Local schools bring Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant’s story to life
Over recent years we have teamed up with local schools to celebrate old treasure through young voices and creating new interpretation at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, the birthplace of William Morgan who translated the Bible into Welsh.
Creating sensory sounds
In 2023 Ysgol Llanddoged and Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan took part in a month-long programme which began with an introduction to the fascinating history of Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant’s most famous resident, Bishop William Morgan, through a fun and interactive ‘Mewn Cymeriad’ performance onsite by actor, Llion Williams.
With the help of local facilitators, ‘Tape Community, Music and Film’, the schools then went on to imagine the sounds William Morgan would have heard as a child their age, at the farmhouse over 400 years ago. The pupils were then tasked with the challenge of creating a map of Tŷ Mawr and bringing the house to life through sound.
Sessions involved recording real sounds, such as the stream and a process of re-creating sounds known as Foley sounds, which involved getting creative with unexpected props, such as bubble wrap for recreating the sound of fire at the hearth.
It was a special experience for the pupils and a great opportunity for them to learn about the history and importance of Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant in Welsh culture. The pupils had the chance to work creatively to create a resource that children and young people in the area and beyond will be able to benefit from. Thank you very much for the opportunity to work together.
Creative prose
It was a beautiful autumn day in 2024 when a group of year 10 pupils from Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy came to Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant early to see the collection of Bibles in all its richness and variety. Under the guidance of Professor Angharad Price from Bangor University, each pupil got to choose one Bible, responding to it with each of the ve senses and attempting to de ne its aura or unique character.
Next, a large world atlas was brought out and the provenance of each Bible marked on it, from the Czech Republic to Eswatini (Swaziland), from South Korea to Romania, from the United States to New Zealand. Seeing how far these Bibles had travelled to reach William Morgan’s home was a revelation.
In the subsequent writing classes the Bibles’ journeys to Wales were re-imagined, the challenges, hopes, fears of their owners described, and their feelings on nally reaching Tŷ Mawr brought to life through words.
The pupils responded to the task with talent and enthusiasm, and the finished prose pieces are a testament to their imagination, empathy and creativity. It was a privilege to be inspired by such a rich and unique collection.