02.09.2024

2024 National Eisteddfod, Wales.

Ymennydd, Poen a Lluniau - Brain, Pain & Pictures.

The 2024 National Eisteddfod took place at Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd, Rhonda Cynon Taf in Wales.  One of our network co-applicants (Valerie Sparkes, pictured) had a great day hosting a stand for young people related to pain and the brain.  

The young people wore an eye mask and ear defenders whilst we gently brushed their forearm with a small brush from a selection of different brushes, and then they drew a picture or wrote words to describe what they felt the sensation was like and then we hung the pictures up. Some of the words they used to describe the sensations were ‘slippery’, ‘odd’, ‘soft’, ‘fluffy’ and ‘paint brush with dry pain on it’. 

We also had models of the brain that could be taken apart and re-assembled, and we had a word game with Welsh and English words, such as ‘Thalamus’-‘Thalamws’, ‘Insular’ – ‘ynysol’,  ‘Pain Matrix’ – ‘Matrics Poen’.

Val was helped by Welsh speaker Osian Williams, an undergraduate from Cardiff University. The event was attended by over 400 visitors on Thursday 8th August 2024 at the Cardiff University marquee.