Sense of Place Project Update 

The Sense of Place Project is an environmental and heritage appreciation project for the young people of North Wales . The Project was designed to slot within the school time-table, complimenting and enriching the current syllabus. The Project consist of 3 topics for consideration; 'Where We Live' - a variety of interactive and creative activities to explore the locality, 'My Favourite Place' - environmental appreciation through the medium of art and creative writing, and 'Past and Present' - intergenerational oral history workshops to take a closer look at now and then.

Work on the North Wales based, 2-year project 'Sense of Place' began this year in the Northeast counties. A school from each county was identified to take part in the project over a period of 12-months. So far pupils across the Northeast have explored their local woodlands with the Forestry Commission, learnt of native butterflies with the Butterfly Conservation, identified birds through song with the RSPB, discovered their local history with local historians, visited local parks with country park wardens, spent time with storytellers and local artists, to name but a few, as part of their 'Where We Live' and 'My Favourite Place' Topics.

This December the Sense of Place Project will have reached over 420 school children in Northeast Wales , aged 3 - 15. Ysgol Brynteg in Wrexham, Connah's Quay High School in Flintshire, Ysgol Penmorfa in Denbighshire and Ysgol Craig y Don in Conwy are all set to complete their project work with the intergenerational oral history topic 'Past and Present'. Whilst Connah's Quay High are taking a more artistic approach, using the support of local artist Eleri Jones to create a community collage to be displayed at the community café, the other schools will be benefiting from the experience and creativity of storyteller and writer Elin Alaw to lead intergenerational workshops.

Exhibitions of work produced during the project have taken place.

With the Northeast County Schools rapidly on their way to completing the Sense of Place Project, discussions are currently being held with County Councils, and environmental & heritage bodies in Anglesey and Gwynedd, with regards to identifying a suitable and worthy school, in each of the two counties to take part in 'Sense of Place' 2008. Dependant on the location of the schools, a package of interactive and innovative workshops will then be tailor-made, and the project will be underway once more.

To mark the end of the project, in the winter 2008, work from across the 6 North Wales counties will be collated to form a final exhibition, which will go on tour for all to enjoy.

Noda Cynllun Gofodol Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru fod ‘ein dyfodol’ yn dibynnu ar fywiogrwydd ein cymunedau fel lleoedd deniadol i fyw a gweithio ynddynt. Mae angen i ni gwtogi ar anghyfartaleddau rhwng cymunedau tra’n cadw eu cymeriad a’r hyn sy’n eu gwneud yn wahanol. Bydd y prosiect hwn yn datblygu ac yn hyrwyddo’r cysyniad o Dirluniau Cymunedol a synnwyr o le.

Bydd y prosiect yn ceisio meithrin synnwyr o le o fewn y bobl sy’n ymwneud â hyn a chynyddu’r ymwybyddiaeth o’r manteision o ddeall eu treftadaeth, eu tirlun a’u hamgylchedd eu hunain. Drwy roi cyfle i bobl ymchwilio i’w treftadaeth eu hunain yn eu ffordd arloesol ddewisedig eu hunain, bydd pobl yn teimlo eu bod wedi eu cysylltu â’u tirlun â’u treftadaeth.

Mae annog cymunedau i adnabod, edrych ar ôl a dathlu eu treftadaeth yn ganolog i’r prosiect hwn. Bydd y prosiect hwn yn defnyddio’r cysylltiadau, y profiad a’r partneriaid a ddatblygwyd yn y cynllun peilot i ddatblygu pecyn i’w ddefnyddio mewn ysgolion a chyda grwpiau cymunedol cysylltiedig.

Bydd y pecyn yn dathlu hanes lleol a thirlun mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd fel sesiynau barddoniaeth /adrodd storïau, ymweliadau ag amgueddfeydd lleol, gyda chyfran o’r gwaith yn seiliedig ar hanes llafar rhwng y gwahanol genedlaethau, gan gymharu’r gorffennol gyda’r presennol. Bydd pwysleisio pwysigrwydd dysgu o un i’r llall yn cael ei wneud yn bosibl o agor y prosiect i ysgolion a’r gymuned. Cynhelir dyddiau o hel atgofion mewn ysgolion lle gwahoddir aelodau hŷn o’r gymuned i ddod draw ac i rannu eu profiadau am eu tref, eu hieuenctid a’r tirlun. Bydd plant yn datblygu sgiliau cyfweld a dehongli a thechnegau hwyluso. Yn ychwanegol, mae gan rai amgueddfeydd yng Ngogledd Cymru goedlannau cyfagos, a ddefnyddir ar gyfer gwaith treftadaeth amgylcheddol mewn partneriaeth gyda’r Ymddiriedolaeth Coedlannau.

Gwelwch beth rydym yn ei wneud:

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