Dr Geraldine Lublin, Welsh-medium lecturer with the University’s Languages, Translation and Media Department aims to study the festival from its very beginning in order to understand its development through the decades and evaluate its present significance.

The festival is celebrated on 28 July every year, the date which the first group of Welsh people landed in Porth Madryn on board the Mimosa. 2015 will mark a hundred and fifty years since Welsh settlers first arrived at the South American colony.

Dr Lublin used the £500 to travel to Chubut, Patagonia where she visited Chubut State Historical Archive to discover press reports on the festival and governmental legislation relevant to the event.

During the visit, Dr Lublin gave a talk about the subject at the International Forum on the Welsh in Patagonia, an event which is held every other year to share information and different aspects of the Welsh people of Patagonia’s culture.

Dr Geraline Lublin said: ‘‘Studying the history of the festival on the eve of its birthday has been an eye opener, and I learnt how early the festival won official approval by the Argentinian authorities. I look forward to continuing the work and I would like to thank the Thomas Ellis Memorial Fund which enabled me to travel to Patagonia to create contacts and collect valuable information.’’