The Writers of Wales Database

BEER, CHERYL

Tel: 07891 868438
Email: cherylbeermusic@gmail.com
Website: www.cherylbeer.co.uk
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Author, Singer/Song Writer & Community Arts Consultant. Born in 1965, Cheryl grew up in Hertfordshire and moved to Wales as a teenager to read a BSc.Hons in Behavioural Sciences, a Post Grad in Guidance and a Masters in Social Science & Economics. Although primarily known as an established and Award Winning Singer/Song Writer (her powerful lyrics securing her an Album of the Month with HMV in 2001), six years ago Cheryl set up Parlor Press, a Community Publishing Company which has gone from strength to strength, releasing 10 books to promote creative writing primarily with those who have specific support needs, or are said to be ‘hard to reach’.

The first of these publications Tales from Two Valleys funded by the Youth Service, is a collection of poems written in creative writing workshops with Cheryl by young people in youth clubs, who were given the opportunity to re-interpret local folk stories in their home villages. This publication won an Excellence Award from the Welsh Youth Agency.

Developing inclusive techniques, Cheryl has supported many community groups to gain a voice via creative writing. My Voice, funded by The Wanless Fund and supported by The Mental Health Alliance, was based at Hafan Coed Day Centre for people with psychosis. The publication of poetry and stories written in workshops with Cheryl and published by Parlor Press, was presented by Cardiff University at the National Conference for Mental Health, hosted by Oxford University, where the work was identified as ‘Best Practise’ and the writers were supported to read and display their creative writing. Celtic Heroine, a poetry publication celebrating women’s history as well as local ‘heroines’, was nominated by the Young Mums Project for a National Gold Award and Cheryl herself, was a finalist in Welsh Woman of the Year for her contribution to culture.

In addition to her Community Publications, Parlor Press has released Heaven Scent: The History of the Welsh Songstress; research initially supported by The Arts Council of Wales, celebrating the contribution made to song by women in Wales through oral history. The book launched to a sell out audience in the Stwdio at The Millennium Centre and toured 20 venues across Wales.

In 2009 Parlor Press has released The Amazing Adventures of Superboo; a collection of stories based in a West Wales village, where the lifecycle of the main characters aims to help children to come to terms with bereavement and loss; edited by the children of C’aer Felin School.

Cheryl has recently secured a page as a regular writer on Community Music for Feedback Magazine. As Song Consultant for 'The Valleys Girl', funded by Head 4 Arts, Cheryl supported over 850 people to write creatively; their poems and lyrics being translated into a script by Chris Durnall (Artistic Director) and delivered at 4 major productions across the Heads of the Valleys.

Working a Consultant for ArtsConnect, a consortium consisting of The Welsh Assembly, Head for Arts and 7 County Arts Development teams, Cheryl was commissioned to write and collect poetry, lyric and song from over 270 people and translate these pieces into spoken word performance poetry with soundscape or song re: the 21 year vision for the arts in Wales.

Although Cheryl does not speak Welsh, she has been commissioned this year as a Community Arts Consultant for the Fflach/Flash project, developing techniques in the field for English speaking Arts practitioners to support them to introduce Welsh Language into their creative workshops.

Cheryl now lives in Carmarthenshire but travels almost daily with her yellow beetle as companion, across Wales and the UK, to facilitate, consult, deliver and promote ways to engage, inspire, excite and empower communities through creative writing and the arts per se.

Selected Publications:
Engaged: Using Music & the Arts to Engage Teenagers (Parlor Press 2006)
Damage Limitation: What Do Young People Think about Criminal Damage? … And How Do They Think The Arts Can Reduce It? (Parlor Press, 2007)
My Story: Your Story: Violent Crime and Victims (Parlor Press, 2008)
Split Endz: Creative Writing and Careers Guidance (Parlor Press, 2009)
Heaven Scent: The History of the Welsh Songstress (Parlor Press)

Contributed to:
Tales from Two Valleys: Local Folk Tales (editor) (Parlor Press, 2004)
Celtic Heroine: Celebrating Welsh Women (editor) (Parlor Press 2005)
My Voice (editor) (Parlor Press, 2007)
Piece by Piece: Creative Writing to Promote Mental Well Being & Nurture Self Esteem (editor) (Parlor Press, 2007/8)
The Amazing Adventures of Superboo (editor) (Parlor Press, 2009)
Write in the Heart of the Community (editor) (Parlor Press, 2009)

Heaven Scent: The History of the Welsh Songstress (Parlor Press, 2005)

Welsh Woman of the Year Finalist for her contribution to Culture, Cheryl Beer is essentially a woman with song in her veins. A born wordsmith with a voice like chocolate, she has the ability to take her audience on an emotional roller coaster.

Nominated Best Female Solo Artist at the Welsh Music Awards, with an HMV and Folking.com album of the month under her belt, it is no surprise that this thinking person’s song writer began to wonder why Welsh women’s contribution to song remained strangely silent.

Following the success of her Award Winning first publication, with Heaven Scent Cheryl brings us the culmination of her Wales Arts Council funded research, creating a platform from which Welsh Women can claim and celebrate their song history. Cheryl was funded to meet and collate songs regarding each of the women and take those songs on a journey to inform communities of Welsh Women’s song history, but throughout the process it became clear that the stories also needed to be preserved in a more permanent format: a book.

Cheryl has found the songstress, making it her mission to take us with her as she visits these women in their homes across Wales.

Welsh Women do have a song history.

Just as the scent of an angel floats through heaven, so the voice of the songstress interweaves with the rich tapestry that is Welsh culture.

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Piece by Piece: Creative Writing to Promote Mental Well Being & Nurture Self Esteem (editor) (Parlor Press, 2007/8)

Piece by Piece aims to give a platform to people with psychosis, their family, carers and support team, enabling them to express their side of their story, through various forms of creative writing.

Based at Hafan Coed Early Intervention Service in Blackwood, Cheryl Beer facilitated a series of innovative workshops and 1:1 sessions, included here as a collection of the creative writing, as well as the teaching notes. It is hoped that the book will inspire and be of interest to other people who have mental health support needs. It may also be of interest to people who work within the field of mental health, as the facilitator notes may give ideas and insights into ways of empowering people who have mental health support needs. In addition, it may be of interest to any reader who embraces holistic views of others, or who wants to explore the creative writing process.

Copies of this book are available by special request by emailing: superboo@tiscali.co.uk
 



The Amazing Adventures of Superboo (editor) (Parlor Press, 2009)

I loved my Boo and I still love my Boo.

She was a member of our family. She shared our Christmases, she came on holiday with us, she woke me every day with a furry smile and a waggy tail.

So when she died, we cried very sad tears. As a puppy, she was a tiny ball of fluff cradled in my arms and I never imagined that one day, just 12 years later, she would be gone. I got to thinking … if it is hard for grown-ups to come to terms with the loss of a furry member of the family, it must be even more difficult for children to understand.

When I started writing my Boo book, it was just going to be a collection of stories. I was very poorly and had to spend a long time in bed, so writing a book gave me something to do. But then Boo got poorly too; more poorly than me. I went to hospital; she went to the vets. I came home; she didn’t … bless her.

And so this book became my comfort, my way of holding onto her forever. It has helped me and I hope it helps you too.

These pages will take you on a journey with Superboo though her amazing adventures in this world and the next. Just like everyone, Becky’s stories are sometimes funny and sometimes sad, so you might need to have a box of tissues next to you. But one thing is certain, where there is a Boo, there is always love and fluff.

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Write in the Heart of the Community (editor) (Parlor Press, 2009)

Write in the Heart of the Community gives an insight into the work facilitates by Freelance Arts Consultant / Singer Song Writer/ Author Cheryl Beer, in partnership with Head for Arts, Communities First, Aberbeeg & Llanhilleth Institute and the local community. It showcases the creative work of the local community though various workshops in writing, song, oral history and poetry. It also gives us an understanding of how the Arts as a medium can gel people; can allow access to those who may not have chosen the arts, as well as show us clearly how the arts can help us to meet wider aims, such as promoting inter-generational understanding, helping to support the promotion of health needs or ensuring equal access. It also shows us that writing can be jolly good fun!

Copies of this book are available by special request by emailing: superboo@tiscali.co.uk