‘AN MIS’ CORNISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW WILL RETURN LATER IN 2023, ACCORDING TO THE MAN BEHIND IT, MATTHI AB DEWI, WHO IS UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT THIS SUMMER. BUT IT WILL NEED MORE FUNDING SO WATCH THIS SPACE…
There’s been a movement in Cornwall over the past few years. It’s not an official one. It’s not even one you can pinpoint. But we all know it’s there. It’s a movement defined by Cornish people – many of them teenagers and youngsters – who want to reclaim the traditions of old. That means that some ancient traditions and events are being rekindled. And it also means that more people all the time are learning to speak and understand the Cornish language.
But if you’re learning a language, what’s the best way to practice it? By talking to others who also speak the lingo, surely. However, if few people around you can speak Cornish well enough, what do you do? Well, many people across the Duchy tune in each month to ‘An Mis’, a half-hour Cornish language television programme that’s produced by Cornish language TV service Pellwolok an Gernewegva. It’s a great show to keep up with local news and features while you immerse yourself in the local tongue.
Sadly, ‘An Mis’ has taken a hiatus in 2023. The final show before the break was aired at the end of February and the return date won’t be confirmed for a while – it’ll be off our screens until at least well into the summer – because the man behind the entire project, fluent Cornish speaker and radio host Matthi ab Dewi, is undergoing cancer treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He tells Proper Cornwall: “I am resting the show until summer at the earliest due to my cancer treatment. This is certainly not the end of ‘An Mis’, though. This is just a short break.”
Matthi ab Dewi in a screenshot from the February 2023 episode of ‘An Mis’
There have been 63 editions of the online show (at 12 a year, we’re sure you can work out when it began…). Programmes have covered anything from the latest news in Cornwall to features on local castles or traditional ceremonies. Some well-known names have popped in over the years and there’s always a relaxed, informative tone, thanks to ab Dewi’s style and experience in front of the lens.
As for funding, there is to be a drive on ab Dewi’s return after his treatment. “Funding for ‘An Mis’ has been running out,” he says. “There have been some cuts to our funding and we may face an uncertain future. But we will renew calls for financial support and we will let Proper Cornwall help us to appeal for help once I am back after treatment and the show resumes.”
Ab Dewi, whose English name is Matthew Clarke, says that the show is ‘a lifeline for Cornish speakers’. He says: “It’s the only show of its kind. Half an hour every month on some of the biggest Cornish news stories alongside some fascinating features, all in Cornish. There’s literally nothing else like it for helping those who are learning the language to keep listening, practicing and understanding.”
“It takes a long, long time to put this show together,” adds ab Dewi. “And it’s done on a shoestring budget. But it’s worth the effort as we receive so many positive comments from both fluent Cornish speakers and those who are learning the language. They see it as a resource as much as a way to keep on top of the news and to be entertained at the same time. I will miss doing the show during my treatment but we will back on air as soon as possible this year. Watch this space!”
Watch this space indeed as we will let you know as soon as we do when ‘An Mis’ will be broadcast again. And we will give you details of how to donate to keep it running so that it can entertain, educate and inform Cornish speakers in our magical land for many more years to come.
Check out ‘An Mis‘ and other shows here at anradyo.com.