Cefin and Rhian Roberts are the husband and wife team behind the highly-acclaimed Ysgol Glanaethwy performing arts school. Established in 1990, the school celebrates its twenty first birthday this year.

During the first years they won numerous competitions at national eisteddfodau as well as winning top awards at the Music For Youth Festival and the Barclays Music Festival but it was entering the BBC's Last Choir Standing series that made Ysgol Glanaethwy a household name.  Their stunning performances won the hearts of viewers and a well-earned place in the final. Performance requests from across the UK and beyond have been pouring in ever since.

Cefin and Rhian first met when they competed as soloists at local and national eisteddfodau. Although competing against each other during their teenage years, they also formed a successful duet team and that's when their partnership blossomed.

They both studied Welsh and Music at Trinity College, Carmarthen and Cefin went on to study acting at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

In the early eighties they formed a very popular close harmony group called Hapnod and recorded three light entertainment series for S4C. They both worked as actors and teachers until the late eighties but always harboured the dream of starting their own performing arts school.

In 1990 they took the plunge, starting out by renting rehearsal rooms and other unusual and interesting spaces to start their business.  The overwhelming demand for places at the school, led them to buy a plot of land at Parc Menai Business Park in 1995 where they built, Ysgol Glanaethwy.

From these premises, Cefin and Rhian have nurtured the skills and talent of a generation of young people from across North Wales. Many are appearing in West End casts and on national television and radio programmes while others are leaders in our communities. Cefin and Rhian were awarded honorary fellowships by the University of Bangor in 2001 for their contribution to the lives of young people through the school.

Pupils of Ysgol Glanaethwy have shared a stage with Shirley Bassey, Catherine Jenkins, Catherine Zeta Jones, Cleo Lane and Johnny Dankworth, Wayne Sleep, Prunella Scales, Ioan Gruffydd, Bryn Terfel and many other top artistes.

They have performed in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Ireland, Scotland and England and last year represented Wales at the 2010 World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China returning home with two gold and one silver award.

Ysgol Glanaethwy stands out as a shining example of the region's creative industry at its best. Cefin and Rhian will share with us the joys and challenges of establishing a world-class performing arts school here in North Wales.

Members of Ysgol Glanaethwy cast will also be contributing to the event throughout the day ensuring that Spotlight North Wales is sure to be as energizing and inspiring as ever!

Other Speakers

• Tim Smit Chief Executive, the Eden Project
• Andrew Conlan-Trant Director of Labour Market Services at Rehab Group
• Dr Martin Rhisiart Director, Centre for Research in Futures and Innovation
• Ann Beynon OBE BT Director Wales
• Gulzari Babber Deputy President of CIMA