Gorsedh Kernow names 22 new Bards for 2020

Gorsedh Kernow was established with the aim of celebrating and promoting Cornwall’s distinctive Celtic culture, and continues this year with announcing new bards as usual (although we are in a pandemic and our ceremony in Bude has been postponed until 2021).

Gorsedh Kernow is proud to announce today (10 August, 2020) that 22 worthy people have been invited to take their place among the 500 or so existing members of the College of Bards of Gorsedh Kernow and will be barded as restrictions allow.

“This year we have new bards whose work for Kernow reflects both traditional and modern aspects of our Cornish culture,” said Grand Bard of Cornwall, Elizabeth Carne Melennek, “which continues in all parts of the Diaspora.”

“These latest honours show an amazing diversity in many cultural areas from proficiency in the Cornish language, conserving old film, audio tapes and written evidence for use by future people, continuing traditional sports like Cornish wrestling and researching the lives of Cornishmen, for example who mined in India and making it into a modern musical performance. This reverence for Cornish culture is then showcased in thoroughly modern media, by photography, social media, film and in theatres, in community projects at the grass roots to films for global audiences.”

“Each of these showcasing platforms proclaims to the world that Cornish culture is distinctive, traditional and modern, precious to the Cornish people and alive and well.”

The new bards for 2020 are:

Edward Bolitho, Tregwainton, for being a great ambassador for Kernow.

Andrew Bolton, Belgium, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Kensa Broadhurst, Camborne, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Matt Curnow, South Australia, for the promotion of Cornwall in the Diaspora.

John Gillingham, Troon, for being a valuable supporter of Cornish Culture and Language.

John Penrose Goody, Isles of Scilly, for his energetic promotion of the Cornish Language in the Isles of Scilly.

Peter Green, Gloucester, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Simon Harvey, Truro, for embracing Cornish Identity and Culture in the Media.

Brian Jacob, Tregonissey, St.Austell, for his continuing work for Kernow.

Mark Jenkin, Paul, Penzance, for promoting Kernow through Film internationally.

Andrew Johnson, St.Austell, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

James Kitto, Porthleven, for promoting Cornwall through Photography.

Wella Morris, Penzance, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Jack Morrison, Redruth, for being an enthusiastic promoter of Kernow.

Priscilla Oates, Cury, for a lifetime’s work for Kernow.

Helen Pascoe, Camborne, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Jamie Purvis, Truro, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Peter Sheldon, Truro, for a lifetime’s service to Cornish Wrestling.

Leonard Sheppard, Newquay, for his continuing work for Kernow. .

Wayne Tonkin, Pool, Redruth, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing service to Cornwall.

Richard Trethewey, Goonabarn, St.Austell, for the promotion of Kernow through Music.

Claire Tripp, Portreath, for her extensive work for Cornish Culture and Identity.

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The photo is of new Bards being led into the Bardic circle for the Open Gorsedh at St. Just in Penwith in 2019.
Bards are given their Bardic name, in Cornish, when inducted.

Gorsedh website: https://gorsedhkernow.org.uk/