97-552: Wales Millennium Centre ( Welsh : Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru ) (WMC) is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff , Wales. The site covers a total area of 4.7 acres (1.9 ha). Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert. The centre is Cardiff's principal receiving venue for large-scale opera , ballet , contemporary dance and musicals . It comprises
194-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
291-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
388-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
485-606: A distinctive metal cladding and the new entrance was relocated under a dramatic "eyelid". In February 2010 Adams' new headquarters building for the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) was opened. It received criticism from the Wales branch of the Victorian Society , which likened it to an "upturned sandcastle". Adams had designed it to be contemporary, clad in steel and eye-catching from
582-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
679-399: A fortune. But in north Wales the historic slate industry has left behind whole mountains of waste stone that no-one wants. This was stone cut from the mountainside for nearly two hundred years but which wasn't good enough to make roof slates. Over 90% was thrown away. But it was ideal for making walls like the one I had in mind... —architect Jonathan Adams Metal The WMC's main feature,
776-618: A large theatre and two smaller halls with shops, bars and restaurants. It houses Wales' national orchestra and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, a total of eight arts organisations in residence. The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 2,497 seats, and is the second largest stage in Europe. The BBC Hoddinott Hall seats 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre seats 250. In 2001 Lord Rowe-Beddoe
873-399: A new ballet based on one of Alun Hoddinott's works. The Welsh National Opera performed the final scene of Beethoven 's Fidelio in their new home. The evening ranged included many types of music, from popular to classical. Day 2 – 27 November 2004 On the second day, the doors opened for the public to explore the building. A continuous stream of people filled through the building during
970-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
1067-737: A place at the Architectural Association in London . After graduating, he spent 15 years working in the practice of Will Alsop in London, where he worked on the North Greenwich tube station , next to the Millennium Dome . He returned to Wales in 1998. He later claimed he returned to Wales because London was "very inward-looking and self-regarding", while Wales was facing the "exciting time" of devolution during
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#17327658923151164-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
1261-774: Is a Welsh architect particularly known for his landmark buildings in Cardiff . Adams was born in Bristol, England. His parents are both teachers from coal mining families in the South Wales Valleys and the family moved to Lodge Hill in Caerleon in the mid-60s. He was later educated at the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff and he first started working for the former Greater London Council before getting
1358-688: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Jonathan Adams (architect) Jonathan Gwyn Adams RIBA FLSW Bristol , England , July 1961 )
1455-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
1552-586: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
1649-588: Is used as a centre for education and outreach work. Phase 2 also has space for practice rooms, a music library and backstage facilities, and provides a four-storey office space for Wales Millennium Centre and the Arts Council of Wales . The original plans for the WMC were that it would have a concert hall, but the final design of phase 1 did not include one. Instead, space was left for a concert hall to be built after phase 1 opened in 2004, and construction on phase 2
1746-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
1843-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
1940-683: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
2037-582: The Celtic cross embodies the cross-fertilisation of indigenous and Roman cultures, from which the Welsh nation first emerged. The monumental inscription is a familiar feature of Roman architecture. The inscription over the entrance of the Wales Millennium Centre is a revival of this classical tradition, and also a recognition of the formative influence of Roman culture upon our nation. We're lucky to have two languages; one that we share with half
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#17327658923152134-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
2231-520: The First Minister , who stressed that the new arts centre belonged to the whole nation, that it was for all of the people of Wales and not just for the elite. The building was opened by Janet Thickpenny, a young mother from Barry , who was chosen because her 40th birthday coincided with the opening day. A human chain delivered the symbolic key, designed and cast by Ann Catrin Evans, to Janet. This
2328-668: The Millennium Commission , the body which distributed funds from the UK National Lottery . An international design competition attracted 268 international applicants, and was won by Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid . Her avant-garde design was so radical that she and a selection of other applicants were asked to submit revised designs for a second round of competition—which she again won with "a sleek and dazzling complex of sharp lines and surfaces that she compared to an 'inverted necklace'". In December 1995,
2425-519: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
2522-634: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
2619-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
2716-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
2813-473: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
2910-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
3007-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
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3104-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
3201-544: The BBC NOW and conducted by Thierry Fischer . Phase 2 includes the 350-seater BBC Hoddinott Hall ( Welsh : Neuadd Hoddinott y BBC ), also known simply as Hoddinott Hall, which is named after the late Welsh classical composer Alun Hoddinott (11 August 1929 – 12 March 2008), and the Grace Williams Studio, which is named after another Welsh composer, Grace Williams (19 February 1906 – 10 February 1977), and
3298-517: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
3395-737: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
3492-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
3589-618: The Millennium Commission decided against lottery funding for the project. It was suggested that the bid failed because of "the unpopular Conservative government's fear of controversy", favouring the funding of projects perceived as more populist, such as the Millennium Stadium . After the Cardiff Bay Opera House project was rejected, a new project was conceived that included more than opera and
3686-535: The Stones Foyer Bar on level 5. Ffresh restaurant is also situated in the foyer, along with the coffee shop Crema, the ice cream parlour Hufen and the wine bar One. Free performances also take place during the day in the foyer on the Glanfa Stage. The WMC was designed by Jonathan Adams of local practice Percy Thomas Architects (taken over by Capita Group in 2004), with Arup Acoustics providing
3783-902: The Urdd City Sleepover. It also has performance and teaching space in the Urdd Hall/Theatre, with 153 retractable seats. The building also includes rehearsal rooms, orchestral facilities for the Welsh National Opera, dance studios for Diversions, called the Dance House, and the Blue Room, with seating for up to 100. The foyer has three bars; the Penderyn Awen Foyer Bar on level 2, the Horizons Foyer Bar on level 4, and
3880-425: The Wales Millennium Centre for the building's opening. The building was officially opened on the weekend of the 26, 27 and 28 November 2004. Bryn Terfel organised the ceremony and was the creative director of the weekend. Day 1 – 26 November 2004 The day started with a speech from WMC chairman Lord Rowe-Beddoe, who declared that the proceedings were under way. This was followed by a speech from Rhodri Morgan ,
3977-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
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4074-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
4171-895: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
4268-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
4365-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
4462-630: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
4559-741: The acoustic design and Arup as building engineer. His first concept drawings were made in early 1998, and by 1999 his design had started to look more like the building it is today. Construction began on 25 February 2002. The main contractor was Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, Kelsey Roofing Industries Ltd was the roofing contractor, and Carr and Angier were theatre consultants. Other contractors included Stent (foundations), Swansea Institute of Higher Education, now part of University of Wales Trinity Saint David (glass), GH James Cyf ( stonemasonry ), Rimex ( stainless steel ), Alfred McAlpine (slate), Coed Cymru (wood), Ann Catrin Evans ( door furniture ) and Amber Hiscott ( etchings on glass walls). The architect's concept
4656-497: The acoustic design. The main contractor was again Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, with MJN Colston Ltd responsible for the design and installation of all the mechanical, electrical and public health services in the building. Other subcontractors on the project included URS Corporation , Davis Langdon and Hulley & Kirkwood. Tim Green said that the exterior of phase 2 was designed to be in keeping with phase 1, while
4753-403: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
4850-546: The artists that entertained the audience during the first act. The second act was opened by the Welsh National Opera and later the Kirov Ballet and Cirque Éloize entertained the audience. Bryn Terfel ended the celebrations. The 2022/23 refurbishment of the Centre started with the opening on 27 August 2022 with an immersive theater space called Bocs (Welsh for box ). It has a programme of 360° films and projections, as well as extended reality experiences, including augmented reality , mixed reality and virtual reality . It
4947-482: The bronze coloured dome which covers the Donald Gordon Theatre, is clad in steel that was treated with copper oxide . It was designed to withstand the weather conditions on the Cardiff Bay waterfront and to look increasingly better with age. The architect, Jonathan Adams, decided not to use copper and aluminium as they would both change colour with age and weather conditions. We all know that steel making has been important to south Wales , just as slate making has changed
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#17327658923155044-442: The building is clad in multi-coloured slate collected from Welsh quarries. Narrow windows are built into the layers of slate to give the impression of rock strata in sea cliffs. The purple slate came from the Penrhyn Quarry , the blue from Cwt y Bugail Quarry , the green from the Nantlle Valley , the grey from Llechwedd quarry , and the black from the Corris Quarry . I always loved going to Ogmore and Southerndown . I thought
5141-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
5238-419: The cliffs there looked like a building anyway. A building capable of withstanding the roughest weather for hundreds of years. The older they get, the better they look. I wondered if it would be possible to make a building which had the same qualities as these magnificent cliffs. To do that I needed a lot of stone. Normal stone for buildings has to be specially cut into blocks; it takes a long time to make and costs
5335-402: The company, though many of his colleagues left. Adams was President of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) from 2005 to 2007. During his tenure, he expressed concern that the public often didn't understand good architecture. In 2005 he began work on a major refurbishment and reorganisation of Cardiff's Sherman Theatre . The building re-opened in February 2012. Its facade used
5432-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
5529-563: The day, which concluded with a fireworks display in the Roald Dahl Plass . Day 3 – 28 November 2004 The final day of the opening weekend began with the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II , Prince Philip and the Prince of Wales , who met First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Lord Rowe-Beddoe, and marked the event by unveiling a plaque. A key was presented to the Queen by Richard Burton's granddaughter, Charlotte Frances Ritchie. Philip Madoc , Siân Phillips, Gaby Roslin , Michael Ball , Charlotte Church , Catrin Finch and Only Men Aloud! were among
5626-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
5723-416: The delays. Further boosts were given by large donations from South African businessman Donald Gordon and a loan from the international bank, HSBC . The £20 million donation from Donald Gordon was split evenly between the Royal Opera House and Wales Millennium Centre and was spread over five years. This is believed to be the largest single private donation ever made to the arts in the UK. In addition to
5820-449: The external walls of the Wales Millennium Centre make use of conventional glass in a unique way: the sheets of glass are stacked together and fused in a kiln to form solid blocks." Calligraphy The inscription in the front of the building in Welsh reads: CREU GWIR FEL GWYDR O FFWRNAIS AWEN ( Creating Truth Like Glass From Inspiration's Furnace ). The inscription in English reads: IN THESE STONES HORIZONS SING Inscribed on
5917-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
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#17327658923156014-427: The forest. The design of the concourse galleries is intended to evoke the image of the edge of the forest, partly as a counterpoint to the coastal nature of the exterior, and partly because the edge of the forest in folklore and mythology represents a line between the real world and the magical world, a line which resembles the front edge of the theatre stage. The form of trees is created by the interweaving curvature of
6111-427: The front of the dome, above the main entrance, are two lines written by Welsh poet Gwyneth Lewis in the Welsh and English languages. The lettering is formed by windows in the upstairs bar areas and is internally illuminated at night. The idea of this monumental inscription comes from Roman classical architecture . The Romans brought Christianity to these islands, along with the custom of engraving stone. The form of
6208-436: The gallery edges, and by the random positioning of the supporting columns. —Jonathan Adams Glass Glass was used to incorporate into the bands of slate. It is 15-centimetre (5.9 in) thick and was cut and installed by the Architectural Glass Department at Swansea Institute of Higher Education. Glass is not used in the contemporary British architectural style of the glass curtain. Jonathan Adams said, "The glass veins in
6305-404: The general creative vision by which people and societies form their aspirations. [...] It was important to me that the English words on the building should not simply be a translation of the Welsh, that they should have their own message. The strata of the slate frontage of the Wales Millennium Centre reminded me of the horizons just beyond Penarth Head . The sea has, traditionally, been for Cardiff
6402-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
6499-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
6596-400: The interior had its own theme, that of a traditional Welsh chapel. He said that "The timber treatment at low level is very reminiscent of Victorian chapels and the masonry above. The stonework you would normally get in a stone chapel has been replaced by concrete." During the design and construction period, the project name for phase 2 was C Bay. Construction began in April 2007. It ended when
6693-509: The keys to the building were handed over at an official ceremony in September 2008, and BBC Wales began to fit out the interior of the Hoddinott Hall. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
6790-423: The landscape of the north. We have to use a special type of steel that won't go rusty near to the salt-laden, maritime air of Cardiff Bay. This stainless steel will be made near to Pontypool . For the Wales Millennium Centre I thought it was important that the materials should have a "natural" texture, and that they should be instantly recognisable to anyone seeing them, even from a distance. For this reason I felt it
6887-431: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
6984-640: The late 1990s. Adams joined Percy Thomas Architects and began work on the £106 million Wales Millennium Centre project in Cardiff Bay , which opened in November 2004 and for which he is best known. Adams says the design was inspired by the architect of Cardiff Castle , William Burges and the layered cliffs of the South Wales coast . The building was designed to create a modern Welsh identity, using North Wales slate and Welsh timber cladding. In June 2004 Percy Thomas Architects were taken over by outsourcing company Capita . Adams agreed to remain with
7081-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
7178-673: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
7275-413: The means by which the Welsh export their best to the world and the route by which the world comes to Cardiff. The stones inside the theatre literally sing with opera, musicals and orchestral music, and I wanted to convey the sense of an international space created by the art of music. —Gwyneth Lewis In These Stones Horizons Sing is also an orchestral work, composed by Karl Jenkins and commissioned by
7372-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
7469-609: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
7566-627: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
7663-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
7760-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
7857-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
7954-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
8051-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
8148-822: The two main theatres of the Donald Gordon Theatre and Weston Studio Theatre, the 37,000-square-metre (400,000 sq ft) phase 1 of the Wales Millennium Centre has six function rooms: the Victor Salvi Room, the David Morgan Room, the Sony Room, the Seligman Room, the Japan Room, and the Lloyds Enterprise Suite. The Urdd Gobaith Cymru has a hostel with overnight accommodation for 153 people in en-suite bedrooms, called
8245-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
8342-495: The walls. Like the exterior of the building, the principal internal spaces are designed to make the best use of natural materials in their natural state. The structure and detail of the concourse galleries echo the form of the exterior, with the curving strata formed in native hardwoods. Oak , ash , beech , sycamore , alder , birch , chestnut and cherry woods from renewable sources in mid-Wales will be used together in proportions that reflect their relative availability from
8439-484: The world and one which belongs just to us. Words in songs, stories and poems have helped to make Wales the proud country that it is. —Jonathan Adams Gwyneth Lewis said of the inscription : I wanted the words to reflect the architecture of the building. Its copper dome reminded me of the furnaces from Wales's industrial heritage and also Ceridwen's cauldron, from which the early poet Taliesin received his inspiration ('awen'). Awen suggests both poetic inspiration and
8536-432: Was a building that expressed "Welshness" and was instantly recognisable. The building was designed to reflect many different parts of Wales with local Welsh materials that dominate its history: slate, metal, wood and glass. Many of the materials used come from Wales, including 1,350 tonnes of Welsh slate. 300,000 concrete blocks and a million metres of electric cable were also used in construction. Slate The exterior of
8633-792: Was accompanied by a fanfare from the National Youth Brass Band of Wales to Karl Jenkins' specially commissioned work In These Stones Horizons Sing, and the Wales Millennium Centre was open. The evening celebrations began with Cymru for the World , which celebrated the achievements of five leading Welsh artists; Gwyneth Jones , Shirley Bassey , Siân Phillips , Alun Hoddinott and Richard Burton , represented by his daughter Kate Burton . This included tributes from Robert Hardy , Jonathan Pryce , Derek Jacobi , Nana Mouskouri , Catrin Finch , Ruth Madoc and Ian McKellen . The concert
8730-606: Was announced in September 2022 that a £4 million refurbishment of the centre would take place and would include an area for cabaret acts, a redesigned foyer and new ticketing office, a 12 m (39 ft) long bar, a members’ bar and lounge, and bespoke seating areas. The cabaret area is simply called Cabaret and it replaced Ffresh restaurant/bar, with a 140-seat space, and it features drag , comedy, burlesque , and gig theatre. Cabaret opened in February 2023. The refurbishment
8827-581: Was appointed chair of Wales Millennium Centre, a company limited by guarantee . Peter Swinburn is the current chair of Wales Millennium Centre. The Wales Millennium Centre replaced an earlier project for the site, the Cardiff Bay Opera House, a plan supported by the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation to construct a permanent home for the Welsh National Opera . The project failed to win financial support from
8924-606: Was carried out by interior designers Richard H Powell trading as Powell. Phase 2 of the Wales Millennium Centre is home to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) and the BBC National Chorus of Wales. BBC NOW moved from Studio 1 at Broadcasting House in Llandaff , which the orchestra had outgrown since the late 1960s. Phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert performed by
9021-428: Was directed by Ken Caswell and conducted by David Charles Abell . Bryn Terfel started with a short speech and introduced the WMC singers and dancers, who in hard hats and donkey jackets sang and danced the story of the building's construction. They were later joined by all 322 participants in a chorus, including Gwyn Hughes Jones and Bryn Terfel. Dennis O'Neill sang a duet from Pearl Fishers . Diversions performed
9118-471: Was felt to be a better reflection of Welsh culture. The change of name symbolised this, but the project still had to overcome many hurdles. Funding from the Welsh Assembly and Millennium Commission took years to obtain. Cardiff Council had to buy the land after the previous owners, Grosvenor Waterside (the property division of Associated British Ports ) threatened to build a retail centre there due to
9215-447: Was important that the steel of the shell should have the rough grain and the riveted pattern that we think of as more typical of old industrial structures, such as those that used to be commonplace around the landscape of the industrial south. —Jonathan Adams Wood Both the inside and outside of the building – including the main Donald Gordon Theatre, the balconies and the rear of the building – are dominated by bands of hardwood lining
9312-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
9409-435: Was then due to begin early in 2005. However, phase 2 construction did not actually begin until April 2007. Phase 2 was designed to fit into the WMC's curved slate frontage, with an upper part constructed from timber. Phase 2 of the WMC was designed by the then newly qualified Tim Green and Keith Vince of Capita Architecture, formerly called Capita Percy Thomas and now part of Capita Symonds , with Arup Acoustics again providing
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