Culture

BBC Wales staff celebrated in new LGBTQ+ portrait exhibition

30 Sep 2026 4 minute read

Pink Portraits 2026. Image: Iris Prize, BBC Cymru Wales, and Ffotogallery

Nation.Cymru Staff

A new series of portraits celebrating LGBTQ+ people working at BBC Cymru Wales is set to go on display as part of the 20th anniversary of the Iris Prize film festival.

The 19 Pink Portraits for 2026 were created by Harrison Williams, celebrating LGBTQ+ colleagues whose experiences and individuality help shape the BBC in Wales. 

The Pink Portraits aim to highlight the people behind content seen by audiences across Wales and beyond, while promoting an environment where people can be themselves.

Featuring individuals from across the organisation, including presenters, journalists, producers and editors, this year’s Pink Portraits will be on display at Cineworld Cardiff.

The exhibition that Ffotogallery are holding of the images as part of their Ffoto Cymru Festival will be on display from 2 to 31 October in the Atrium, the Cardiff campus of University of South Wales.

A behind-the-scenes look at the production of the Pink Portraits 2026, BTS – Pink Portraits 2026 from Kole Parrott, will be shown on the festival’s opening night (Monday, 12 October).

The Pink Portraits project was originally launched in 2010, when the Iris Prize and UK Film Council commissioned photographer Donald MacLellan to photograph 20 gay and lesbian professionals working in film and television. It was revived in 2023.

BBC Cymru Wales presenter Owain Wyn Evans, who was one of the 2026 sitters, said: “Pink Portraits is such a joyful celebration of identity, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of it.

“I’ve always admired the work of Iris, and as an LGBTQ+ person at the BBC, I now feel able to bring my whole self to work, and I feel very lucky to do so.

“If these portraits help even one person feel a little more confident, more represented or more proud of who they are, then that’s something really worth celebrating.”

Iris Prize Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands said: “The Pink Portraits have become an important part of the film festival’s ability to connect with the wider community through photography.

“In this our 20th anniversary year we’ve pulled out all the stops and are delighted to be working with BBC Cymru Wales. The portraits taken by Cardiff creative Harrison Williams can be seen in at Cineworld, St Davids Dewi Sant and at the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters in Central Square, as well as online.”

Garmon Rhys, Interim Director of BBC Cymru Wales, added: “Our 2026 partnership with the Pink Portraits is a powerful celebration of the people who make BBC Cymru Wales what it is, and I’m looking forward to seeing these portraits brought to life and displayed across Cardiff over the next month.

“We’re proud to partner with the Iris Prize in its 20th anniversary year to showcase stories of visibility, authenticity and belonging.”

The sitters for the Pink Portraits 2026 are:

Dylan Reynolds, Production Apprentice  
Ella West, Assistant Editor  
Rhian Fuller, Production Manager  
David Grundy, Reporter  
Lois Jones, Content Producer  
Tyler Edwards, Journalist  
Owain Wyn Evans, Presenter 
Jack Davies, Production Coordinator  
Felicity Evans, Money Editor  
Jacob Cook, Production Apprentice 
Jake Sawyers, Tour Guide 
Soph Karpaty, Tour Guide 
Amy Mackrill, Journalist 
George Lee, BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, Head of Artistic Planning & Production 
Ben Evans, Content Producer 
Miriam Barker, Journalist 
Caitlin Jones, Production Apprentice 
Tim Dodd, Journalist 
Glyn Lewis (1973-2026), BBC TV Presentation, Announcer Director

The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is a seven-day celebration of LGBTQ+ film which takes place annually in Cardiff.  Its Iris Prize of  £40,000 is the largest LGBTQ+ short film prize in the world is supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation.

Iris Prize returns for the 20th edition on Monday 12 October until Sunday 18 October, with the support of the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding.

For more information, visit the festival’s site here and follow their social media for further updates: X: @irisprize   BlueSky: @irisprize.org

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