Beacons: Focus on Mirain Iwerydd

Written by Isabella Crowther

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Mirain Iwerydd wasn’t seeking out a career in radio when a producer was putting together content for the Urdd’s Eisteddfod T week and asked if she ever considered presenting. “(They)…asked me if I was interested in applying to co-present a week of two hour daily programmes on Radio Cymru 2, with Ellis Lloyd Jones. There was a bit of apprehension, to begin with, before I said ‘yes’, because I’d never done radio before, or solo presenting, or live radio presenting for that matter either.” Well, it must have been second nature to her because one of the presenters at Radio Cymru 2 was taking a break and producers for the show asked if she was interested in taking over. “It came as a massive shock to me, to be honest, that someone thought that I, a nineteen-year-old, first-year university student at the time, was good enough to present a three-hour radio show and operate the sound desk at the same time. I’ve genuinely never said yes to anything more quickly in my life.” 

 

So what is her secret? Well, Mirain credits saying ‘yes’ to work experience and putting herself out there as much as possible for the amount of success she has achieved in such a short amount of time. Although she admits that she thought about not taking the opportunities that got herself here, she inspiringly stated, “Moral of the story: if there’s anyone out there that doesn't feel as though they’ve got anything to offer, or that thinks that literally no-one is going to give a damn about what you have to say, my advice is to just give yourself a chance.” 

 

It took her quite a few programmes at the radio station to feel like she was totally comfortable within the role. She was focusing on making it through and not doing anything incorrectly…”But now I absolutely love the three hours in front of the desk. Before then, I think my main focus for every show was just to try not to mess things up, and get through a three-hour show.

Right now, I feel like being behind the desk is like one of my favourite places, and I enjoy doing the show so so much. There’s still a tiny bit of pre-show anxiety, but I think that’s pretty natural when the presenting adrenaline kicks in.”

 

I was interested to ask how her colleagues of a similar age also got into radio, which led us back to the topic of putting yourself out there through making videos for online platforms and Tiktok. Continuing, she said “Being self-confident and ready to say ‘yes’ to things really helps… but also having said that, saying ‘no’ to a lot of things has helped me and my colleagues of a similar age in the industry. Knowing who I am has been important; having a strong sense of self. From the start, I’ve always been very confident in what I want to do, what I stand for, and what I enjoy doing. Saying 'no' to things has also been helpful to me and others of a similar age in the industry. I've found that sometimes you've got to know what you want to do, and say ‘yes’ to those things, not the things - or the 'image' - that other people want from you, and what they think you should be doing.”

 

So what is possible next for Mirain? She said she would possibly like to move into radio production or become a musical artist. “Even though I’ve got zero experience in production, it just seems fascinating to me, and I’ve realised how much TV and Radio is reliant on the production team. Every single producer I’ve ever worked with works mega hard, and they have to do FAR more work than I’ve ever had to do.” 

 

Mirain is inspiring because she is proof that being young doesn’t hold you back. You can still be taken seriously and make great strides in a very short amount of time!

Bannau Canolbwyntio ar Mirain Iwerydd

Ysgrifennwyd gan Isabella Crowther

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Nid oedd Mirain Iwerydd yn chwilio am yrfa ym myd radio pan oedd cynhyrchydd yn llunio cynnwys ar gyfer wythnos T Eisteddfod yr Urdd a gofynnodd a oedd hi erioed wedi ystyried cyflwyno, “(Maen nhw)…gofynnodd i mi a oedd gennyf ddiddordeb mewn gwneud cais i gyd-gyflwyno a wythnos o ddwy awr o raglenni dyddiol ar Radio Cymru 2, gydag Ellis Lloyd Jones. Roedd yna dipyn o bryder, i ddechrau, cyn i mi ddweud ‘ie’, achos doeddwn i erioed wedi gwneud radio o’r blaen, na chyflwyno unigol, na chyflwyno radio byw o ran hynny chwaith.” Wel, mae'n rhaid ei fod yn ail natur iddi oherwydd roedd un o gyflwynwyr Radio Cymru 2 yn cymryd hoe a chynhyrchwyr y sioe yn gofyn a oedd ganddi ddiddordeb mewn cymryd yr awenau. “Fe ddaeth yn sioc enfawr i mi, a dweud y gwir, fod rhywun yn meddwl fy mod i, myfyriwr pedair ar bymtheg oed, blwyddyn gyntaf yn y brifysgol ar y pryd, yn ddigon da i gyflwyno rhaglen radio tair awr a gweithredu’r rhaglen. desg sain ar yr un pryd. Dw i erioed wedi dweud ydw i ddim byd cyflymach yn fy mywyd.”

 

Felly beth yw ei chyfrinach? Wel, mae Mirain yn cydnabod dweud ‘ie’ i brofiad gwaith a rhoi ei hun allan cymaint â phosibl am faint o lwyddiant y mae hi wedi’i gyflawni mewn cyfnod mor fyr. Er ei bod yn cyfaddef iddi feddwl am beidio â manteisio ar y cyfleoedd a gafodd ei hun, roedd hi'n ysbrydoledig dywedodd, “Moesol y stori os oes yna unrhyw un allan yna sydd ddim yn teimlo bod ganddyn nhw unrhyw beth i'w gynnig, neu sy'n meddwl hynny. yn llythrennol, nid oes unrhyw un yn mynd i roi damn am yr hyn sydd gennych i'w ddweud, fy nghyngor i yw rhoi cyfle i chi'ch hun."

 

Fe gymerodd hi dipyn o raglenni yn yr orsaf radio i deimlo ei bod hi'n hollol gyfforddus yn y rôl. Roedd hi'n canolbwyntio ar wneud pethau drwodd a pheidio â gwneud unrhyw beth yn anghywir…”Ond nawr rydw i wrth fy modd gyda'r tair awr o flaen y ddesg. Cyn hynny, dwi'n meddwl mai fy mhrif ffocws ar gyfer pob sioe oedd ceisio peidio â gwneud llanast o bethau, a mynd trwy sioe dair awr.

Ar hyn o bryd, dwi'n teimlo bod bod tu ôl i'r ddesg fel un o fy hoff lefydd, a dwi'n mwynhau gwneud y sioe gymaint. Mae yna ychydig bach o bryder cyn y sioe o hyd, ond rwy’n meddwl ei bod yn eithaf naturiol iddo ddigwydd pan fydd yr adrenalin cyflwyno yn cychwyn.”

 

Roedd gen i ddiddordeb mewn gofyn iddi sut yr aeth ei chydweithwyr o oedran tebyg i fyd radio hefyd a arweiniodd ni yn ôl at y pynciau cyn rhoi eich hun allan yna trwy wneud fideos ar gyfer llwyfannau ar-lein a Tiktok. Gan barhau, dywedodd, “Mae bod yn hunanhyderus ac yn barod i ddweud ie i bethau yn help mawr… ond hefyd wedi dweud hynny, mae dweud na i lawer o bethau wedi fy helpu i a fy nghydweithwyr o oedran tebyg i mi yn y diwydiant. Mae gwybod pam rydych chi wedi bod yn bwysig, a chael ymdeimlad cryf o hunan. O’r dechrau, rydw i wastad wedi bod yn hyderus iawn yn yr hyn rydw i eisiau ei wneud yr hyn rydw i’n sefyll drosto a’r hyn rydw i’n mwynhau ei wneud. Mae dweud 'na' i bethau hefyd wedi bod o gymorth i mi ac eraill o oedran tebyg i mi yn y diwydiant. Rwyf wedi darganfod weithiau eich bod chi'n dod i wybod beth rydych chi eisiau ei wneud a dweud ie i'r pethau hynny, nid y pethau, neu'r 'ddelwedd' mae pobl eraill eisiau gennych chi, a beth maen nhw'n meddwl y dylech chi fod yn ei wneud.”

 

Felly beth sy'n bosibl nesaf i Mirain? Dywedodd efallai y byddai'n hoffi symud i faes cynhyrchu radio neu ddod yn artist cerddorol. “Er nad oes gen i ddim profiad o gynhyrchu, mae’n ymddangos yn hynod ddiddorol i mi, ac rydw i wedi sylweddoli faint o deledu a radio sy’n dibynnu ar y tîm cynhyrchu. Mae pob un cynhyrchydd rydw i erioed wedi gweithio gyda nhw yn gweithio'n galed iawn, ac yn gorfod gwneud llawer mwy o waith nag rydw i erioed wedi gorfod ei wneud."

 

Mae Mirain yn ysbrydoledig oherwydd mae hi'n brawf nad yw bod yn ifanc yn eich dal yn ôl. Gellir eich cymryd o ddifrif o hyd a gwneud camau breision mewn cyfnod byr iawn!