Cornish Culture Festival Bards Honored in Bodmin

On Saturday, September 5, the College of Bards of Gorsedh Kernow will induct 21 new members during the Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture in Bodmin. The ceremony, led by Grand Bard Jenefer Lowe, will recognize musicians Jim Christophers and Will Keating for promoting Kernow through music, community activist Fin Irwin, Cornish Heritage Trust chief Cathy Woolcock, and blogger Elizabeth Dale (known as “The Cornish Bird”) for preserving local heritage.

Overseas honorees include Paul Haas and Catherine Quayle from California, Francesco Trejo from Mexico, and Phil Lokan from South Australia, all acknowledged for advancing Cornish identity abroad. Additional recipients are Emma Gibson, Rosalyn Hayward and Francesca Churchill‑Zerilli for their contributions to language and culture, while language‑exam candidates Robin McCarthy, Mark Mitchley, Susan Opie, Bridget Collinge and Jane Cunio are also named.

The event highlights the ongoing efforts to sustain and celebrate distinct Cornish identity both locally and internationally.