National Eisteddfod 2013

Among the many attractions at the National Eisteddfod this week has been an exhibition about an old North Wales hospital. The former Victorian mental hospital - which has now fallen into disrepair - has been a major landmark in Denbigh for over a hundred years. Lorna Prichard reports.

Almost a week after the filmmaker Josephine Sowden won the gold medal at the National Eisteddfod for her piece of video art, a row's brewing over whether it should have been awarded to a piece containing spoken English.

There's a long established rule at the Eisteddfod that all competitions happen in the medium of Welsh. Campaigners want to keep things strictly that way. Lorna Prichard reports.

Preparations are underway for tomorrow's Gorsedd ceremony and our correspondent Carole Green has been to meet Denbigh-born chef Bryn Williams who is one of those being honoured.

The future of the National Eisteddfod was under the spotlight today as a Welsh Government-appointed panel met on the Maes to discuss how to modernise the event.

A group set up to look at modernising the National Eisteddfod will share reveal some of its considerations, at a question and answer session on the Maes this afternoon.

Broadcaster Roy Noble chairs the National Eisteddfod Task and Finish Group, which started work last autumn and is due to report back to the First Minister in October.

For some time, organisers of the National Eisteddfod have tried to break a perception that the annual festival is aimed mainly at Welsh speakers.

This year in Denbigh, those new to the event are being taken on tours of the field, to help them feel part of proceedings.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has come under pressure from Welsh language campaigners at the Eisteddfod wanting to know how he's going to make it easier for people to go about their daily lives using Welsh, such as greater provision when accessing public services like healthcare.

Owain Phillips reports.

One of the big draws on the Maes is the Open Art Exhibition.

Fifty-six artists have been chosen this year to show their work - and nearly half of them are taking part in the Eisteddfod for the first time.

Carole Green caught up with one of the newcomers.

The First Minister has hit back at criticism from Welsh language campaigners, saying some of the problems facing the language need to be fully explored - the thinking behind his 'Big Conversation' on the future of Welsh.

"We had Y Gynhadledd Fawr in July. We had huge number of people there - thousands of people literally sending their responses" says Carwyn Jones.

"These things are important. It's alright to say you've got do something, but the first thing to do is find out what people think is right to do and that's what that Y Gynhadledd Fawr did - to actually put in place a process where you listen to people first and then of course get things moving."

It's day three of the National Eisteddfod near Denbigh. The First Minister is facing calls to do more to make it easier for people to use Welsh every day.

"It's important to show that what we're talking about is people's lives, people's healthcare, social care... people looking to having leisure services, children, young people being able to have opportunities to use Welsh outside of school" says Sian Howys from Cymdeithas Yr Iaith.

"These are the things that are going to make a real difference in terms of the future of the language but also in terms of just us wanting to use the language every day in ordinary situations."