Tanio – The Community Arts Organisation Sparking Big Things in Bridgend County
The word ‘tanio’ means to spark or ignite in Welsh.
And that’s what Tanio has done as a creative community arts organisation – it has ignited creativity and change in a community which was struggling after Covid.
First established in the 1980s under the name ‘Valley and Vale Community Arts’ during the miners’ strike, the organisation was a symbol of community cohesion across the Garw Valley and Vale of Glamorgan, rebranding in 2020. During Covid, Tanio delivered creative workshops and support services, reaching hundreds of individuals and families, and offering emotional support and a sense of community and resilience.
As a social enterprise based in a chapel in Bettws, Bridgend County Borough, Tanio uses community art as a tool to bring people together to ignite social change around three priorities: health, the environment, and community fun. Lisa Davies, Chief Executive at Tanio, said:
“Being based in Bettws is super important.
“Because we’ve taken the time to culture and foster trust and build a safe space for people, they are able to tell us when they are having a hard time.
“All our relationships are based on trust. We are clear on what we set out to achieve, and we deliver a whole lot of good stuff alongside that.”
As well as community activities like their Christmas community benefits event and Easter fun day, Tanio provides a range of projects, creative activities and interventions to boost skills, confidence and self-esteem. They focus particularly on individuals and groups who may be marginalised, vulnerable, or at risk. The Breathing Space programme runs in seven locations across Bridgend County and Pontypridd, and supports more than 70 people weekly.
“It uses creativity and community engagement to support people who feel isolated: a preventative mechanism build around mental health. We get referrals from Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations (BAVO) and from mental health care teams.
“If those individuals went to the GP, they would probably be prescribed anti-depressants, but that wouldn’t really solve their need.
“Creative social activities – social prescribing – makes a bigger difference to their health and well-being.”
Another impactful programme is Connecting Carers, run in partnership with Cwmpas, which brings together unpaid carers in Bettws and Brackla, Bridgend. In December, the groups wrote, sang, and, in partnership with Choirs For Good, recorded a hauntingly beautiful original song called ‘Who Cares?’, pleading for authorities to listen and make their caring lives easier. The support groups offer a chance to share both the frustration and the joy of caring in a safe, fun, creative space.
“We’ve helped people to realise that they have power, and given them an opportunity to use that power.
“They talked about how important creativity and building connections have been to them. Someone might be the strong person in the group one week, while the next they may have been through the wringer and need their own support. Someone makes you a cuppa, and all of a sudden life is a little bit better.
“We enable them to sit down, draw, and think about how they feel. We give them space to create songs and poetry.
“The magic is in the two things happening together.
“Peer networking is super-important.”
Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) and Cwmpas have both supported Tanio’s activities through the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) programme.
“Their support has been hugely important to us.
“We went to a brilliant hackathon at Bryngarw House on public services, and Cwmpas advisers gave us advice on our first tender.
“Then we went to the fantastic Bridgend Social Value Marketplace at Brynmenyn Rugby Club.
“Being in the room was invaluable, meeting and building relationships with other social enterprises. People started to talk about us, and the workshops showed us how to apply business theory in practice.
“We’ve partnered with BCBC to develop creative cooking classes in local schools and communities, encouraging young people to learn to cook from scratch, decorate plant pots, and tend and grow seeds at home. We’re always looking for fun, free things for people to learn together and take home with them.
“The health and arts agenda in Wales is amazing. It’s important to be aware of what’s going on in political and societal factors, and change what we do to meet needs.
“Diversifying makes us more robust, and more useful.
“Now we’re working with construction companies on social value themes.
“We’re a small team doing big things across Bridgend County. We punch well above our weight.
“Times are hard, and people don’t get all the help they need, but it’s really important to be kind and remember the joy we can give to people.”
