Dwi'n byw yng Nghaerdydd ar hyn o bryd ond yn wreiddiol o'r Gogledd. Dwi ryw ugain munud o gerdded i ganol y ddinas. Ma gennai ardd a dwi wrthi'n gweithio o adra ar hyn o bryd. Dwi’n byw efo fy ffrind a dau gi bach. Dwi heb weld fy nghariad yn iawn ers deg wythnos sydd wedi bod yn anodd iawn. Heb fy ffrind a'i chwn dwi'm yn meddwl baswn i wedi ymdopi gymaint.
Heblaw am ddim gweld pobl a cymdeithasu mewn corau, clwb iechyd a tafarndai does dim lot wedi newid gan ein bod ni gyd yn siarad dros petha fel Zoom. Felly diwrnod arferol ar y funud ydi codi, mynd allan yn yr ardd a darllen ar y penwythnosau. Cwpl o ddiodydd, coginio a paratoi am Zoom chat :-)
Dwi di cal amseroedd really isel. Falle tri diwrnod o fewn y 10 wythnos. Sydd ddim yn rhy wael i ddeud gwir. Dwi wir yn colli'n nghariad gan i fod o mond yn byw ryw 10-15munud o gerdded oddi wrathai a allai ddim hyd yn oed roi hug iddo. Teimlada wedi newid? Allai weld gola ar ddiwedd y twnel yng Nghymru, just angen i bawb gadw at y rheolau, negeseuon fod yn glir a dwi'n gobethio ar ôl tair wythnos bydd mesurau yn lleihau eto. Ond dwi'n hapus hefo'r pace. Wedi colli gormod o bobl yn fy mywyd o betha eraill (cancer mwya) a dwi ddim isho i'r feirws yma gymryd mwy.
Mae'r plant yn treulio llawer gormod o amser ar sgriniau. Maent yn chwarae gemau cyfrifiadur gyda eu ffrindiau, megis Fortnite a Roblox. Dw i ddim yn eu rhwystro yn ormodol gan ei fod yn ffordd dda o aros mewn cysylltiad. Mae cwblhau gwaith ysgol o'r cartref wedi bod yn sialens, yn bennaf gan eu bod yn colli'r elfen "gystadleuol" o fesur eu cyflawniad yn erbyn eu ffrindiau. Mae fy merch wedi bod yn poeni yn ormodol am gwblhau eu gwaith a phryderu bod ei ffrindiau yn gwneud mwy na hi. Er hyn, mae fy merch 13 yn mwynhau y rhyddid o lockdown a ddim yn gweld eisiau y pwysau cymdeithasol sydd ar bobl ifanc. Mae fy mab 11 oed yn gweld eisiau cwmni ei ffrinidiau, ac eisiau dychwelyd i'r ysgol cyn gynted a phosib, ond dyw fy merch ddim eisiau dychwelyd!
Yn sicr, dw i'n casau mynd i'r siopa mawr erbyn hyn. Does neb llawer yn gwisgo mygydau, er ein bod mewn warws mawr heb ffenestri. Dw i'n prynu llawer iawn o'r siop Londis leol, er bod y prisiau yn ddrud. Dydw i heb geisio siopa ar-lein sut bynnag. Mae fy ngwr yn siopa llawer mwy nag o'r blaen, gan ei fod yn weithiwr allweddol ac yn mynd i'r gwaith yn y car. Dw i'n trio gwastraffu llai o fwyd, er mwyn cyfyngu ar sawl gwaith dyn ni'n mynd i'r siop. Dw i'n ceisio defnyddio llai o fwydydd mewn plastig gan ein bod yn bwyta pob pryd adref. Mae mwy o amser gen i i goginio prydau bwyd fy hunan, yn lle bwydydd parod mewn plastig neu gardfwrdd.
Ro'n i'n poeni cyn lockdown am yr effaith ar gymdeithas a lles economaidd unigolion a theuluoedd. Do'n i ddim yn ffan o'r cysyniad o lockdown cyn iddo ddechrau. Sut bynnag, des i arfer yn ddigon buan ac wedi mwynhau arafu bywyd. Ro'n i'n teimlo'n ddiogel adref ac yn mwynhau y diffyg pwysau i fynd a'r plant i'r ysgol, nofio, peldroed, ayyb. Mae llawer mwy o amser gyda fi i ddarllen ac ymlacio gan nad wyf yn teithio i unman. Sut bynnag, dw i'n dechrau poeni am y feirws eto nawr bod lockdown yn dod i ben. Wnes i ddechrau crio yn annisgwyl iawn yn ein archfarchnad fach leol yn ystod ail wythnos y lockdown. Nid achos y straen o giwio a'r diffyg bwyd, ond oherwydd yr arwyddion allanol iawn bod bywyd yn hollol wahanol erbyn hyn.
Mae daioni wedi codi o'r pandemig. Mae'r cwymp mewn ceir ar y ffyrdd wedi fy lloni, a dw i'n gobeithio gall hyn barhau. Dwi'n gobeithio bydd mwy o sylw yn mynd at newid hinsawdd o ganlyniad i'r newid mewn answadd yr aer. Dw i'n gobeithio bydd mwy o ryddid i bobl weithio o adref ac yn sgil hynny, cael mwy o amser i dreulio gyda'r teulu ar y penwythnos, yn enwedig merched. Erbyn hyn dw i'n teimlo fy mod i eisiau gweld newid pendant mewn cymdeithas ar ôl y pandemig, ac yn dechrau poeni na fydd cymdeithas yn cipio ar y cyfle i wneud gwellianau am y gorau. Ar yr ochr arall, dwi hefyd yn poeni bydd rhai yn cipio ar y cyfle i wneud newidiadau na fydd er lles cymdeithas yn gyffredinol, ac yn buddio y rhai sydd mewn pwer.
I live in a Pontnewydd, a small village in Cwmbran. From the moment I wake up until I go to bed my day is spent organising and coordinating the procurement of materials – mostly bedding – for my facebook group 'Cwmbran Sewing Group' to convert into much needed scrubs, laundry bags and ear protectors for the NHS and care staff in our local area.
I was a foot health practitioner and had to close my business straight away as it involves physical contact. I decided to form the sewing group to keep myself and some of my patients occupied, mentally and physically whilst benefitting front line staff.
My group have all donated a quilting square to commemorate our time in lockdown and the pandemic that brought us all together in a way that was personal to them. The quilt is being made up at this moment and will measure 91'' x 91'' on completion.
It has been a very stressful time for many but I think we have all learned a lot from this tragic event. I am happy and satisfied that I've been able to do my bit to help other people, within my group and those outside of it that had to remain in work.
In the first part of my blog I discussed a little about the role myself and two fellow volunteers undertook when completing an exhibition evaluation placement as part of the ARTIST ROOMS: August Sander exhibition at National Museum Cardiff. In this second part I would like to explain more about why I applied for this placement and how my experience highlights the significance of recording exhibition evaluation feedback.
As this placement presented an opportunity to work with a photography exhibition, I wanted the chance not only to get to know the work of Sander but to gain an understanding of photography as an aesthetic and material format. Moreover, my primary area of art-historical knowledge is based around painting, print and decorative art. So, the placement offered me a kind of prompt to discover more about how photographs can be displayed to encourage diverse public interaction.
As well, I thought that aiding my understanding of why curatorial decisions are made regarding the display of photographic material, and especially how younger audiences can be reached though utilising particular curatorial strategies, would be beneficial. Exhibition evaluation, too, is something which I think is essential to help assess what elements worked, what didn’t and how visitor feedback could point towards creating more engaging displays in the future. Just as significantly, I was keen to take on a role that involved being a presence in the gallery, watch people interact with the work and listen to what they thought about it.
During the placement, the fact that we were physically situated in the Sander exhibition certainly permitted enjoyable conversation with a variety of visitors. Many had come specifically to see Sander’s portraits, but a sizeable number stumbled across the exhibition during their museum exploration. By talking with us in the gallery space, as well as being able to record opinions on the iPad surveys, feedback could be collected through conversation and, of course, directly via online survey for the more formal collective evaluation. Furthermore, we could relay feedback in relation to how visitors experienced and negotiated the different thematic and spatial parts of Sander’s show as we spent so much time within it.
Sadly, plans to extend the exhibition evaluation placement to encompass the Imagine a Castle: Paintings from the National Gallery exhibition, which ran concurrently to Sander’s exhibition, have been curtailed for now. However, I look forward to returning to spend time with the art and interacting with exhibition audiences soon!
Many thanks to ARTIST ROOMS, the Henry Moore Foundation and The Colwinston Charitable Trust for their support of the Exhibitions Programmes at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.
Ian Smith - Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Industry, National Waterfront Museum, 28 May 2020
It’s really important that we continue to stay at home and stay safe here in Wales. During this Whitsun week many of you are getting creative and camping in the garden or enjoying a staycation in the caravan on the drive. Some of you might be reminded of camping or caravanning trips to the Urdd Eisteddfod over the years, or to some of your favourite holiday spots along our coast. So, to help us all with a little holiday nostalgia as we stay at home, here’s Ian Smith, Curator at the National Waterfront Museum with a little of the history behind this picture:
This image was taken about 1951 and features the Dodds family who lived in Cardiff. Mr Dodds commissioned the caravan in 1950 to be built and fitted out by Louis Blow & Co in Canton, Cardiff. The van cost £600.00 which was a small fortune in those days. The family toured all over South Wales, eventually though the van was left permanently on a farmer’s field near Newport in Pembrokeshire. There, the family had all their summer holidays until 2009.
The family planned the layout and it included such things as a special cupboard top that the baby’s carry cot would fit perfectly; a fold down double bed for Mother and Father and a sliding oak dividing screen which effectively formed two bedrooms. There was a small kitchen with a gas stove and a sink with a footpump tap to provide washing water. Drinking water had to be colleced in big aluminium containers – a good job for the children if they needed tiring out. The awning doubled the size of the living space and provided an area to keep things dry.
In 2009 the museum was offered the caravan by Michael Dodds, then in his 70s. Mike is the older boy at the back of the group in the picture. The caravan is on display in St Fagans National Museum of History in the ‘Life Is …’ Gallery.
