A new fund for creative projects to increase the use of the Welsh language will be launched by First Minister Carwyn Jones at the National Eisteddfod in Anglesey today (August 7).
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The £300,000 Cymraeg 2050 Grant will fund innovative, short-term projects which aim to increase the use of Welsh. This will include funding to support groups or organisations that have new ideas to create and promote technology which supports the use of Welsh.
Embedding positive language use practices supported by formal and informal opportunities to use Welsh – whether face to face in community settings, in the workplace or through digital platforms – is a key element of the new Welsh language strategy - Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. In particular, it will support our efforts to increase people’s daily use of the language.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“We want the use of Welsh to be a routine part of everyday life so that speakers at all levels feel confident in using it in formal and informal situations. This fund seeks to broaden our horizons to pilot new ideas and work with a wide range of organisations to give everyone the opportunity to use the language.
“We are very clear that it is our responsibility as a Government to set the direction and provide leadership for growing the language. This fund is a strong starting point for our Cymraeg 2050 strategy.”
As well as the target for the number of Welsh speakers to reach 1 million by 2050, the Cymraeg 2050 strategy also includes a target to increase the percentage of the population that speak Welsh daily, and can speak more than just a few words of Welsh, from 10% (in 2013-15) to 20% by 2050.
The fund is open to organisations from all sectors, and is not limited to current grant recipients. We particularly welcome applications from new applicants wishing to promote the Welsh language to new audiences.
The application process will be open from today (7 August) until 22 September 2017.