page_title: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
section_title: Culture
hierarchical_section_title: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough / Culture
caption_attribution_description: Cyfarthfa Castle in the Summer
context_page_description: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough has been one of the 22 unitary authorities in Wales since 1 April 1996. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough today has a population of 60,183. It is located in the historic county of Glamorgan and takes its name from Merthyr Tydfil town. The County Borough consists of the northern part of the Taff Valley and the smaller neighbouring Taff Bargoed Valley. It borders the counties of Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly county borough.
context_section_description: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough is home to several established choirs who perform regularly in the local area and throughout the rest of the world. They include Ynysowen Male Choir, Treharris Male Voice Choir, Dowlais Male Voice Choir, Merthyr Tydfil Ladies Choir, Cantorion Cyfarthfa, and the mixed-voice choir Con Voce. 
  Merthyr Tydfil County Borough has held many cultural events. Local poets and writers hold poetry evenings in the town, and music festivals are organised at Cyfarthfa Castle and Park. With this in mind, Menter Iaith Merthyr Tudful (The Merthyr Tydfil Welsh Language Initiative) have successfully transformed the Zoar Chapel and the adjacent vestry building in Pontmorlais into a community arts venue; Canolfan Soar and Theatr Soar, who now run a whole programme of performance events and activities through both the Welsh and English languages, together with a caffe and book shop, specialising in local interest and Welsh language books and CDs. Also on Pontmorlais Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association have recently been successful in a number of funding bids to develop the Old Town Hall into a new cultural centre, working in partnership with Canolfan a Theatr Soar to turn the Pontmorlais area into a cultural quarter for Merthyr Tydfil. The Old Town Hall facility is to be launched on Saint David's Day 2014, using references to the 1831 Merthyr Rising and the building's red bricks, the venue is to be marketed as REDHOUSE - Hen Neuadd Y Dref / Old Town Hall. Merthyr Tydfil College's Myfanwy Theatre also holds occasional professional performances and provides opportunity for students to perform dance, musicals, plays, and instrumental and vocal concerts, and where students work out with some of the best in the business, including members of the Welsh National Opera.
  Merthyr has several historical and heritage groups:
  The Merthyr Tydfil Heritage Regeneration Trust, which has as its aim -
  "To preserve for the benefit of the residents of Merthyr Tydfil and of the Nation at large whatever of the Historical, Architectural and Constructional Heritage may exist in and around Merthyr Tydfil in the form of buildings and artefacts of particular beauty or of Historical, Architectural or Constructional interest and also to improve, conserve and protect the environment thereto."
  The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society, which has as its aim -
  "To advance the education of the public by promoting the study of the local history and architecture of Merthyr Tydfil".
  The Merthyr Tydfil Museum and Heritage Groups, which has as its aim -
  "To advance the education of the public by the promotion, support and improvement of the Heritage of Merthyr Tydfil and its Museums."
  Merthyr Tydfil's Central Library, which is in a prominent position in the centre of the town, is a Carnegie library.
  Merthyr Tydfil hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1881 and 1901 and the national Urdd Gobaith Cymru Eisteddfod in 1987.
  Since 2005 a free multi-cultural festival, Global Village, has been held in Cyfarthfa Park, featuring music, dance, literature, arts and crafts, food and information stalls, workshops and performances from cultures from across the globe, including African music and dance, Thai dance, Japanese Taiko drumming, Native American Hoop Dance, didgeridoo music, Welsh harp, Irish folk music, Welsh folk dance, Indian dance and music, Portuguese Fado singing and much more.
  Merthyr, like nearby Aberdare, is also known for its thriving music scene. The county borough has produced several bands which have achieved national success, including The Blackout from Heolgerrig and Midasuno from Troedyrhiw. Since 2011 Cyfarthfa Park has now also become the home of the Merthyr Rock Festival and from 2009 until 2012 a weekend Welsh language music festival, Bedroc was held at Bedlinog featuring major Welsh language acts, together with local artists including Welsh language activist Jamie Bevan with bands Y Betti Galws and Y Gweddillion (The Remnants).
caption: Cyfarthfa Castle, commissioned in 1824 by the ironmaster William Crawshay II, is today a museum & art gallery, with its park and grounds used for festivals and events
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