Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has become one of the first organisations in Wales to achieve the prized London 2012 Olympic Inspire Mark - awarded for innovative, cutting-edge ideas and projects recognised as exciting by, and inspired by, London 2012.

The award-winning project ‘All the World, One Smile’ will add even more colour and inspiration to Llangollen’s Celtic and Folk Day on Friday 10th July. With support from the Arts Council of Wales, it will showcase the talents and abilities of disadvantaged and disabled people in performances during the festival, offer subsidised admission to the event for those most in need, and add to the Eisteddfod’s outreach to communities in the region between now and July.

The festival’s submission impressed the Cultural Olympiad assessors in areas including welcoming the world, inspiring and involving young people, generating a legacy, encouraging participation and animating public spaces. Mervyn Cousins, Llangollen’s Executive Director, said: “It is a real honour to receive the London 2012 Inspire Mark, and to be the first in North Wales to do so. We feel strongly that the core values of Llangollen and the Olympic and Paralympic Games are very similar in general, but we also had to show in a new innovation that we can reach out to even more sections of the community who are ‘on our doorstep’ as well as to the world at large. I am delighted that Llangollen has been recognised in this way and am very excited that it will enhance the Friday of the festival even further”.

The International Eisteddfod is one of only two organisations in Wales to have received this honour. Wales Millennium Centre was the first organisation to be awarded the ‘Inspire Mark’ for its Criw Cymru urban arts project. Judith Isherwood, Chief Executive of Wales Millennium Centre, congratulated Llangollen International Eisteddfod on being awarded the mark, “As arts organisations” she said, “we share common goals of striving for excellence, showcasing the best of Wales to the world as well as bringing the best of the world to Wales”.

Visiting performers as part of the ‘All the World, One Smile’ project will include the Open Arts Community Choir from Northern Ireland, who had recent success on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing and Susan Hedges, blind singer-songwriter from the Wirral. Bev Whyte, Director of the Open Arts Community Choir said “We are hugely looking forward to coming – we have heard how fantastic the festival is”.

Among the groups from the region performing as part of the ‘All the World, One Smile’ project will be pupils from Rhosymedre Primary School, Plas Madoc, Wrexham – an area indexed as the third most deprived in Wales. Headteacher, Roz Harrison, expressed the school’s delight over their involvement with the initiative, “We are delighted at Rhosymedre Primary to have been given this opportunity for our school choir, all ages from year 2 pupils upwards, to perform at the Eisteddfod this year. It is a real honour to be included in this wonderful celebration. The pupils are already buzzing with ideas for their individual performance.”

Also taking part will be Dynamics from Wrexham, the Philippino Community of North Wales, Rhyl’s Kids Fun Club and the Action for Children Young Carers Group from different areas of North Wales.

These performances will dovetail with those of the many competing choirs and dance groups from all over the world. A song specially written by Mervyn Cousins will form part of the presentation. Susan Hedges writes: “I think it is a brilliant opportunity for disabled people like myself, to show that we can hold our own in society and demonstrate our skills and achievements”.

‘All the World, One Smile’ will add to the excitement at the Festival in the build-up to Friday evening’s concert, where Brit Award-winning Blake will be joined by sensational soprano Natasha Marsh in an exciting evening of music spanning opera, the classics and popular music. Blake and Natasha Marsh will also be present during the day to meet the performers involved in ‘All the World, One Smile’ and through this be able to inspire them to achieve even higher artistic personal bests in the future. Blake sent their best wishes to the Festival “Congratulations to Llangollen on being awarded the ‘Inspire Mark’, we’re proud to be associated with the Festival as they receive this very special accolade and that we will be part of the ‘All the World, One Smile’ project on the day now too”.

The ‘All the World, One Smile’ initiative includes funding to subsidise the disadvantaged to attend the festival on Friday 10th July, any groups interested in taking up this opportunity should contact the Eisteddfod Box Office on 01978 862001, mentioning the project specifically.