Urdd Eisteddfod chair designed by teacher who comes from a family of Gwynedd master craftsmen

The chair and the crown – the Urdd Eisteddfod’s most sought-after prizes – have been presented to the organisers.

More than 15,000 youngsters are expected to compete at the Eisteddfod which is one of Europe’s largest cultural events.

Staged this year at Bridgend later this month the week-long festival will get underway next weekend.

The chair, which is awarded to the best poem in strict or free metre, has been designed and created by Osian Roberts, originally from Rhoshirwaun near Aberdaron.

Osian, who is now the head of technology at Ysgol Llangynwyd, Maesteg, made the chair using ash and sapele wood with a strip of steel running through it representing the area’s heavy industry.

Osian is from a family of carpenters, with his father and brother in the business.

He said: “My brother, Ifan, came down to give me a hand with the chair – we’ve always been quite a creative family.

“This is the first chair that I have made. It is quite modern and minimalistic with quite a high back, around two metres.

“It’s been made using two kinds of wood, ash which is light coloured and sapele which is dark, which gives a nice contrast.

“On the front of the chair, the Urdd logo is made from three different kinds of metal with ‘Pen-bont ar Ogwr, Taf ac Elai’ and a map of Wales etched under the logo.

“I look forward to seeing the chair on the pavilion stage on Thursday – it makes the occasion even more special because the chair is donated by the school that I teach in, Ysgol Llangynwyd.”

Bridgend jeweller Iolo Edger has made and designed the crown which is awarded to the best piece or pieces of prose over 4,000 words.

The design is based on the Celtic torc rather than a traditional crown this year, made from silver, with words from the Welsh national anthem incorporated into the design and elements of the local landscapes and rivers featured.

Iolo said: “It has been a real pleasure designing the crown for the Urdd Eisteddfod in 2017.

“I took influence from the landscape and the three rivers that flow through the area. The Welsh language has such an important part to play in the Urdd organisation and I was conscious of how language can communicate the human experience. Hence I wanted to incorporate words of the national anthem into the design of the crown.

“The whole process has made me look at what it means to me to be Welsh.”