MAD (Mudiad Adloniant Dolgellau) is a group of young people from the Dolgellau area who came together to organise Welsh language gigs for their contemporaries.
Owain Meirion Edwards, original member of MAD says;
“As a part of MAD, we have organised a number of gigs at the town’s Golf Club and at Tŷ Siamas, with the aim of promoting Welsh language bands for the young people (secondary school age) in the area. These bands included Swnami, Candelas and Fleur de Lys.”
Formed in 2015, MAD was supported by Hunaniaith – Gwynedd’s Welsh Language Initiative – from the very start. Initial funding and continued support by Hunaniaith allowed the young organisers to be creative while also building workplace skills such as financial management and event organisation.
Bet Huws from Hunaniaith says;
“It’s been a privilege to support the young people of MAD since 2015. Hunaniaith feels it’s important to allow young people to organise events for their contemporaries and are allowed to learn from their mistakes as well as their successes. To increase and strengthen the use of the language in Wales we need to create these opportunities locally and show that you can live, learn and most importantly enjoy the Welsh language.”
Delyth Medi Jones, a teacher at Ysgol Bro Idris, Dolgellau says;
“Thanks to the initial financial support from Hunaniaith we are now self-reliant and the success continues with gigs organised four times a year in Dolgellau. Hunaniaith have helped MAD with all sorts of things like printing posters and wristbands created by the young group, and general advice and support, which is a great help.”
Some new and old members of MAD