Gwisg yr Afon/The River Dress
Gan/by Lin Cummins
Pan ofynnwyd i mi fod yn un o’r ‘creadigwyr’ ar brosiect Gofod Glas, roeddwn yn gyffrous i allu cyfuno fy nghariad at natur, fy nghreadigrwydd a fy niddordeb mewn cysylltedd ‘mwy na dynol’.
Yn draddodiadol, mae llawer o ddiwylliannau brodorol, gan gynnwys ein rhai ni, wedi rhoi llawer o bwysig i’n lle o fewn y byd naturiol ond yn anffodus, mae’n teimlo weithiau fel bod cysylltiad dynol â bodau byw eraill yn y byd hwnnw wedi mynd yn dameidiog.
Wrth archwilio perthynas pobl â dŵr croyw, ni allwn feddwl am gymuned sydd â mwy o gysylltiad â’r amgylchedd hwnnw na’r rhai sy’n ymgolli’n rheolaidd mewn llynnoedd ac afonydd. Soniais am fy syniad yn gyntaf wrth fy ffrindiau yn y ‘Trefriw Drips’, criw amrywiol o bobl hynod gadarnhaol a chroesawgar, o bob cefndir a phob lefel o allu nofio, sy’n cyfarfod yn rheolaidd i nofio yn Llyn Geirionydd, a mannau eraill gerllaw.
Mae sgwrs a chwerthin yn llifo pan fydd y Drips yn ymgasglu ar ôl eu nofio, wedi'u gwefreiddio a'u rhwymo gan y profiad... a chan gacen! Gwnaed ambell olwg od a sylwadau digrif yn nodweddiadol, pan awgrymais y gallai’r afon fod yn beth byw a’m bod yn bwriadu gwneud ffrog a fyddai’n cynrychioli’r afon fel ‘rhywun’, gydag ysbryd, hunaniaeth, ac efallai hyd yn oed. hawliau. Ond cyn bo hir daeth ffynhonnell wych o wybodaeth, profiad a syniadau am gyflwr dŵr croyw i'r amlwg. Fy her oedd sut i gofnodi'r doethineb hwn, ac archwilio sgyrsiau dyfnach o fewn gofod lle'r oedd pobl wedi dod i fod yn y foment yn syml, gan fwynhau gwefr 'nofio dŵr oer' a chwmnïaeth profiadau personol a rennir. Dw i wedi cael nifer o sgyrsiau un-i-un dyfnach ac yn awr yn meddwl am ffyrdd i annog mwy.
Mae'r gwisg wedi esblygu hefyd! Yn dilyn sgyrsiau yng Ngŵyl Garrog a Gŵyl Dafydd ap Siencyn (Medi 2024) ac mewn caffis lleol, mae’r ffrog bellach yn cynnwys nifer o gwestiynau hynod ddiddorol y mae pobl o bob oed wedi ‘gofyn i’r afon’ – fel petai ganddi anadl, ysbryd, bywyd. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pobl yn y pen draw yn gwisgo'r dilledyn, efallai hyd yn oed nofio ynddo, ac yna meddwl sut y gallai'r afon ymateb i'r cwestiynau a'n helpu ni i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd tuag at atebion.
When I was asked to be one of the ‘creatives’ on the Gofod Glas project, I was excited to be able to combine my love of nature, my creativity and my interest in ‘more than human’ connectivity.
Many indigenous cultures, including ours, have traditionally put great store on our place within the natural world but sadly, it sometimes feels that human connection with other living beings in that world has become fragmented.
In exploring people’s relationship to freshwater, I couldn’t think of a community more connected to that environment than those who regularly immerse themselves in lakes and rivers. I first ‘floated’ my idea to my friends in the Trefriw Drips, a diverse group of wonderfully positive and welcoming people, from all walks of life and all levels of swimming ability, who meet regularly to swim in Llyn Geirionydd, and other places nearby.
Conversation and laughter flows when the Drips gather after their swim, exhilarated and bonded by the experience… and by cake! Some odd looks and characteristically humorous comments were made, when I suggested that the river might be a living thing and that I planned to make a dress that would represent the river as some’body’, with a spirit, a being, and maybe even rights. But it wasn’t long before a fantastic source of knowledge, experience and thoughts on the state of freshwater revealed itself. My challenge was how to record this wisdom, and explore deeper conversations within a space where people had come to simply be in the moment, enjoying the exhilaration of ‘cold water swimming’ and the companionship of shared and personal experiences. I’ve had a number of deeper one-to-one conversations and am now thinking of ways to encourage more.
The dress has evolved too! Following conversations at Gŵyl Garrog and Gŵyl Dafydd ap Siencyn (September 2024) and in local cafes, the dress is now made up of many fascinating questions that people of all ages have ‘asked the river’ - as if it had breath, spirit, life. I hope that eventually people may wear the garment, maybe even swim in it, and think about how the river might respond to the questions and help us find ways toward answers.
Bydd Gwisg yr Afon yn cael ei harddangos yng Nghaffi Doti yn Nhrefriw tan 22 Chwefror 2025, a gwahoddir ymwelwyr â’r caffi i ofyn cwestiwn i’r afon. Rwy'n gobeithio trefnu sgwrisau anffurfiol (gyda cacen!) yno, felly cysylltwch os hoffech ddod â'ch gwybodaeth a gofyn eich cwestiynau eich hun am yr afon.
The River Dress will be displayed at Caffi Doti in Trefriw until 22 February 2025, with café visitors invited to ask the river a question. I am hoping to arrange some informal coffee and cake chats there, so get in touch if you would like to bring your knowledge and ask your own questions of the river.