Ignite Cymru

What is Ignite Cymru?

Ignite Cymru is a project run by Christmas at Bute Park with support from Welsh Government, through Event Wales, to help develop skills among local creatives. The team behind the trail has provided opportunities for creatives to get involved with the 2025 event, through its work with students from higher education institutes across Wales from Cardiff to Aberystwyth to Bangor as well as giving Welsh creatives an opportunity to create a piece for Wales’s biggest winter event. 

As a result, visitors will wander this year’s trail to surround-sound audio created by Welsh young composers and marvel at installations created by locally-based visual designers. 

For our 2025 trail, we have been working closely with two welsh emerging creatives – Ruby June Walker and Patrick Richards.

Ruby June Walker, from Abercynon, has designed Golau y Gaeaf (Winter’s Light), a stunning gothic window depicting the traditions and symbols of a Welsh Christmas, including snow-filled landscapes, mountains and church, the hunting of the wren, Mari Lwyd and Sion Corn (Father Christmas).

She said: “I’m really thrilled to be part of this year’s light trail. Visual storytelling has always played an important part of my creative processes. This piece is a celebration of Welsh community spirit, symbolic themes in colour, light and sound. Evoking a sense of place through found items to create an immersive, otherworldly atmosphere, high lighting culture, tradition and history.”

Designer Patrick Richards, from Cardiff, will be producing Annwyl Siôn Corn (Dear Father Christmas) inspired by children writing their lists and wishes to Father Christmas with a magical post box, where glowing and twinkling letters fly out and up towards the North Pole.

He said: “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to design something for this year’s Christmas at Bute Park and while I’m only a small part of so many people’s Christmas celebrations, I’m hoping to create a big moment of seasonal magic that won’t be forgotten any time soon.”