artistiaid a gweithwyr proffesiynol o fewn y diwydiant er mwyn ‘ailddychmygu’ ardal Bannau Brycheiniog a’r rhanbarth yn ehangach, lluniodd y bobl ifanc ddeunydd digidol newydd i’w harddangos yn Y Gaer, canolfan ddiwylliannol newydd Aberhonddu. Derbyniodd Rheolwr Cyfranogi Peak Wobr Marsh 2019 am ragoriaeth mewn Addysg Oriel ar gyfer y project.

Hinterlands Cymru (2018-2021). Mewn partneriaeth â Glandwr Cymru / Canal & River Trust, gwahoddom artistiaid a chymunedau i archwilio camlas Sir Fynwy ac Aberhonddu fel gofod ar gyfer creadigrwydd, bioamrywiaeth a lles drwy gyfrwng tair dolen: Ahoi! What Grows Here? gyda’r artistiaid Ella Gibbs ac Owen Griffiths; Performance Butty – ysgol gelf arnofiol ar gyfer pobl ifanc gyda’r artist Stefhan Caddick; a Pont-y-Ddôl, project creu cynefinoedd gyda’r artist Rebecca Chesney.

sPeak (2019 – 2020). Panel ymgynghorol o bobl ifanc a grŵp creadigol wedi’i ddatblygu er mwyn gwreiddio arferion cyd-ddylunio ar draws ein rhaglen a’n llywodraethiant. Roedd y cyfarfod olaf yn y cnawd o griw 2019-20 a gafodd ei gynnal ym mis Mawrth 2020 cyn y cyfnod clo, yn gosod cyfeiriad clir ar gyfer rhaglen Peak at y dyfodol: “Themâu yr hoffem weld yn cael eu rhaglenni gyda Peak: niwroamrywiaeth, byw’n gynaliadwy, cymunedau gwydn, arafu, lles, LHDTQ, newid hinsawdd…”  – aelodau o sPeak.

Covid – beth newidiodd i Peak rhwng 2020-23

Achosodd y pandemig, ac ymyrraeth ddigamsyniol y cyfnod hwn, straen a heriau rhyfeddol, ond gorfodwyd adolygiad trylwyr o’n cenhadaeth, ein pwrpas a’n ffyrdd o weithio gan y cyfnod hwn, gan ysgogi cyfnod o ymchwil,  a dysgu drwy weithredu.

Ym mis Mehefin 2020 cyhoeddom ddatganiad oedd yn cydnabod ein bod fel sefydliad wedi methu bod yn weithredol wrth-hiliol yn ein strwythurau, llywodraethiant a’n rhaglenni. Ym mis Gorffennaf 2020, gyda chefnogaeth ymgynghorwyr a gafodd eu talu, ysgrifennom Bolisi Gwrth-Hiliol gan osod ar waith Cynllun Gwrth-Hiliol. Yn benodol, rydym nawr yn rhaglenni 30% o artistiaid o hunaniaethau mwyafrif byd-eang, ar y cyd â chynllun gweithredu blynyddol.

Ym mis Hydref 2020 cynhaliom Sgyrsiau Cegin Y Storm, rhaglen yn archwilio hinsawdd, trefedigaethedd, bwyd, tir, arafwch, amser dwfn a dyfodolau radical. Fel cyfres o sgyrsiau wythnosol, cafodd Sgyrsiau Cegin y Storm eu darlledu o gamlas Sir Fynwy a Brycheiniog ar nosweithiau Mercher ym mis Hydref, wrth i ni deithio ar hyd y gamlas gyda gwesteion gwahoddedig o ledled y DU, gan ddarlledu dros Zoom i gynulleidfa rhyngwladol.

Hefyd yn ystod Hydref 2020 dechreuom ailddychmygu’n hollol ein dull o fynd i’r afael â’r Gymraeg, gan wneud hyn mewn cydweithrediad ag artistiaid, sgwennwyr, a churaduron drwy ddatblygu’r grŵp dyfodolau iaith Gymraeg, Pegwn. Ein bwriad oedd archwilio ffyrdd o ailfframio dwyieithrwydd mewn ffyrdd sy’n gwrthod yn bwrpasol ddulliau deuaidd o ystyried cyd-fodolaeth y ddwy iaith, lle caiff y Gymraeg yn rhy aml yn cael ei gweld fel cyfieithiad o’r Saesneg yn unig.

Yn ystod Haf 2021, cyd-weithiom gyda Art Night i gyflwyno Creating dangerously (we-I insist) gan yr artist Albanaidd-Barbadaidd Alberta Whittle. Yn ystod y Pandemig, llwyddom i gaffael dau safle newydd ar Blatfform 2, Gorsaf Drenau’r Fenni, a’r bartneriaeth hon oedd man cychwyn ein presenoldeb yn yr orsaf. Cynhaliom raglen datblygiad proffesiynol fel cynllun peilot ar gyfer artistiaid, curaduron a sgwennwyr gan gynnig cyfleoedd â thâl i oruchwylio’r gofod ar y cyd â mentora a gweithdy grŵp. 

Yn 2022 cafwyd blwyddyn o ymchwil casglebol, sydd wedi bwydo’n uniongyrchol ein Cynllun Strategol a dolenni ein gweithgarwch at y dyfodol. Blagurodd y rhaglen yn bennaf drwy Casgleb (wedi’i gefnogi gan ariannu Cysylltu+Ffynnu CCC) a oedd yn cefnogi Pobl Ifanc ac artistiaid i archwilio ffyrdd amrywiol o wrando, rhannu, lleisio a dysgu, gan ymchwilio a dychmygu dyfodolau cynaliadwy ar gyfer ein cymunedau a’n hieithoedd. Gwnaed y gwaith hwn mewn partneriaeth â Thrafnidiaeth Cymru, Pobl Ifanc, Pegwn, LUMIN ac Owen Griffiths, roedd uchafbwyntiau’r rhaglen yn cynnwys Platfform Haf a Local 37 (darllediad radio o Blatfform 2 wedi’i gyflwyno gan LUMIN, 2022).