Neath Port Talbot is truly Wales’ creative furnace, with the Dramatic Heart of Wales region famed for producing generations of performers, artists, creatives, writers and storytellers: from Richard Burton to Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen to Rob Brydon, Katherine Jenkins to Max Boyce.
To celebrate the Dramatic Heart of Wales’ creative heritage and thriving cultural scene, we recently shared a commission in search of a local storyteller to help us showcase what makes this area so special.
Why does this region inspire so many creatives? Poet Derek Davies – known locally as ‘the Bard of Baglan’ – explains what inspired him to craft the commission-winning poem ‘Creativity Runs Deep in All of Us’.
Derek said: “I found out about the commission from a friend who saw it advertised on Facebook, and I knew I wanted to take part. I was inspired to write ‘Creativity Runs Deep in All of Us’ simply by thinking about what ‘Dramatic Heart of Wales’ really means to me: artistic creativity within the local community, combined with the amazing, dramatic local scenery. It all played a major part in my creative process.
“The region where I live in Neath Port Talbot has so much more to offer than many people realise. It has beauty and natural charm, mixed with the industrial developments in the area. It is that contrast, that mix, which makes it easy to fall in love with and feel inspired to create.
“I am hoping that people really get something from my visions and inspirations within the video. If it makes people take notice of what the area has to offer, then that will make my poetry all the more rewarding.”
We hope this video inspires pride in our region and encourages visitors to gain a new perspective on this beloved area.
Watch the video and soar above a striking performance from a Welsh women’s choir, join a rehearsal for a local musical theatre company, hear a poet read his own words. Support an emerging busker, go behind-the-scenes on a classical music video shoot. Push yourself in a rugby training session, unwind with beach yoga, marvel at the powerful art of graffiti. Witness our region’s true ‘grit’ contrasted with our amazing natural beauty, and meet the communities who love calling Neath Port Talbot, The Dramatic Heart of Wales, home.
