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<h1 class="">
Eisteddfod winner deterred by festival's language policy
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<a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/by-date/08-01-2014">
8 Jan 2014 06:46
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<p class="">An award-winning artist crowned at last year’s National
Eisteddfod says she “would hold back” from competing at the festival
again after drawing criticism for her use of the English language.</p>
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<img src="http://i1.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article6476641.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/JS30862061-6476641.jpg" alt="Josephine Sowden received £5,000 for her performance video entitled The Lilies of the Field and described the honour at the time as “the most exciting thing to have happened to me.”" class="" title="Josephine Sowden received £5,000 for her performance video entitled The Lilies of the Field and described the honour at the time as “the most exciting thing to have happened to me.”" width="615" height="409">
Josephine Sowden received £5,000 for her performance video
entitled The Lilies of the Field and described the honour at the time as
“the most exciting thing to have happened to me.”
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<p>University of Wales Newport graduate Josephine Sowden was awarded the
prestigious Gold Medal for Fine Art at the Denbighshire and District
2013 National Eisteddfod of Wales.</p><p>The young Cardiff-based artist
received £5,000 for her performance video entitled The Lilies of the
Field and described the honour at the time as “the most exciting thing
to have happened to me.”</p><p>But the National Eisteddfod’s decision to
award its fine art prize to a video filmed in English was later called a
“dangerous precedent” by Welsh language campaign group Dyfodol i’r
Iaith (A Future for the Language).</p><p>As a result application forms
for the 2014 art competition now draw attention to an existing rule
which states that “any original words incorporated in the artwork
(including sound and video) must be in Welsh.”</p><p>It adds that words in other languages “may be included” if they are part of an object used in the work, or are quotations.</p><p>Josephine
Sowden’s work, filmed in winter on Severn Beach and Portishead,
addressed the babble of superficial worries and concerns that often pass
through, and sometimes dominate, the mind.</p><p>The film shows the artist on the beach, covered in mud, and muttering short bursts of English dialogue.</p><p>Speaking
on BBC Radio Wales Miss Sowden said she “would hold back” from entering
the competition after the Welsh language rule’s impact on the
exhibition was clarified.</p><p>She said: “I understand why [the Welsh
rule] has been made clearer because there has been some upset from it,
and I know it’s a Welsh language festival.</p><p>“I think it’s a shame
in terms of the competition because it is such a prestigious
competition. It’s such an honour to win, and to be a part of.</p><p>“I
think it’s a shame if it does deter people from entering, just because
people might be worried if their piece has got something other than
Welsh in it, it might not be accepted. I think it’s a shame but I
understand.”</p><p>Defending her use of English in her video, she added:
“Even though I know I am speaking English, it’s more about the ideas
behind it, the way I’m speaking, how incessant it is.”</p><p>Robyn Tomos, the eisteddfod’s visual arts officer, said he hoped artists would not be deterred from entering the competition.</p><p>He said: “If there is any question, I would advise artists to get in touch. Let’s discuss what the possibilities are.”</p>
<p>Mr Tomos said the use of spoken or printed words in art works was relatively recent.</p><p>He
added: “When the language rule was established in 1950 at Caerphilly,
we had paintings in frames and sculptures on plinths so it didn’t arise
then.</p><p>“It’s only a recent thing, with recent practice.”</p>
<br></div><a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/eisteddfod-winner-deterred-festivals-language-6477961">http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/eisteddfod-winner-deterred-festivals-language-6477961</a><br clear="all">
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