Wales: The Power of the Flame

The Power of the Flame is a £2.85 million programme designed to use the 2012 games as a catalyst to inspire young people to achieve their very best in their chosen field. It is made up of five projects:

1. Kindling Talent
2. Mzanzi Cymru
3. Cauldrons and Furnaces
4. Following the Flame
5. Whose flame is it anyway?

young person performing at Mabinogion Night Project at Theatr HarlechPhoto by Erin Maddocks

Kindling Talent
Is delivered by the Urdd, one of the largest youth organisations in Europe and its activities embrace the arts, sports and residential camps. Its Olympic Project will run over four years, including:

  • a day of Olympic themed activities in 2009 for up to 4000 participants at the St Ffagan Museum of Welsh Life, including the exhibition of a mural created by over 100 schools, music, sport and dancing demonstrations and competitions
  • an expanded National Junior Sports Festival in Aberystwyth in 2010
  • two five-day residential courses for disadvantaged children
  • artists and designers joining Welsh schools to develop Olympic themes
  • in 2011, basing the Urdd's message of Peace and Goodwill to young people on the Olympic theme
  • in 2012, incorporating the Olympic themes within Urdd National Eisteddfod, with up to 25,000 people taking part

Mzanzi Cymru
This project is run by the Valleys Kids charity, is a collaboration between mining communities from the Rhonda Valley in South Wales and the Langa Township in South Africa to develop arts and community support activities for young people. It will bring the two communities together to stage live performances, with up to 1,660 children, 1,350 young people and 1,100 adults taking part.

Cauldrons and Furnaces
Wales is blessed with truly spectacular sites of historical and architectural significance. Cauldrons and Furnaces will develop community projects in many of the CADW sites situated around the country - from Harlech, Caernarfon and Fflint in the north to Blaenavon and Dinefwr in the south to Carreg Cennen and St David's in the West. Local artists will work with up to 6,400 young people and volunteers from local communities to create installations and artworks which will be launched just before the 2012 Games.

Following the Flame
This will be a new touring exhibition which will explore and celebrate the history of Welsh men and women who have attended and participated in the Olympic Games.

Whose flame is it anyway?
This project will be delivered by Disability Arts Cymru working in partnership with arts and disability organisations throughout Wales. It aims to increase the voice of disabled people in Wales, with a youth led project which will use the Prometheus story to inspire theatre performance, dance, creative writing, visual arts, music and film.  There will be a strong training element to the project.

To enable this project to proceed a considerable amount of research was undertaken by Disability Arts Cymru at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 to ensure the widest cultural and geographical application of this project.  Partnerships are being developed with arts and disability organisations throughout the country.