Eisteddfod reaches out to Ukrainian performers

* 2014 and Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod President Terry Waite with Ludmila Stebenkova, left, chief conductor of the Krasnoyarsk City Children’s Choir, from Russia, and Oksana Cherkas, leader of the

Barvinochok Ukrainian Dancers. 

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be reaching out to Ukrainians who have performed at the world-famous festival in previous years.

Following Russia's widely condemned invasion of the country last week, the eisteddfod's executive producer Camilla King told llanblogger: "So far we’ve not had any applications from Ukraine for this year's festival.

"It’s absolutely devastating, what’s happening, and I’ll be keeping an eye on our entries as we reach the application deadline, and as things develop in eastern Europe."

She added: "It’s so hard to know where things will stand by July, but if there are ways we as an organisation can suitably address or help people to express and explore the impact of these events, then we absolutely will. 

"Likewise, whether or not we have Ukrainian competitors, we will reach out to previous attendees to offer our support and the opportunity to be involved in some form.

"I just can’t quite believe that it’ll be 75 years since the eisteddfod was founded, and there’s war in Europe once again. 

"We’ve definitely had a number of Ukrainian competitors – I’ve been told that they were one of the countries most proud of their traditional culture, and I’ll make sure that we’re in contact with them."

At the 2014 eisteddfod there was a symbolic link-up between a group of Ukrainian dancers and a Russian choir.

Earlier that year there had been international tensions after Russia moved into the Crimea. 

Despite this there was a meeting between the Barvinochok folk dance group from Kiev in the Ukraine and the Children’s Choir from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk who were both competing that year.

The eisteddfod's then-President Terry Waite CBE, who greeted both groups of young people in their colourful national costumes, told them: “We know you have your problems at home but today you have come together in the spirit of music and dance. The future is in your hands.”

Oksana Cherkas, leader of Barvinochok Ukrainian dancers, said: “We are very happy to meet with the group from Russia today.

 

“Despite what is happening back home it is good that we can get together like this, enjoy each other’s performance and put politics on one side.”

 

Ludmila Stebenkova, chief conductor of the Krasnoyarsk City Children’s Choir, said: “It is good that we have been able to meet together in this way and come together as friends.

“This shows that music and dance comes before politics.”

 

Speaking through interpreters, Terry Waite told the two groups: “Today we have seen two peoples united through music.

 

“Over the years we have had many groups at Llangollen who have had their political differences but they have come together in performance, which is what the eisteddfod has always been about since it was first held in the aftermath of the Second World War.

 

“The future is in your hands and we hope that one day there will be more occasions such as the one we have seen today when you perform together in harmony and peace.”

 

Barvinochok from the Ukraine was founded in 1976 and had over 500 children and young people aged from three to 23 in its ranks eight years ago.

 

Dance styles the group specialised in included classical, traditional Ukrainian, modern and global culture.

 

Over the years, Barvinochok has won awards at a host of international festivals and competitions in countries such as Russia, Hungary, Germany, Greece, France, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Italy and Cuba.

 

Barvinochok’s first appearance at Llangollen came in 2009 when they won a certificate of merit for taking second place to a group from Slovakia in the choreographed folk dance competition.