Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd are delighted to announce that Lili Walford from Neath is the winner of the innovative competition to find new talent to entertain young children aged 2-4 and their parents.
On Saturday it was announced at the 2025 Urdd Eisteddfod in Margam Park, Port Talbot that Lili Walford had scooped the £300 prize (donated by Mudiad Meithrin) and the opportunity to perform in a show as part of Mudiad Meithrin’s 2025 Dewin and Doti Festival.
Lili said:
“As a classroom assistant in a primary school, I love the company of children and understand what they enjoy. I love performing and I’m a member of Neath Music Theatre and this year I took part in the show Ceridwen with Urdd Theatre Company. The experience of performing live and seeing the children’s reaction as I performed on the Adlen stage on Saturday was a wonderful experience. Thanks to Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd for this amazing opportunity.”The ‘Meithrin Talent – Talent Meithrin’ competition is open to Urdd members aged 16-24 with the contestants receiving an online mentoring session from Siân Elin James (or children’s entertainer Siani Sionc as she is known). The end of the journey was the opportunity to perform at the Adlen on the Urdd Eisteddfod in front of an audience of young children and the judging panel which included Siân Elin James, Iola Jones and Nerys Fychan from Mudiad Meithrin.
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 would be suitable for hosting 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.”
Courtney-Olwen Manel from London came second in the competition and Deryn Bach Allen Dyer third, both winning a cash prize of £100 each.
The competition is planned to continue as a joint venture between Mudiad Meithrin and the Urdd next year.
