Pembrokeshire pupils bring local history to life with animated GIFs

Place names hold a wealth of information. They reveal geographical features, history, and even the people who settled in Wales, like the Romans and the Vikings. For example, Pembrokeshire has place names influenced by the Vikings, such as Skomer Island and Skokholm Island.

The pupils had great fun in the digital illustration workshops hosted by Mwydro, who specialise in creating GIFs. These GIFs are now live and can be used on various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. You can search for the GIFs by typing a place name in English or Welsh into the GIF search bar. The children are excited to track how often their GIFs are used. Please support them by using these GIFs when you visit places across Pembrokeshire this summer.

Here’s what pupils from Ysgol Bro Ingli had to say:

Morgan – “GIFs like this put Wales, and more importantly, Pembrokeshire on the world map. Over 7 billion people will be able to use our GIFs; everyone will know Cwm-yr-Eglwys all over the world!”

Georgiana – “I really like digital things. I like creating videos and games, but creating GIFs was something completely new for us. It was a fantastic day to create them; let’s spread Wales and Welsh across the world!”

Following the project, there are a huge variety of Welsh GIFs for place names and attractions across Pembrokeshire that can be used by locals and visitors on numerous platforms, celebrating Welsh place names and our cynefin.

Catrin Phillips, Welsh Language Development Officer, said: “The GIFs created by the pupils are fantastic and showcase their artistic and digital talent. We’re already seeing locals and visitors using the GIFs, which is very exciting for the children. This project has also been a wonderful opportunity for children to understand and appreciate the meanings of the place names they see around them.”