know

there's movement and legal precedent that even children in English medium schools they're encouraged to learn a lot of Welsh and there's a lot more pride in the Welsh language and I think a lot some of that goes it's been something that's developing a long time so in the 90s there was like this sort of thing called cool Cymru so there's these bands that and people who were associated with Wales that had sort of become successful elsewhere.

And it sort of gave this sort of a different image of Wales, really, and that in itself sort of developed.

But even before that, there was, for a long time, you know, like if I think about my mum's sort of generation, there was a lot of campaigning, say, against Wales.

Prince Charles being restated in Wales and actually being called the Prince of Wales.

And, you know, something that's been going on for a long, long time, backlash to all those things.

But with this sort of bans that sort of occurred in the 90s, it's almost like they didn't really have to prove their Welshness in the same way as maybe creative people and people who are well known in in for being Welsh had to before so there was less pressure because Wales has sort of become developing a sort of stronger identity and I think now you really feel it you feel like there's not there's so much pressure you know to create work that actually is all about your Welsh identity it's just integrated into it but it's interesting that you feel that I seem really Welsh because you said that earlier and I'm not sure if other people in Wales would see me, but some people would, some people wouldn't.

from from the work you're doing

[laughs]

[laughs] 'Cause I, um, um, well, it's actually because I'm Welsh really that I've been there in a funny kind of way because, uh, or because I live in Wales, because I had a grant to go.

So I had an exhibition which I worked towards, which I also got a grant from the Arts Council of Wales, uh, c- what they call a Create grant, and that was something I worked on for about two or three years, and it was, um, the exhibition was called High Street, and it was at Craft Centre, which isn't that far from where you are really in Crew.

A long, long time ago, my background was in, uh, press and, you know, a bit fundraising and marketing and things, so I, I, I know a little bit about how to generate, you know, media attention.

So I wrote press releases, and I contacted so many different places, and then I came across the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand, and they had an open call for people to apply to speak at symposium.

And it was actually during the week when I was installing my exhibition at Rythm, which I was almost in sort of hyper-focus mode, and I thought, "Yes, I can set up an exhibition today.

Yes, I can go back to the hotel and write a, a bit, you know, to [laughs] the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand." And, uh, I had a response back from them initially saying, "This is, looks really interesting, but you do realize we're in New Zealand?" And I said, "Yeah, I do, yeah." So anyway, and then I didn't hear anything for a while, and m- I had my exhibition, and it was really successful and at Rythm.

Mm.