Berwyn Rowlands

{{Infobox person | birth_name = John Berwyn Rowlands | image = Berwyn_Rowlands.jpg | caption = Portrait of Berwyn Rowlands in 2020 | known_for = Founder of the Iris Prize | birth_place = Llangoed, Anglesey | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}} | education = Ysgol David Hughes | occupation = Media and film executive | awards = St David Awards for Culture (2022) | partner = Grant Vidgen }} '''John Berwyn Rowlands''' (born 1966) is a Welsh creative producer who founded and continues to lead the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival.<ref name="creative">{{cite web |url=https://join.creativeindustriesfederation.com/pride-month-spotlight-berwyn-rowlands-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-iris-prize/ |title=Pride Month Spotlight: Berwyn Rowlands on the Past, Present and Future of the Iris Prize |last=Bomford |first=Angelica |date=June 4, 2021 |website=Creative Industries Federation |access-date=August 11, 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811193635/https://join.creativeindustriesfederation.com/pride-month-spotlight-berwyn-rowlands-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-iris-prize/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Previously he was chief executive of Sgrîn, Media Agency of Wales from 1997 to 2006 and director of the Welsh International Film Festival from 1989 to 1997.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Joseph |date=November 23, 2020 |title=How a boy from Anglesey created the world's biggest LGBT+ film festival prize |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/berwyn-rowlands-iris-prize-festival-19276924 |access-date=August 11, 2021 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life == Rowland grew up in Llangoed, Anglesey, in "a passionate Welsh-speaking, working-class family".<ref name=":0" /> In 1978 Rowlands was the youngest person to establish a local group (Aelwyd) of the Welsh youth voluntary organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Aelwyd Llangoed met in the primary school until 1983. While a pupil at Ysgol David Hughes, Rowlands also established the school magazine ''San''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-04 |title=LGBTQ+ champion and creative producer made an honorary fellow |url=https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/news/lgbtq-champion-and-creative-producer-made-honorary-fellow |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=University of Wales Trinity Saint David |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== Career == Rowlands moved to Aberystwyth in 1986. While in Aberystwyth he established the theatre-in-education company Cwmni Cadwyn, which toured his play ''Dwirnod Olaf Elfyd Wyn Roberts 17 Blwyddyn Oed,'' commissioned by British Institute for Traffic Education Research (BITER). Rowlands then joined Ffilmiau Rebeca as a researcher on the Welsh language television programme ''Tudalen 88''.<ref>Tudalen '88 [videorecording] / Ffilmiau Rebeca. Wales]: S4C, 1988.</ref>

Rowlands established the Aberystwyth-based company Premiere Cymru Wales in 1990 with the then director of Aberystwyth Arts Centre Alan Hewson. Premiere produced the Welsh International Film Festival from 1990 to 1998.<ref name=":0" /> In 1995 Rowlands produced the feature length drama for S4C ''Llety Piod'' starring Bill Nighy and Sandra Dickinson.<ref>{{Citation|last=Sherlock|first=Ceri|title=Llety Piod|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2613452/|type=Drama|others=Sandra Dickinson, David Paul West|access-date=2021-01-06}}</ref>

Premiere published a number of magazines including ''Ffocws,'' a bi-monthly bilingual magazine for the Welsh media industry, from 1994 until 1998.<ref>Premiere Cymru Wales. Ffocws : Cyswllt I'r Cyfryngau Cymraeg = Keeping Welsh Media in Touch., 1994 - 1998. ISSN 1355-4840</ref>

Rowlands was appointed as the chief executive of Sgrîn, the Media Agency for Wales in April 1997. During his tenure Sgrîn co-ordinated the establishment of a pan-Wales film location service, Wales Screen Commission<ref>Barry, Siôn. "Film commission facing competition from rival." Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), August 15, 2002. NewsBank</ref> and the National Screen & Sound Archive in partnership with the National Library of Wales.

In 2006 Rowlands left Sgrîn and established The Festivals Company. Through this company he set up the Iris Prize, an international competition for LGBT+ short films awarded annually in Cardiff.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="creative" />

== Personal == An out gay man,<ref name="creative" /> Rowlands has been active with campaigning groups including Cylch – the Welsh language lesbian and gay society founded in Aberystwyth in 1990.<ref>Jobbins, Siôn T. ''The Phonomenon of Welshness II or is ‘Wales too poor to be independent?’''. 2013: Llanrwst, Gwasg Carred Gwalch. p54</ref>  He entered into a civil partnership with his long-term partner Grant Vidgen on Dydd Santes Dwynwen 2006 (25 Jan)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crump |first=Eryl |date=2013-04-16 |title=Gay couple to appear on S4C quiz show Mr & Mrs |url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gay-couple-appear-s4c-quiz-2663462 |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=North Wales Live |language=en}}</ref> and in 2012 the couple were the first same-sex couple to compete on the Welsh language game show ''Siôn a Siân''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=WalesOnline |date=2012-04-07 |title=First gay couple for Welsh language Mr and Mrs programme |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/film-tv/first-gay-couple-welsh-language-2032132 |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref>  From Anglesey originally, Rowlands now lives in Cardiff.

In 2020 Rowlands was nominated for outstanding contribution to LGBT life in the 2020 British LGBT Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Just Eat – Top 10 Outstanding Contributors to LGBT+ Life 2020 – British LGBT Awards|date=11 February 2020 |url=https://www.britishlgbtawards.com/just-eat-top-10-outstanding-contributors-to-lgbt-life-2020/|access-date=2021-01-05|language=en-GB}}</ref>

He has been recognised as an influential LGBT+ person in Wales, earning a place on the ''Western Mail''’s Pinc List each year since the list was first published in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/pinc-list-40-most-influential-9832177 |last=Jones |first=Hannah |title=The Pinc List: The 40 most influential LGBT people in Wales - Wales' first ever Pinc List of the 40 lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people making a difference|website=WalesOnline |date=August 15, 2015 |access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref>

Also in 2015, Rowlands was listed in the Wales Arts Powerlist as one of fifty people making a mark on Welsh culture due to the success of the Iris Prize.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/arts-power-list-2015-50-8539320 |last=Price |first=Karen |title=Arts Power List 2015: The 50 men and women putting Wales centre stage - Who did you choose for the number one spot from across the fields of music, film, theatre and the visual arts? |website=WalesOnline |date=January 29, 2015 |access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref>

Rowlands was presented with a St David Awards award for Culture by the First Minister of Wales in 2022 recognising his work with the Iris Prize.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=Cyhoeddi enwau enillwyr Gwobrau Dewi Sant 2022 |language=cy |work=BBC Cymru Fyw |url=https://www.bbc.com/cymrufyw/61028773 |access-date=2022-04-08}}</ref> In 2023, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by University of Wales Trinity Saint David.<ref name=":1" />

In 2024 Rowlands was identified as one of seven Arts & Film Game Changers who have used National Lottery funding to create, develop and do brilliant things.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-04 |title=UK-first AI artwork to honour seven arts and film 'game-changers' |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/first-ai-artwork-honour-tendendo-30295933 |access-date=2026-04-02 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, Berwyn}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Welsh LGBTQ people Category:Welsh film producers Category:LGBTQ film producers Category:21st-century Welsh LGBTQ people Category:People from Anglesey