….Letters Grow: Digital online mentoring support for musicians

'Letters Grow' was a mentoring project for young musicians living in isolation during the covid 19 crisis throughout 2020. This was funded through Arts Council of Wales’ Stabilisation grant, which was their support for organisations adapting to the Covid 19 pandemic. This fund enabled us to deliver a 6-month Wales-wide rap and music mentoring project for isolated musicians struggling with wellbeing during lockdown. ‘Letters grow’ was initially developed as a pilot-project by young Welsh speaking rapper Owen McClean who had previously participated in a CMW mentoring initiative. He wanted to give the same opportunity to other talented musicians who he recognised as having little opportunity in North Wales.

We worked with Owen to develop a comprehensive, flexible mentoring programme which could be individually tailored to explore performance, song writing, personal development and training to build portfolios. The project worked with mentors including Martin Daws, Owen McClean and others, who have the experience and knowledge to work on a one-to-one basis with the young musicians and develop a programme of support. The project aimed to build their networks and signpost them to further schemes or opportunities using our own vast network of knowledge and contacts.

This mentoring project was highly successful with approx. 50 participants from across the country participating in song writing sessions, rap, piano, drum, guitar, singing and Bandlab sessions. Participants ranged from young people, adults, father and son group, siblings, etc. They had their final get together on Thursday 10th December and we would like to say a big thank you to the participants and the mentors and tutors who made the project such a success. Look out for the compilation video on our social media channels shortly.

Feedback from this project included comments such as:

“Letters Grow inspired me and my son to do something we never thought possible. It helped my son, who has anger issues, bring out what is really wrong through making the lyrics”

- Participant A

“Letters Grow has immensely helped my daughter deal with a lot of her emotions. I would dread to think what state she would have been in if she couldn’t have expressed these feelings. She finds talking to people about feelings hard. She can feel as low as to want to self-harm sometimes, but thanks to Letters Grow, she has gained confidence in herself and done exactly what the group name says, Letter grow.’

- Mother of participant.

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Letters Grow: Cymorth mentora ar-lein i gerddorion

Roedd 'Letters Grow' yn brosiect mentora ar gyfer pobl ifanc oedd yn teimlo wedi’u hynysu yn ystod argyfwng Covid 19 drwy gydol 2020.  Cafodd ei ariannu drwy grant Ymsefydlogi Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, sef eu cymorth ar gyfer sefydliadau oedd yn addasu i bandemig Covid 19. Gwnaeth hyn hi’n bosibl inni gynnal prosiect mentora rap a cherddoriaeth 6 mis ledled Cymru i gerddorion oedd wedi eu hynysu a oedd yn cael trafferth i ymdopi â llesiant yn ystod y cyfyngiadau. Datblygwyd ‘Letters grow’ yn gyntaf fel prosiect peilot gan Owen McClean, y rapiwr ifanc o Gymro a oedd eisoes wedi cymryd rhan yn un o fentrau mentora CGC. Roedd ef yn awyddus i roi’r un cyfle i gerddorion talentog eraill gan ei fod yn sylweddoli mai ychydig iawn o gyfle oedd ar gael iddynt yng Ngogledd Cymru. 

Buom yn cydweithio ag Owen i ddatblygu rhaglen fentora hollgynhwysol a hyblyg y gellid ei theilwra ar gyfer yr unigolyn er mwyn archwilio perfformio, ysgrifennu caneuon, datblygiad personol a hyfforddiant i greu portffolios. Roedd y prosiect yn cydweithio â mentoriaid gan gynnwys Martin Daws, Owen McClean ac eraill, sef pobl a chanddynt y profiad a’r wybodaeth i weithio yn unigol â cherddorion ifanc a datblygu rhaglen gymorth. Nod y prosiect hwn oedd datblygu eu rhwydweithiau a’u cyfeirio at gynlluniau neu gyfleoedd eraill gan ddefnyddio ein rhwydwaith eang ni o wybodaeth a chysylltiadau.

Roedd y prosiect mentora hwn yn un hynod o lwyddiannus ac ymunodd tua 50 o gyfranogwyr o bob rhan o'r wlad er mwyn cymryd rhan mewn sesiynau ysgrifennu caneuon, sesiynau rap, piano, drymio, gitâr, canu a sesiynau Bandlab. Roedd y cyfranogwyr yn amrywio o bobl ifanc, oedolion, grŵp tad a mab, brodyr a chwiorydd, ac ati. Cawsant gyfle i ddod at ei gilydd am y tro olaf ar ddydd Iau, 10 Rhagfyr, a hoffem ddiolch yn fawr i'r cyfranogwyr, y mentoriaid a'r tiwtoriaid a sicrhaodd fod y prosiect yn gymaint o lwyddiant. Cadwch lygad yn agored am y detholiad fideo ar ein sianeli cyfryngau cymdeithasol cyn bo hir. 

Dyma rai o’r sylwadau a gafwyd fel adborth i’r prosiect hwn :

“Ysbrydolodd Letters Grow fi a fy mab i wneud rhywbeth na wydden ni oedd yn bosibl o’r blaen. Helpodd fy mab, sy’n cael problemau i reoli ei ddicter, a dangos yr hyn sydd o’i le o ddifrif drwy greu’r geiriau”

- Cyfranogwr A

“Mae Letters Grow wedi helpu fy merch yn aruthrol i ddelio â llawer o’i hemosiynau. Byddwn i wedi pryderu am ei chyflwr pe na fyddai hi wedi cael mynegi’r teimladau hyn. Mae hi’n ei chael yn anodd trafod teimladau gydag eraill. Weithiau mae hi’n teimlo mor isel fel ei bod eisiau hunan-niweidio, ond diolch i Letters Grow, mae hi wedi magu hunanhyder ac wedi gwneud yn union beth mae enw’r grŵp yn ei gyfleu, “Letter grow” 

- Mam cyfranogwr

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