A NEW festival has put out a call for folk dancers in the Vale of Glamorgan to try and to earn a place at an iconic Welsh competition.

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod will break with tradition, partnering with the new Festival of Discovery.

It is the first time since its creation in 1947 that Llangollen will allow another event to act as a qualifier.

A total of 12 troupes of folk dancers will be given the chance to compete for a share of £3,500 – and to perform at Llangollen, which helped launch the careers of world stars like Sir Bryn Terfel, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.

The Eisteddfod’s acting musical director, Edward-Rhys Harry, said: “This partnership with the Festival of Discovery is a first for us and is about reaching out into the community and forging links with other cultural events.

“Dance is very important to us at Llangollen and we are very well represented from an international point of view and we hope this will encourage a stronger entry from within Wales, across all ages, no holds barred.”

The Festival of Discovery Wales will take place at the Anglesey Showground from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, June 1.

Entries must be in by March 29. Further details at https://www.festivalofdiscovery.wales/