The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is delighted that one of its Art and Design students – Dili Pitt – has been given the opportunity to design the trophies for Gwobrau’r Selar, a prestigious Welsh language music awards evening that’s being held this weekend in Aberystwyth.
Dili, who is studying on the Foundation Art and Design Course in Swansea College of Art within UWTSD, has designed and created this year’s trophies under the direction of artist and lecturer Gwenllian Beynon, Welsh Language Coordinator within the Faculty of Art and Design.
Gwobrau’r Selar are nationally recognised accolades that are awarded during an annual awards ceremony organised by the Welsh music magazine, Y Selar.
“Having the chance to collaborate on these trophies offers our students a fantastic opportunity to work on a really exciting Welsh language project and we are very happy to be working with Y Selar once again this year,” says Gwenllian Beynon.
“I’m very proud that Dili is creating this year’s awards. Dili is one of our students studying part of her Foundation Art and Design course through the medium of Welsh. Dili has also been successful in winning a scholarship from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to support her with her studies.
“During her research, Dili looked at the artwork on Welsh music covers of bands such as Bandana, Candelas, Sen Segur and Derwyddon Dr Gonzo – the trophies she’s designed and created are colourful and interesting and pieces of art that I’m sure will be treasured by the winners.”
Dili has enjoyed the whole experience of creating the awards and is pleased to have had the opportunity to create unique pieces of art for some of the Welsh language music scene’s most respected artists.
“I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to create the Y Selar awards this year and I’ve really enjoyed the research process and the creative process,” she says.
“Everything I create is very colourful, and so I wanted the awards to reflect this. I feel that those who aren’t familiar with the scene have a particular expectation about Welsh language music – it’s expected to be very traditional and old fashioned. It’s easy for us to appreciate our past too much at the expense of our future. These awards, with their use of colours, are intended to celebrate the bright and lively future of our country. I have been inspired by contemporary album covers and by the imagery the bands choose to use. I like collecting old things that have already been used and then being inspired to reuse them in a new and interesting way, and that is how I feel about this competition – using an old language in the most contemporary way possible.”
Owain Schaivone, Senior Editor of Y Selar magazine said: “Y Selar is very happy to cooperate with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s faculty of Art and Design once again this year, and we’re really pleased to be working with such a talented artist as Dili. We are very keen to give promising young artist the opportunity to create the awards and feel that the winners appreciate an original piece of art awarded to them rather than a trophy ordered on the internet! Dili’s work is certainly unique and very striking, and it’s great that she has taken influences from the covers of Welsh language records when developing her idea. I’m sure the winners will treasure these special pieces of art, and I hope the commission will be a boost to Dili’s career – we really look forward to seeing her artistic development.”
Dili is a student on UWTSD’s Certificate of Higher Education Art and Design Foundation course which sets the basis for further study of art and design. For this reason, this is the pathway of choice for specialist study within higher education. The programme is mainly visual and practical, with elements of written work which develop students’ understanding of concept, contexts and making.
UWTSD has a broader partnership with Gwobrau’r Selar as the University is also sponsoring the Special Contribution category. Some of UWTSD’s Music Technology students are being given the opportunity to work on the awards weekend too.
