Bethesda’s Safer Neighbourhood Team Lead Film Project

Bethesda PCSOs Iwan Owen and Gareth Davies have put together a project involving a group of local young people, with the aim to produce a Welsh language, film and photographic exhibition about their local community with the intent to capture the beauty, history and character of their local surroundings. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The aims of this project are to give the younger community an appreciation of their local community, teach them technical skills (photography/film editing) and to encourage them to positively contribute to the area they live in. They will also be able to gain credit from their work towards educational qualifications. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This year’s film is concentrated on three local men who were born and bred in the Ogwen Valley. In a series of interviews with the group, they have been asked to reminisce about their local upbringing. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Iwan Owen has said “We are very excited about this project and have received a lot of support in setting it up. The film will first premier in Neuadd Ogwen theatre in July 2016, and then we will hopefully take it around the community.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This is something we plan to run every year with a fresh group of young people. The project equipment will be accessible to those in the community to utilise the skills of youngsters within the group, we also hope this will improve our presence on social media.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Applications were submitted to a multitude of sources to fund the project, and 90% of applications were successful, resulting in financial support of £19,000. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Other people involved in the project include 9bach, a local group who will write music for the film. They won the Radio 2 Album of the Year award last year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rhys Evans is a Bafta nominated cameraman who has been mentoring the youngsters in respect of camera work and lighting, and Owen Arwyn, a recognised Welsh language actor, has also been mentoring the group in relation to scripting. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The local community have been incredibly supportive of the project with offers of help and support coming in thick and fast. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The young people of Bethesda earned an award from the High Sheriff last month for the hard work they have put into the project. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

PCSO Gareth Davies said “ We were absolutely delighted to have received the High Sheriffs community award this year , it is testimony to the hard work and effort put in by all those involved and shows that when young people contribute positively to their communities , it will be recognised and rewarded “ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​