As 2025 draws to an end, I’m proud to ruminate on what PYST and Am have achieved, and I’m very optimistic about everything that’s ahead of us.
Since its inception, PYST has remained committed to supporting independent Welsh labels and grassroots music, distributing and promoting records by dozens of labels across Wales.
Am remains a free, inclusive and bilingual home for Welsh culture, presenting everything from music to theatre, literature, film, visual arts and more.
This commitment is more important than ever. In a period of economic and social challenges, ensuring open access to culture and giving a voice to independent creativity, under the guidance of the community, is crucial.
Over the past year specifically, Am has continued to flourish. By mid-2025, Am celebrated its fifth birthday, supporting more than 480 creative and social organisations, and thousands of pieces of content from all corners of Wales. To note its fifth year, Am launched its redesigned website and its first ever digital film festival (AmCam), screening original short films that showcase the arts and solidarity of communities across Wales. Am remains a place where one can see and hear culture away from the mainstream. Its inclusive, accessible model continues to offer visibility to smaller creatives. It’s been wonderful to play a role in the redesign and to see the website’s makeover!
Of course, there are challenges ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to working with Alun and the crew to overcome them and bring PYST Cyf into its best year yet!