Meet our Freelance Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) who have been selected as part of a new scheme supported by Creative Wales and Wales Union Learning Fund. Their main aim is to primarily empower creative freelancers in Wales through raising awareness of the power of union learning. During the coming months they will conduct research to identify learning needs of creative workers across all four unions (Bectu, Equity, Musicians Union and Writers Guild) They will then help CULT Cymru organise and deliver formal and informal learning activities that are relevant, affordable and accessible.
If you are interested in taking part in their research or have ideas for suitable courses, please do not hesitate to contact anyone of the ULR’s depending on your field of work.
Bectu
Amy Morris – Animation and VFX
Amy is an animation and film producer based in Newport, South Wales.
As a ULR, Amy would like to reach out to both animation and VFX freelancers working or looking for work in Wales to discover and confirm what is needed. This will help improve and consolidate skills to facilitate the continual professional development of the workforce and will support animation productions and VFX studios to access the skills they require locally
Deborah de Lloyd – Costume & Art Department
Deborah is a Costumer specialising in Costume Breakdown. She also works as a Drapes person and Soft props & miniature maker for the Art/Props department in TV, film & theatre.
She would like to reach out to people working or living in Wales and working or wanting to work in the Art/Props and Costume departments to discover/confirm what courses are needed in order to help improve and consolidate their skills and well-being and enable them to go further in their chosen careers.
Her ultimate ambition would be to put in place those courses that are most required and requested at the most commonly convenient time of the week and year and to ensure that all bectu members are aware of them.
Stephanie Bolt – Bectu
Stephanie is Senior External Moderator Wales with University Arts London; consultant Qualifications Wales Expressive Arts; Associate Lecturer The Cooperative College. Stephanie has worked collaboratively on a wide range of culturally democratic projects with stakeholders including Arts Active, Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog, Ffilm Cymru, Pluto Books, Raymond Williams Foundation, Ty Cerdd, Urban Circle Newport. Stephanie has exhibited photography and film nationally and globally. Screenings include BBC Short Film Festival, Lux, ICA, Noise Lab Seattle, DokumentART Germany, Electric Screen London.
As a ULR she hopes to inspire union activism through purposeful engagement with emerging creative practitioners.
Sy Turner – Focus Puller and Storyboard Artist
Sy Turner is a Focus Puller and Storyboard Artist based in Cardiff.
Having worked in both Feature Films and TV Dramas for 11 years, firstly as a Camera Trainee then as a Clapper Loader/2nd AC, Sy has built a vast network of contacts in the Camera Department nationally.
He is passionate about arming both experienced and new people working in the Camera Department with both knowledge and skills. Ensuring they maintain high working standards and practices and are not exploited to the detriment of their mental and/or physical health.
With this ULR program, he intends to use the infrastructure Cult Cymru has established, to deliver specific training workshops that crew have expressed they feel are currently lacking in South Wales.
Thomas Goddard – Visual Artist
Thomas is a visual artist from Cardiff. He works at the cross-section of creative practice and education. Tom works across a range of creative initiatives with young people including as an associate of creative and cultural platform gentle/radical. Woven throughout his practice is the belief in creative expression as a fundamental right for all.
Equity
Ammi has worked as a Support Artist (SA) in Cymru and England since 2019. The role requires many transferable skills, such as working in a team, taking instruction and individual responsibility.
As a lifelong artist and activist, Ammi realises how important it is to show strength in numbers, especially as the arts continue to be underfunded and most notably, undervalued. After many conversations with colleagues, Ammi realised training would be invaluable. For example, understanding contracts, what to expect on set and unfortunately, how to deal with discrimination.
With an arts and law background, Ammi has a unique perspective which allows them to see the broader picture. SA’s are a broad church, with many from non-arts backgrounds, so training such as how to make a self-tape, acting for screen and on screen combat could be the next step to elevate a newfound career. In addition to this, there are many established actors who can help teach SA’s the craft of acting, it’s all about working together and helping each other progress creatively. Essentially, Ammi wants to share the trade secrets to new people coming into the profession. By helping each other learn, everyone is elevated and respected…it’s about giving the profession a little ‘extra’.
Gwen Thomson – Theatre / Film Maker
Gwen (GT) is an experienced theatre/film maker having worked in the sector for 22 years.
She began her career as a sound engineer at Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester & Scottish Television before working in outdoor and indoor theatre and film as a technical manager, director, performer and dramaturge. Gwen is known as a “theatrical Swiss army knife” by her colleagues.
Gwen is excited about becoming a ULR and has a passion for investing in the talent found in rural wales. She is interested to support people who want to work in the arts and live outside major cities – as well as those, like her, who want to continue their creative career while raising a family.
Gwen lives off-grid in North Wales with her young family, gaggle of ducks and an overweight cat.
Rachel Pedley – Creative Producer, Actor, Dancer
Rachel is an Equity ULR and is guided by her work as a creative producer. She also performs in dance and theatre, works within the community on outreach, evaluation, reflection and teaching projects. She has autism and dyslexia and most of her learning has taken place outside of compulsory education system. This is why she is such a wonderful advocate for life-long learning.
Steven Elliot – Actor, Writer, Director
Steven is an actor, writer and director who has worked for some of the leading theatre companies in Wales and the UK. Having attended many CULT Cymru learning courses he is delighted to become a ULR, and looks forward to giving Union members and creatives opportunities to further their networking opportunities and skills.
Musician’s Union
Dewi Ellis Jones BMus MA PhD LRSM
Dewi comes from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, but now lives in Bontnewydd. He graduated with a BMus from the University of Wales, Bangor in 2001 followed by an MA degree, and gained an LRSM diploma from the Royal Schools of Music.
He has been awarded a Doctorate in Performance and Composition, having studied with Simone Rebello, Dr Pwyll ap Sion and with world renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.
Dewi is the first full time solo percussionist in Wales and he is also a busy free-lance orchestral and chamber musician. He is Principal Percussionist with Ensemble Cymru.
He is a tutor at the William Mathias Music Centre and teaches Percussion at the University in Bangor. In 2001 he won the Grace Williams Memorial Prize for Composition at the Urdd Festival. Dewi gained a sponsorship scholarship from S4C to assist in developing his talent as a performer.
Dewi runs “TARO Custom Drums” and builds the finest quality bespoke drums for leading orchestras and percussionists.
Dewi is married to Einir Wyn Hughes, who is a professional harpist. They have two daughters, Ela Non and Anni Cêt.
Pete is a Composer, Sound Designer and Music Producer, with over 35 years of experience as a keyboard player, based in South Wales.
He conceptualises and creates original compositions that are both thought provoking and emotionally impactful. Using an array of hardware, digital tools and software, he blends synth backbones and heavy orchestral riffs, crafting innovative and distinctive soundscapes with rich atmospheric textures.
His creative approach is all about experimenting, pushing boundaries and discovering new sonic possibilities and draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, spanning Film Scores, Classical, Ambient, Electronica, Acoustic, Ethnic and New Age.
His work has been featured on TF1 and TFX terrestrial channels in France, as well as in local television, advertising, corporate videos, and online media.
Discovery and progression is vital for Pete and as such, Lifelong Learning has always been at the forefront of his working life.
His mission as a Freelance Union Learning Representative is to support and promote the continuous learning and development of fellow union members, ensuring that they have access to the skills, knowledge, and training they need to succeed in their jobs and advance in their careers. Every worker has a right to ongoing learning, and Pete is committed to advocating for these opportunities within the workplace and wider community. His aim is to help build a stronger, more skilled, and more empowered creative workforce that can meet the challenges of today’s economy, building a brighter future for all.
Writer’s Guild of Great Britain
William (Gwyn)
Gwyn has been working as a freelance writer for thirty-five years, contributing mainly to the Pobol y Cwm series. He also created and scripted the series Searching for Heaven back in the early 90s. During his career he has spent periods working for the BBC as a Script Editor and Producer and therefore has an understanding of both sides of the television drama scripting industry. In addition to this, he is currently in the middle of writing his first novel in English.
He has been a member of the Writers’ Union since the early days of his career and through his work as a Union Learning Representative he hopes to develop courses that bring the writer community in Wales together. He has a keen interest in the welfare of writers and hopes that it will be possible to organize courses that will enable them to face the recent challenges that a world of cuts has created.
He would like to see writers have opportunities to learn skills that are going to make them more able to deal with the freelance work world whether that is managing difficult work relationships or developing confidence to use their skills to open new doors in the creative field . Alongside that he would also like to see more more practical courses relating, for example, to things like the latest writing software used throughout the industry or basic help on authors’ contractual rights.