New Talent Showcased on St David’s Day

RDP Sir Gâr’s Mentro project hosted ‘On the Tracks’ a series of live performances on the Heart of Wales Line train to celebrate St David’s Day this March 1.

Setting off from Llandovery, passengers were treated to live performances from rural Carmarthenshire’s hottest new artists as the train passed through Llangadog, Ffairfach, Ammanford and Llangennech before arriving in Llanelli.

Performers included Frank Thomas, Aaron Perry, Ben Montaigue and Gillie Rowland who were mentored on the day by Amanda Toogood of Amanda’s Musical Steps.

“There was a really positive atmosphere on the train and the artists were all very supportive of each other. It was a good opportunity for them to practice their performance skills and I hope they found the feedback useful,” said Amanda.

All of the artists involved in the event have worked closely with Tomas Marks, the Mentro Development officer and the event was organised to help promote these young professionals and their talents.

“This event encouraged the young performers that have received support through Mentro to showcase their talent, highlighting the growing talent in Carmarthenshire,” said Tomas.

Mentro provides free business support to young people aged between 16 and 30, through RDP Sir Gâr’s Rural Entrepreneurship scheme. The project is funded through the Rural Development Plan (RDP) for Wales 2007 – 2013 by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

If you missed ‘On the Tracks’, BBC Radio Wales were on the train recording an item for their music day on March 28 and Mentro will be posting a video of the event this week on their YouTube Channel. The event was filmed by Broadside, an independent film company run by under 18s and based in Ferryside.

For more information contact Tomas Marks at Menter Bro Dinefwr on 01558 825336 or tomasmarks@menterbrodinefwr.org

Photo: Performers Frank Thomas, Aaron Perry, Ben Montaigue and Gillie Rowland.