The WVRF Youth Banner Project was led by Nichola Goff, artist / printmaker from Redbrook.
Nichola worked with youth groups across the lower Wye Valley from Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth, Redbrook and Chepstow, exploring the theme of HUMAN⇋NATURE and youth identity; to collaboratively design and co-produce 12 large-scale silk banner flags that were displayed at the 2022 Wye Valley River Festival, and then toured to various other locations and events, including the Hereford Carnival and the Equinox Festival in Ross-on-Wye in September 2022.
Nichola worked with groups at The Attik Youth Centre in Monmouth, Thornwell Youth Centre in Chepstow and groups in Ross-on-Wye and Redbrook. Creative sessions explored the festival themes with text, photography, drawing and found imagery, printed with the limited colour pallet taken from nature. The flags were created on heritage silk that was naturally dyed using local plants and designs that were screenprinted onto the fabric using natural pigments from ochre and plants.
Check out the story behind the silk being used for the banner flags.
See the natural dyeing process.
Arweiniwyd Prosiect Baner Ieuenctid Gŵyl Afon Dyffryn Gwy gan Nichola Goff, artist / gwneuthurwr printiau o Redbrook.
Bu Nichola yn gweithio gyda grwpiau ieuenctid ar draws Dyffryn Gwy isaf, o Ross-on-Wye, Trefynwy, Redbrook a Chas-gwent, yn archwilio’r thema POBL⇋NATUR a hunaniaeth ieuenctid; i ddylunio a chyd-gynhyrchu ar y cyd 12 o faneri sidan mawr a ddangoswyd yng Ngŵyl Afon Dyffryn Gwy 2022, cyn teithio i leoliadau a digwyddiadau eraill, gan gynnwys Carnifal Henffordd a Gŵyl Equinox Ross-on-Wye ym mis Medi 2022.
Bu Nichola’n gweithio gyda grwpiau yng Nghanolfan Ieuenctid yr Attik yn Nhrefynwy, Canolfan Ieuenctid Thornwell yng Nghas-gwent a grwpiau yn Ross-on-Wye a Redbrook. Archwiliwyd themâu’r ŵyl yn ystod sesiynau creadigol ac argraffu testun, ffotograffiaeth, lluniau a delweddau a ganfuwyd, gan ddefnyddio palet cyfyngedig o liwiau o fyd natur. Crëwyd y baneri ar sidan etifeddiaeth a liwiwyd yn naturiol gan ddefnyddio planhigion lleol, a sgrin-brintio dyluniadau ar y defnydd gan ddefnyddio pigmentau naturiol o ocr a phlanhigion.
Darllenwch hanes y sidan a ddefnyddiwyd ar gyfer y baneri.
Gweler y broses liwio naturiol.
Each group worked on three banners. Viewing the River Wye as a thread, the project aimed to amplify youth voices throughout the Wye Valley, reflecting the diversity of youth identity and connecting these communities to share their voice as part of this celebration of community, place and environment.
“This is brilliant because it is something different and creative and is a chance to look at the place I live”
It was “nice to do something new, not many new things happen here”
Gweithiodd pob grŵp ar dair baner yr un. Gan edrych ar afon Gwy fel edefyn, nod y prosiect oedd rhoi llais cryf i ieuenctid ar hyd Dyffryn Gwy, gan adlewyrchu amrywiaeth hunaniaeth ieuenctid a chysylltu’r cymunedau hyn er mwyn rhannu eu lleisiau fel rhan o’r dathliad hwn o gymuned, lle a’r amgylchedd.
“Mae hyn yn wych achos mae’n rhywbeth gwahanol a chreadigol ac yn gyfle i edrych ar le dwi’n byw”
Roedd “yn neis i wneud rhywbeth newydd, does dim llawer o bethau newydd yn digwydd ffordd hyn”
Youth Leader feedback:
- Seeing the pride & confidence of the young people growing through the work / project has been amazing
- As a result of the project YP are considering becoming more involved in other group projects such as the school play which they wouldn’t have done before.
Adborth gan Arweinydd Ieuenctid:
- Mae wedi bod yn wych i weld balchder a hyder y bobl ifanc yn tyfu trwy’r gwaith / prosiect
- O ganlyniad i’r prosiect, mae pobl ifanc yn ystyried cymryd rhan mewn prosiectau grŵp eraill fel drama’r ysgol, na fyddent wedi cymryd rhan ynddynt o’r blaen.
Finished banners
Here are some of the completed banners in detail:
Y baneri gorffenedig
Dyma fanylder rhai o’r baneri gorffenedig:
Banners in Action
We took the banners up and down the valley throughout 2022, where they joined in parades and decorated events in Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Redbrook, Hereford and Tintern.
Baneri ar Waith
Aethom â’r baneri ar daith i fyny ac i lawr y Dyffryn drwy gydol 2022, lle buont yn rhan o orymdeithiau a digwyddiadau addurnedig yn Nhrefynwy, Ross-on-Wye, Redbrook, Henffordd a Thyndyrn.
About Nichola:
Nichola Goff is a multi-disciplinary printmaker, facilitator and Arts, Health & Wellbeing practitioner based in the lower Wye Valley. Nichola works with printmaking, drawing, photography, installation and collaboration with others to explore the themes in her practice; human connection to place, ecology and social justice.
Nichola takes her inspiration from a background in environmental and social justice campaigning as well as training in fine art printmaking and an MA in Arts, Health and Wellbeing. Nichola enjoys working with raw materials from a landscape and hand-processes to generate dialogue about sustainability, regenerative practice and slow living.
Nichola is working as a freelance practitioner and tutor out of her studio, The Yard Print Studio, in Drybrook in the Forest of Dean.
See more of Nichola’s work on her website
Watch Nichola processing earth pigments for screenprinting inks.
Contact Nichola at nichola.wvrf@gmail.com
Ynghylch Nichola:
Mae Nichola Goff yn wneuthurwr printiau amlddisgyblaeth, hwylusydd ac ymarferydd Celfyddydau, Iechyd a Llesiant yn Nyffryn Gwy isaf. Mae Nichola’n gweithio ym meysydd gwneud printiau, lluniadu, ffotograffiaeth, gosodweithiau a chydweithredu ag eraill i archwilio themâu ei hymarfer: cysylltiad dynol â lle, ecoleg a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol.
Daw ysbrydoliaeth Nichola o’i chefndir ym maes ymgyrchu amgylcheddol a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol, ynghyd â’i hyfforddiant creu printiau celf gain a gradd meistr mewn Celfyddydau, Iechyd a Llesiant. Mae Nichola’n mwynhau gweithio gyda deunyddiau crai o’r dirwedd, a phrosesau llaw, i greu deialog ynghylch cynaliadwyedd, arferion atgynhyrchiol a byw’n araf.
Mae Nichola’n gweithio fel ymarferydd llawrydd a thiwtor yn ei stiwdio sef The Yard Print Studio, yn Drybrook, Fforest y Ddena.
Ewch i wefan Nichola i weld mwy o’i gwaith.
Gwyliwch Nichola yn prosesu pigmentau’r pridd i greu inc ar gyfer sgrin-brintio.
Cysylltwch â Nichola drwy e-bostio nichola.wvrf@gmail.com