Hello
I hope all is well there with you.
I have contributed the introductory text to a superb new book from iPigeon that focuses on the cultural resilience of communities in the Gwendraeth Valley - specifically, this new book of photographs follows the re-emergence of the Tumble Carnival.
As I suggest, “The photographer/artists of our present are doing something that is very difficult, in that they are not only showing us what the carnival looks like, but also what it feels like to be there and to participate. They offer us multiple views and differing perspectives – some from within [living in Tumble itself], some from the broader Gwendraeth Valley area, some who have moved from other continents to make Wales their home. Their work is not a straight documentation of some local event; rather, it is communal expression – they are part of the celebration”.
Whilst it was once a significant mining area located in Carmarthenshire, the Gwendraeth Valley has often been considered as somewhat apart from the frequently documented coal-producing Valleys in the south-east of Wales - I go on to discuss why this might be. I also talk about an emerging optimism that can be seen in this new book.
“Today’s photographer/artists, along with the carnival organisers and participants, are activists. They are not unlike the Rebecca Rioters of the early 1840s, who attacked turnpike toll gates in Carmarthenshire in a challenge to the restraints imposed by external forces. Carnifal provides a clear indication that the defiant message emerging from those from and living in the Gwendraeth Valley, is that they are hard at work building a future that reflects the unique experiences of a people and their place”.
You can get your own copy of Carnifal here.
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