Bodmin to honour 21 new Cornish bards, from Newquay to Mexico

The names are known. The bardic names are not. When 21 new members of the Gorsedh Kernow College of Bards take their places at Bodmin this September, each will hear the Cornish name they will carry for the rest of their lives spoken aloud for the first time, in front of everyone.

Twenty-one people are being welcomed into the College of Bards in recognition of their work for Cornwall, from music and drama to language teaching, heritage conservation and the quiet business of keeping Cornish identity alive in communities thousands of miles from Kernow. Grand Bard of Cornwall Jenefer Lowe, whose own bardic name is Gwythvosen, will lead the ceremony on Saturday 5 September 2026.

What the bards are honoured for

Gorsedh Kernow was set up to celebrate and promote Cornwall’s distinctive Celtic culture, and much of this year’s list reflects that aim. Some of the new bards earned their place by examination in the Cornish language. Others are recognised for years of community work, for teaching Kernewek, for looking after archaeology and heritage, or for carrying Cornish identity abroad.

The reach is striking. Alongside bards from Newquay, Bodmin, Falmouth, Penzance and Redruth, there are people honoured for their work in California, Australia and Mexico, plus Somerset and Devon. Cornish culture, it turns out, does not stop at the Tamar.

The new bards for 2026 are:

• Jim Christophers, Trencreek, Newquay, for the promotion of Kernow through music.
• Bridget Collinge, Tavistock, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Kernow.
• Jane Cunio, Montacute, Somerset, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Kernow.
• Elizabeth Dale, Perranworthal, for preserving local heritage and cultural history.
• Emma Gibson, Paul, for promoting the Cornish language, culture and identity in the community.
• Paul Haas, Grass Valley, California, for promoting Cornish identity in the USA.
• Rosalyn Hayward, Luxulyan, for promoting Cornish cultural life and encouraging community participation in Cornish customs, history and identity.
• Fin Irwin, Bodmin, for working on projects that strengthen Cornish identity in Bodmin and its surroundings.
• Will Keating, Falmouth, for the promotion of Kernow through music.
• Judith Lawrence, Penzance, for promoting Kernewek in her community.
• Phil Lokan, South Australia, for promoting Cornish identity in Australia.
• Robin McCarthy, Grampound Road, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Kernow.
• Mark Mitchley, Gorran Haven, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Kernow.
• Susan Opie, Newlyn, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Kernow.
• Stephen Polglase, Ashton, Helston, for sharing his knowledge of Cornish history, mining and heritage.
• Ann Preston-Jones, Truro, for promoting Cornish culture through the care, conservation and management of archaeology.
• Catherine Quayle, Diamond Springs, California, for promoting Cornish identity in the USA.
• Tamara Rosenwyn, for the promotion of Kernow through drama and arts in the Lizard community.
• Francesco Trejo, Hidalgo, Mexico, for promoting Cornish identity in Mexico.
• Cathy Woolcock, Redruth, for her dedication to Kernow and its heritage.
• Francesca Churchill-Zerilli, for working on projects that strengthen Cornish identity in Bude and its surroundings.

The ceremony at Bodmin

The annual procession of bards and the installation of the 21 new initiates takes place at 2pm on Saturday 5 September in Bodmin, as part of the Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture. Jenefer Lowe will lead it.

The whole ceremony is conducted in Cornish, though anyone who does not speak the language can follow it easily using the English translation printed in the ceremony booklets. Everyone is welcome and there is no charge to attend.

And the bardic names? Those stay secret until the moment each new bard steps forward on the day.