Bandiau Pres Cymru | Brass Bands Wales
A new dawn has broken for brass bands in Wales with the website and membership launch of a new national representative body, Bandiau Pres Cymru / Brass Bands Wales. The launch follows two public consultations and five months of planning by an elected Steering Group of individuals to get the organisation off the ground. The organisation has already begun the necessary work of representing Wales, having joined forces last week on a virtual webinar, ‘Celtic Connections’ which brought together representatives from the national brass band bodies in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland to discuss all things brass band and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a representative from Brass Band Wales will now join the representatives from the other nations of the UK at a virtual meeting next week with Caroline Dinenage MP, to discuss European travel arrangements for brass bands, following the matter being raised in Parliament by Welsh MP, Alex Davies-Jones.
Membership is free for the first year and is available for both bands (band membership) and individuals (associate membership), enabling access to a whole host of benefits, including: discounts from music publishers, membership for partner organisations, advice and guidance on funding and governance, along with access to The Hub area of the organisation’s website and the knowledge that members are supporting one voice for Wales. The new website will act as a one-stop shop for brass bands in Wales, with a number of features including a virtual map of member bands, a newly established composer database, a directory of contacts, as well as providing updates on news from around Wales and the rest of the world.
In addition, the organisation has launched four media platforms and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, where new content will be posted regularly. Chairman, Andrew Jones, commented: “It’s quite remarkable to think that four months ago, Brass Bands Wales didn’t even exist, however thanks to the commitment and hard work of a small team of volunteers, this dream has today become a reality. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to this project, ensuring that the organisation gets off to the very best start. A special mention must go to logo and branding designer Richard Dwyer of Lovely Stuff Studio and Jacob Hamblett of 21st Webb Ltd for designing a fully bilingual website that will be an excellent point of reference for the whole brass band community in Wales and beyond as we now look forward to receiving our first membership applications.”
For further information and to sign up for band membership or associate membership, visit www.brassbands.wales (English language) or www.bandiaupres.cymru(Welsh language).
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