English: Online engagement is proving to be an effective way to ensure people remain connected to each other and still engage in creative activity. Examples include Ballet Cymru, based in Newport. There's a lot of exciting work on their social media channels, video tutorials for students, interviews, pointe classes, stretching and relaxation, strength exercises and a weekly showing of past productions. In collaboration with Jukebox Collective, NEW Dance, Dawns i Bawb, Arts Care Gofal Celf and Impelo, they have all been continuing and supporting their nationwide Duets programme. They've also been delivering work to vulnerable children on a programme through Zoom. Rubicon Dance, based in Cardiff, encourages people to take part in dance, including families, children and young people, disabled people, the elderly, patients in hospital, stroke survivors and people living with dementia. Since March, and in response to the COVID crisis, Rubicon has maintained weekly social contact with their 2,000 regular participants. Led by demand to keep dancing, they have had to rapidly rethink how they deliver what they do, especially for people who have a range of communication and IT barriers. They're using a number of ways to do that, as is appropriate to the needs of the participants, including telephone, text, Zoom, Facebook chats. They're currently delivering 63 weekly online dance sessions, and from the feedback they've received, taking part in these weekly sessions is keeping people mobile, improving fitness and overall well-being. One participant described how COVID had made her feel that she had been marooned on an island and that her weekly Rubicon sessions are what kept her going. The Forget-me-not Chorus is a fantastic example of a charity working with people living with dementia and their families, bringing them together to sing. To see the impact on those in the Forget-me-not Chorus is something very special. The connection between people, moving to the music and singing is wonderful, plus the pure pleasure that is evident is something that can't be bought. Throughout the pandemic, Forget-me-not Chorus have moved their programmes online, and they've been able to reach even more people living with dementia through their virtual films, as well as their care home and community Zoom sessions. Their virtual rehearsals have been accessed by over 70 homes across Wales, and they're now contacting care homes in England to offer their free resources. On top of all this, they've just completed the filming of four new virtual rehearsals, including favourites like the Hokey Cokey, which, in their words, will encourage staff and residents to, 'Sing and shake it all about'. Thanks to the power of Zoom, they're now welcoming people from as far afield as Devon and Cumbria to take part. I'm especially glad to hear of the efforts by arts organisations to support those people who are living in care homes. They've been hard-hit by the pandemic. Limited visiting has been tough on residents and families alike, and in terms of activities, many relied on outside organisations coming in and delivering weekly classes, the benefit of which, I believe, are undeniable. Members may have seen a video that recently went viral on social media platforms. It's of a former prima ballet dancer with Alzheimer's remembering the music she used to dance to. Marta González can be seen to immediately recognise the sound of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Listening to it from her wheelchair, she begins to dance along with her arms. It's incredibly poignant, demonstrating the power of music and dance. I know Welsh Government recognise the importance of online connectivity for older people, and hundreds of digital devices were rolled out to care homes across Wales earlier this year. This is going to play a really important role in keeping residents connected to their families and communities. However, while many services have been able to move online, there's a risk of increasing a digital divide for those people who simply don't have the infrastructure, skills or financial flexibilities to have the internet at home. It's so important, therefore, that we continue to deliver better digital infrastructure across Wales to support inclusivity and to provide the training and skills to those who need it. Over recent years, there's been a growing understanding of the impact that taking part in the arts can have on health and well-being. By supplementing medicine and care, the arts can improve the health of people who experience mental or physical health problems. Growing Space, which is based in the grounds of Newport's Tredegar House, involves horticultural therapy and training to support people with their mental health. During the pandemic, the workers have gone above and beyond to support Growing Space's participants. Mark Richardson, the 'Open Spaces, Open Minds' community development officer, created a WhatsApp group to allow participants to keep in contact with each other as well as staff. Using this medium, and other digital methods such as puzzles, quizzes, creative writing and many more activities were put on each day to make sure they had all the support they need. Lee Davies, the carpentry supervisor, made hundreds of items for the NHS. He also made items for the mental health teams to add to their well-being packs, such as self-assembly bird boxes, as well as other items to give patients creative activities on many of the psychiatric wards across Gwent. These examples show that arts can be of major importance in building the mental and physical health of all citizens. As chair of the cross-party group on arts and health, I was pleased that the Welsh NHS Confederation and the Arts Council of Wales renewed their memorandum of understanding recently, demonstrating their commitment to embed arts and health initiatives across the NHS in Wales. It's this type of work that I would like to see incorporated in the Welsh Government's 'build back better' approach to COVID. It will be important to keep building on the really positive work that's clearly going on, and look beyond the pandemic to ensure these initiatives are a core part of Wales's preventative approach to health and care for the future. We need to come through this crisis by maintaining our well-being as best we can. The arts are vital for that now, and they will be vital for that in the future. The value and importance of this sector cannot be understated. The benefits are immense. If we lose or fail to utilise these skills, we'll be tremendously poorer for it. I've highlighted a few of the projects going on today in Wales, and there are so many more, so many that you could cover a map of Wales with them. The arts play a crucial role in our mental and physical well-being. They can help reduce inequalities and if we harness their power, they can help Wales heal from the pandemic. Here in Wales, music, art and culture is part of our make-up. In our own national anthem, we're identified as being a land of poets and musicians. Long may that continue. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Mae ymgysylltu ar-lein yn ffordd effeithiol o sicrhau bod pobl yn parhau i fod mewn cysylltiad â'i gilydd ac yn parhau i gymryd rhan mewn gweithgarwch creadigol. Mae enghreifftiau'n cynnwys Bale Cymru, sydd wedi'i leoli yng Nghasnewydd. Mae llawer o waith cyffrous ar eu sianelau cyfryngau cymdeithasol, sesiynau tiwtorial drwy fideo i fyfyrwyr, cyfweliadau, dosbarthiadau pwyntio, ymestyn ac ymlacio, ymarferion cryfder a dangos cynyrchiadau blaenorol yn wythnosol. Mewn cydweithrediad â Jukebox Collective, NEW Dance, Dawns i Bawb, Arts Care Gofal Celf ac Impelo, maent i gyd wedi bod yn parhau ac yn cefnogi eu rhaglen Duets genedlaethol. Maent hefyd wedi bod yn cyflwyno gwaith i blant sy'n agored i niwed ar raglen drwy gyfrwng Zoom. Mae Rubicon Dance, sydd wedi'i leoli yng Nghaerdydd, yn annog pobl i gymryd rhan mewn dawns, gan gynnwys teuluoedd, plant a phobl ifanc, pobl anabl, yr henoed, cleifion yn yr ysbyty, goroeswyr strôc a phobl sy'n byw gyda dementia. Ers mis Mawrth, ac mewn ymateb i argyfwng COVID, mae Rubicon wedi cynnal cyswllt cymdeithasol wythnosol gyda'u 2,000 o gyfranogwyr rheolaidd. Wedi'u harwain gan y galw i barhau i ddawnsio, maent wedi gorfod ailystyried yn gyflym sut i gyflawni'r hyn a wnânt, yn enwedig i bobl sy'n wynebu amrywiaeth o rwystrau o ran cyfathrebu a TG. Maent yn defnyddio nifer o ffyrdd o wneud hynny, fel sy'n briodol i anghenion y cyfranogwyr, gan gynnwys sgyrsiau ffôn, testun, Zoom, Facebook. Ar hyn o bryd maent yn darparu 63 o sesiynau dawns ar-lein wythnosol, ac o'r adborth a gawsant, mae cymryd rhan yn y sesiynau wythnosol hyn yn cadw pobl yn symudol, yn gwella ffitrwydd a lles cyffredinol. Disgrifiodd un cyfranogwr sut roedd COVID wedi gwneud iddi deimlo ei bod wedi'i gadael ar ynys ac mai ei sesiynau Rubicon wythnosol yw'r hyn a'i cadwodd i fynd. Mae'r côr Forget-me-not yn enghraifft wych o elusen yn gweithio gyda phobl sy'n byw gyda dementia a'u teuluoedd, gan ddod â hwy at ei gilydd i ganu. Mae gweld yr effaith ar y bobl yng nghôr Forget-me-not yn rhywbeth arbennig iawn. Mae'r cysylltiad rhwng pobl, symud i'r gerddoriaeth a chanu yn wych, ynghyd â'r pleser pur sy'n amlwg yn rhywbeth na ellir ei brynu. Drwy gydol y pandemig, mae côr Forget-me-not wedi symud eu rhaglenni ar-lein, ac maent wedi gallu cyrraedd hyd yn oed mwy o bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia drwy eu ffilmiau rhithwir, yn ogystal â'u sesiynau i gartrefi gofal a sesiynau Zoom cymunedol. Mae dros 70 o gartrefi ledled Cymru wedi cael mynediad at eu hymarferion rhithwir, ac maent bellach yn cysylltu â chartrefi gofal yn Lloegr i gynnig eu hadnoddau am ddim. Ar ben hyn i gyd, maent newydd orffen ffilmio pedwar ymarfer rhithwir newydd, gan gynnwys ffefrynnau fel yr Hokey Cokey, a fydd, yn eu geiriau hwy, yn annog staff a thrigolion i ganu a 'shake it all about'. Diolch i bŵer Zoom, maent bellach yn croesawu pobl o mor bell â Dyfnaint a Cumbria i gymryd rhan. Rwy'n arbennig o falch o glywed am ymdrechion sefydliadau celfyddydol i gefnogi'r bobl sy'n byw mewn cartrefi gofal. Maent wedi cael eu taro'n galed gan y pandemig. Mae ymweliadau cyfyngedig wedi bod yn anodd ar breswylwyr a theuluoedd fel ei gilydd, ac o ran gweithgareddau, dibynnai llawer ar sefydliadau allanol yn dod i mewn i ddarparu dosbarthiadau wythnosol, ac ni ellir gwadu eu budd yn fy marn i. Efallai fod yr Aelodau wedi gweld fideo a aeth yn firol yn ddiweddar ar lwyfannau cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Mae'n dangos cyn-ddawnswraig bale gyda chlefyd Alzheimer yn cofio'r gerddoriaeth yr arferai ddawnsio iddi. Gellir gweld Marta González yn adnabod Swan Lake Tchaikovsky ar unwaith. Wrth wrando arno o'i chadair olwyn, mae'n dechrau dawnsio gyda'i breichiau. Mae'n anhygoel o ingol, gan ddangos grym cerddoriaeth a dawns. Rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd cysylltedd ar-lein i bobl hŷn, a chyflwynwyd cannoedd o ddyfeisiau digidol i gartrefi gofal ledled Cymru yn gynharach eleni. Mae hyn yn mynd i chwarae rhan bwysig iawn yn cadw preswylwyr mewn cysylltiad â'u teuluoedd a'u cymunedau. Fodd bynnag, er bod llawer o wasanaethau wedi gallu symud ar-lein, mae perygl o gynyddu'r gagendor digidol i'r bobl nad oes ganddynt y seilwaith, y sgiliau na'r hyblygrwydd ariannol i gael y rhyngrwyd gartref. Mae mor bwysig, felly, ein bod yn parhau i ddarparu gwell seilwaith digidol ledled Cymru i gefnogi cynwysoldeb ac i ddarparu hyfforddiant a'r sgiliau i'r rhai sydd eu hangen. Dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, cafwyd dealltwriaeth gynyddol o'r effaith y gall cymryd rhan yn y celfyddydau ei chael ar iechyd a lles. Drwy gynnig rhywbeth ychwanegol at feddyginiaeth a gofal, gall y celfyddydau wella iechyd pobl sydd â phroblemau iechyd meddwl neu gorfforol. Mae Growing Space, sydd wedi'i leoli ar dir Tŷ Tredegar Casnewydd, yn cynnwys therapi garddwriaethol a hyfforddiant i gefnogi pobl gyda'u hiechyd meddwl. Yn ystod y pandemig, mae'r gweithwyr wedi mynd y tu hwnt i gefnogi cyfranogwyr Growing Space. Creodd Mark Richardson, swyddog datblygu cymunedol 'Mannau Agored, Meddwl Agored', grŵp WhatsApp i ganiatáu i gyfranogwyr gadw mewn cysylltiad â'i gilydd yn ogystal â staff. Roedd defnyddio'r cyfrwng hwn, a dulliau digidol eraill fel posau, cwisiau, ysgrifennu creadigol a llawer mwy o weithgareddau bob dydd yn sicrhau eu bod yn cael yr holl gymorth sydd ei angen arnynt. Gwnaeth Lee Davies, y goruchwyliwr gwaith coed, gannoedd o eitemau ar gyfer y GIG. Gwnaeth eitemau hefyd i'r timau iechyd meddwl eu hychwanegu at eu pecynnau llesiant, megis blychau adar i'w gosod at ei gilydd, yn ogystal ag eitemau eraill i roi gweithgareddau creadigol i gleifion ar lawer o'r wardiau seiciatrig ledled Gwent. Mae'r enghreifftiau hyn yn dangos y gall y celfyddydau fod yn bwysig iawn i ddatblygu iechyd meddwl a chorfforol pob dinesydd. Fel cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar y celfyddydau ac iechyd, roeddwn yn falch fod Cydffederasiwn GIG Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru wedi adnewyddu eu memorandwm cyd-ddealltwriaeth yn ddiweddar, gan ddangos eu hymrwymiad i ymgorffori mentrau celfyddydol ac iechyd ar draws y GIG yng Nghymru. Dyma'r math o waith yr hoffwn ei weld yn cael ei ymgorffori yn ymateb 'adeiladu nôl yn well' Llywodraeth Cymru i COVID. Bydd yn bwysig parhau i adeiladu ar y gwaith gwirioneddol gadarnhaol sy'n amlwg yn digwydd, ac edrych y tu hwnt i'r pandemig i sicrhau bod y mentrau hyn yn rhan greiddiol o ddull ataliol Cymru o ymdrin ag iechyd a gofal ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae angen inni ddod drwy'r argyfwng hwn drwy gynnal ein lles gystal ag y gallwn. Mae'r celfyddydau'n hanfodol ar gyfer hynny nawr, a byddant yn hanfodol ar gyfer hynny yn y dyfodol. Ni ellir gorddatgan gwerth a phwysigrwydd y sector hwn. Mae'r manteision yn aruthrol. Os byddwn yn colli neu'n methu defnyddio'r sgiliau hyn, byddwn yn dlotach o lawer ein byd. Rwyf wedi tynnu sylw at rai o'r prosiectau sy'n digwydd heddiw yng Nghymru, ac mae cymaint mwy, cymaint fel y gallech orchuddio map o Gymru â hwy. Mae'r celfyddydau'n chwarae rhan hollbwysig yn ein lles meddyliol a chorfforol. Gallant helpu i leihau anghydraddoldebau ac os gallwn harneisio eu pŵer, gallant helpu Cymru i wella o'r pandemig. Yma yng Nghymru, mae cerddoriaeth, celf a diwylliant yn rhan o'n cyfansoddiad. Yn ein hanthem genedlaethol ein hunain, cawn ein hadnabod fel gwlad beirdd a chantorion. Hir y parhaed hynny. Diolch yn fawr.