SIÂN Elin Williams, from Pencarreg near Llanybydder, is the first winner of a competition run by Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd to find new talent to entertain young children between two and four-years-old and their parents.

The 23-year-old was revealed as the winner on the Pavilion stage at the 2019 Urdd Eisteddfod, scoping a £300 prize and the chance to perform in a show as part of Mudiad Meithrin’s 2019 Dewin and Doti Festival.

Siân Elin, who is a development officer with Menter Sir Gâr, said: “I love being on stage entertaining children and young people and I hope this will be my career in the long run.

“It’s wonderful to perform live and see the children’s response when I entertain them. Thanks to Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd for this amazing opportunity.’

Iola Jones, Mudiad Meithrin’s head of communication and partnership team, said:“Mudiad Meithrin was eager to unearth new talent to entertain very young children, in the hope of finding new talent that could take on the three-week-long Dewi and Doti Festival Tour in the future.

“Consequently we went into partnership with the Urdd to jointly run this competition and we were extremely pleased with the high standard of the performances. ”

The ‘Meithrin Talent – Talent Meithrin’ competition is open to Urdd members between 18-24 years old. The competition process ran between September and December last year with candidates completing an application form, sending off a portfolio outlining their experience, and creating a 5five-minute video clip of themselves providing some background information and highlighting their performing talents.

At the end of April, two applicants who reached the short-list, Siân Elin and Lois Glain Postle from Bodedern, Anglesey, both spent a day’s training and mentoring at the Urdd Centre in Cardiff Bay in the company of Martyn Geraint, the doyen of performing for young children in Wales.

The end of the journey for the short-listed competitors was an opportunity to perform at various locations at the 2019 Urdd National Eisteddfod field in Cardiff, with the judging panel adjudicating the quality of their performance and their understanding of the needs of the target audience.

The competition is planned to continue as a joint venture between Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd next year.