00:00Thank you all and welcome to another, it's fantastic, at the Howard's County Council Centre of Arts, Culture, Art and Literature.
00:22It's great to be here for what is the project, a community-funded project that's been driven by people who've gone out of the round of breaking, and I think that's something that people have been very proud of.
00:34Gretlian Morgan has literally been a figure in my tenure as a councillor, and of course becoming a leader for a chamber, obviously you've always become a capital.
00:46And I've often wondered what it must be like to be the first woman in such an elected role, well, we're maybe hearing a little bit more about that later, but our very first woman who's in this year, to inspire the next generation of women and girls in our community.
01:03Gretlian was undoubtedly the daughter of Bretton, who works, found so many radical qualities, and I think that our first minister, Eleni Morgan, is at least the adopted daughter of Bretton.
01:15She got her first nomination here to be ready to run for the office, as I ran with the European Parliament, and I was very fortunate to be able to work in her office when she was our MP, and I know that she championed radical social causes just like Gretlian.
01:40Thank you very much.
01:41Thank you, everyone.
01:42I'm just immediately attracted to the commission of Elizabeth Cyrus, an outstanding woman who was well loved and respected in her own time, and now neglected, but in my own hometown of Bretton.
01:57My wife as an artist is really inspired by storytelling and symbolism, and coming from a feminist perspective, there's always a strong need to reset the narrative, and Wendy and Morgan's life story was very inspiring.
02:16I applied early, but my application went into the junk file of breaking stories, so I almost didn't get a looking.
02:25But, luckily, it was found.
02:27The shortlisted artists were then invited to each make a maquette or model of their idea, and I got so involved in that, I spent two to three months making it, and my model went from being a clay model, and I decided to cast it in Jesmyne, which is a kind of classic,
02:43plasticized plaster-sized plaster, and cleans it, and then putting glass on it, so it became a little sculpture of its own really.
02:56I first started working in painted wood carving when I was an arson residence at Gloucester Cathedral, and it was really because there were hundreds of empty niches in the cathedral, which really challenged my imagination.
03:15and began to make these figures that were also sort of, they were human everyday figures of people who lived in their cathedral facility, but they possessed something in them that symbolized the better qualities of human nature.
03:33Gwenthian Elizabeth Fanny Morgan.
03:36Gwenthian was born in Devonog in 1852. Growing up in a rural community gave her a strong sense of care, responsibility, and a mutual support among neighbours.
03:51When she later moved to Brecon, she carried these values with her and quickly became deeply involved in the life of the town.
03:59Known for her selflessness and compassion, she dedicated herself to the welfare of others, a commitment that earned her the trust and lasting respect of her community.
04:12Thank you very much.
04:13APPLAUSE
04:24Well, thank you very much.
04:25I've been sure you've arrived at the University of Wales.
04:30Thank you very much.
04:31So, we're just really excited for you.
04:32Thanks.
04:33Thank you very much, everyone.
04:35Thank you very much.
04:38so few people had heard of until you've done this work, until you'd really dug deep and isn't that
04:46typical? The women who were making changes, who were transforming communities, their stories are
04:56not told. But what an inspiration. It took me about a second to agree to come, to be with you today,
05:07to celebrate this particular occasion. And that was, for a lot of reasons, I do have this very strong
05:17political connection with Brecon, because it's what Macken is saying. This is where my political
05:23journey started. In Brecon, in Brecon who decided that I should go on that political journey that
05:31has taken me to around today. And for that I'll forever be grateful. But on top of that, my daughter's name
05:40is Gwenshianwaga. So I was absolutely intrigued. I've gone past the housing building that was
05:49previously the hospital on several occasions, and every time I clocked it and thought, Gwenshianwaga, who is she?
05:57What do we know about her? And I thought, if I agree to come, I'm going to find out. And boy, what a story. What an
06:07incredible inspiration. And I want to thank everyone that's made this possible. Everyone that's
06:14uncovered the story. Everybody who's really driven this into the public gates, because it's such an
06:21inspiring story. And I want to particularly thank Elizabeth, and Carla, and Susan, and Mary for your work.
06:31Your work. It's quite extraordinary, and so important what you've done. And thank you also to Matthew for
06:37everything he does for people in Brecon. Because what we've created here isn't just a sculpture, it's a story.
06:45It's a story that brings Gwenshianwaga back to life for this community, for this age. And I think we should be
06:57celebrating the woman who broke barriers, who reshaped expectations. I mean, I'm so moved by this story.
07:07And I think about what the original Gwenshianwaga achieved. It was because of people like her, that people like us
07:15can stand here today. She is the pioneer. She's the one who broke those glass ceilings. And I think it is incredibly
07:25important. And you think about what the original Gwenshianwaga achieved. And what my Gwenshianwaga's
07:33generation, I hope, will carry forward that spirit of courage, but also public service. And I think this for me is
07:43why it clutched me so much. I just wish I could have met this power. I mean, what an extraordinary woman.
07:51And the thing that really struck me about Gwenshianwaga's story, this is a woman who was elected to be
07:57mayor, when women weren't even allowed to vote. It's quite, quite extraordinary. And I just thought, my God,
08:05politics is a tough game. It's a really tough game. So, to not just get into politics, but to remain
08:13in politics, and to still be loved at the end of the process. I mean, that doesn't happen to
08:19many people. I'm telling you, I'm feeling it. But I do think her story takes courage, it takes
08:29conviction, and it also, more than anything, takes a deep love of community. And that was clearly what
08:37drove her. And she gave that voice to women who'd never been looking for. She showed leadership. And she
08:45showed that leadership isn't about status. It's about service. It's about why you're doing it. What is it that
08:51inspires you? And that's why she kept on being re-elected. Because people could see that she wasn't in it for
08:57this time. She was in it for the community. And she didn't stop at breaking. This is it, surely.
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