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So many hours, so little time...

2015-07-28T11:23:13+00:00

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Usually, my stomach starts to churn every June... 100 hours of television, 100 hours of radio and, on top of this, live web streams from the pavilion for 8 consecutive days... yes, the Eisteddfod is nearly here.

My job is to make sure that all of BBC Cymru Wales’ broadcasting goes as smoothly as possible. In order to do this, thousands of metres of cables need to be laid out for our cameras, hundreds upon hundreds of bulbs are needed for our lighting, tens of microphones, electricity generators, numerous computers to run everything from the pavilion results systems to the television graphics.

Directing TV output from inside the OB van

Broadcasting from the National Eisteddfod is one of the biggest television events in Britain - second only to Wimbledon... so they say.

The detailed work starts once we get the Eisteddfod list of events in early summer. Elfed Roberts, the festival's Chief Executive, joins us to go through the programme, and he suggests stories, ideas and observations in order for the various departments - television, radio, Cymru Fyw, news, Wales Today and marketing - to instruct their staff regarding what needs to be done.

Production Manager, Catrin Medi, has already convened the television teams - directors, producers, presenters, researchers, cameramen and sound men, editors, engineers, health and safety guys and runners. She's also worked closely throughout the year with Huw Aled, the Eisteddfod's Technical Manager, to make sure that our technical requirements are met, that the needs of the Eisteddfod are in-keeping with the broadcasting requirements, that the contracts between us and the subcontractors are ok and that the structural and technical infrastructure works!

The most difficult job is to make sure that our services get all the information and resources they need and that they operate as cost-effectively as possible. If you think about putting on an international rugby match every consecutive day for nine days, it gives you some idea of the enormity of the task.

BBC News getting the right vantage point overlooking the Maes

In July, we receive all types of interesting enquiries from our services at our main office: Is there sufficient satellite link to make sure Cymru Fyw can provide web streaming through London and to Salford so that it works on all platforms and devices? Will there be enough accommodation for all the crews? How far is Oswestry? Who is Brython Shag? What will happen if one of the brass bands doesn’t arrive at the Eisteddfod in time? Does anyone know where the archive clips of the winners from the Eisteddfod in Meifod in 2003 are? Has anyone contacted the presenters? Who's organising the Album of the Year? What will the weather be like and will we need wellingtons?

Making sure each one of our various services gets the correct answers at the right time is a major responsibility. Without careful internal co-operation between us and the hard-working Eisteddfod team, you can be certain that things could become a shambles very quickly.

And if you'll be joining us on television, on the radio, on demand or attending the festival itself in Meifod, we hope you'll enjoy yourself, and save a thought for all of us who are worried about everything from the weather to the colour of the new archdruid's socks!

A comprehensive guide to BBC's coverage of the Eisteddfod this year can be found on the BBC Cymru Fyw Eisteddfod pages.

Discover more with the BBC's iWonder guide on Druids, Bards and Rituals: What is an Eisteddfod?

Yn ail yn unig i Wimbledon

Bob mis Mehefin fel arfer mae’n stumog i yn dechrau troi… 100 o oriau o deledu, 100 o oriau radio ac ar ben hyn, gwe-lifo byw o’r Pafiliwn am 8 diwrnod yn olynol… ydi, mae’r Steddfod ar y gorwel. Fy swydd i ydi gwneud yn siŵr bod holl ddarlledu BBC Cymru yn gweithio mor llyfn â phosib. I wneud hynny mae angen gosod miloedd o fetrau o geblau ar gyfer ein camerâu, cannoedd ar gannoedd o fylbiau ar gyfer ein goleuadau, degau o feicroffonau, peiriannau, ‘generators’ ar gyfer trydan a phŵer, cyfrifiaduron rif y gwlith ar gyfer rhedeg popeth o sustemau canlyniadau’r pafiliwn i’r graffeg teledu. Darlledu yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ydi un o’r digwyddiadau teledu mwyaf ym Mhrydain - ac yn ail yn unig i Wimbledon… medda nhw.

Ma’r gwaith manwl yn cychwyn unwaith mae trefn weithgareddau’r Steddfod yn ein cyrraedd ddechrau’r haf. I fynd drwy’r rhaglen mae Elfed Roberts, Prif Weithredwr yr ŵyl, yn ymuno â ni ac yn cynnig straeon, syniadau a sylwadau er mwyn i’r adrannau gwahanol - yn deledu, radio, Cymru Fyw, Newyddion, Wales Today a marchnata wedyn gilio i’w gwahanol gilfachau i roi eu staff ar waith. Mae Catrin Medi, y Rheolwr Cynhyrchu, wedi rhoi'r timau teledu at ei gilydd eisoes - yn gyfarwyddwyr, cynhyrchwyr, cyflwynwyr, ymchwilwyr, gwyr camera a sain, golygyddion, peirianwyr, pobl iechyd a diogelwch a rhedwyr. Ma’ hi hefyd wedi bod yn gweithio yn agos trwy gydol y flwyddyn gyda Huw Aled, Rheolwr Technegol y Steddfod, i wneud yn siwr fod ein gofynion technegol yn cael eu gwireddu, fod anghenion y Steddfod yn cyd-orwedd efo’r gofynion darlledu, fod y cytundebau rhyngom a’r is-gontractwyr yn iawn a bod yr is-adeiladedd technegol a strwythurol yn gweithio!

Y swydd anoddaf oll ydi gwneud yn siwr fod ein gwasanaethau yn cael y wybodaeth a’r adnoddau ma’ nhw angen a’n bod yn gweithredu mor gost-effeithiol â phosib. Os feddyliwch chi am roi gêm rygbi ryngwladol ymlaen bob dydd yn olynol am 9 diwrnod, yna mae’n rhoi ryw fath o syniad o anferthedd y dasg.

Yn ystod mis Gorffennaf mae pob math o ymholiadau diddorol yn cyrraedd ein prif swyddfa gan ein gwasanaethau: Oes yna ddigon o linc lloeren i wneud yn siwr fod Cymru Fyw yn gallu gwe-lifo drwy Lundain ac i Salford er mwyn gweithio ar bob platfform a theclyn? A fydd yna ddigon o ystafelloedd aros i’r criwiau i gyd? Pa mor bell ydi Croesoswallt? Pwy ydy Brython Shag? Beth ddigwyddith os na wnaiff un o’r bandiau pres gyrraedd y Steddfod mewn pryd? Oes rhywun yn gwybod lle mae clipiau archif enillwyr Meifod 2003? Oes 'na rywun wedi cysylltu â’n cyflwynwyr? Pwy sy’n trefnu Albwm Y Flwyddyn? Sut dywydd fydd hi ac a fydda i angen wellingtons?!

Llawer iawn o gwestiynau dilys tu hwnt ac mae’n gyfrifoldeb mawr i wneud yn siwr fod pob un o’n gwasanaethau amrywiol yn cael yr atebion cywir ar yr amser cywir. Heb gyd-weithio gofalus yn fewnol a rhyngom ni a thîm gweithgar y Steddfod fe allwch fod yn sicr y galla’ pethau fynd yn rhemp yn sydyn iawn.

Ac os fyddwch chi yn ymuno â ni ar deledu, ar y radio, ar alw neu yn mynychu’r Ŵyl ym Meifod gobeithio y gwnewch chi fwynhau, a chofiwch amdanom ni sy’n poeni am bopeth o’r tywydd i liw sanau’r archdderwydd newydd!

Storytelling festival returns for second year

2012-11-02T12:21:33+00:00

The ancient art of storytelling has captivated listeners young and old for generations.

As the winter nights draw in, a motley crew of performers, puppeteers, singers and storytellers will be heading to Aberystwyth once more to celebrate this oral tradition and invite the public into its warm and welcoming circle of entertainment.

After the success of last year's inaugural festival, organisers decided to bring the event back "to warm the cockles of chill winter hearts".

Peter Stevenson, a children's book illustrator, storyteller and musician, is behind the event.

Peter Stevenson. Photo: Matthew Cowan

He runs the Magical Illuminarium, a lantern projector which harks back to the entertainment offered by travelling showmen in the advent of cinema. His projector will be at the festival accompanying stories with a range of glass slides featuring his own illustrations.

He told me: "I was really surprised by how popular the festival was last year. I think the great thing about storytelling is it has always been for everybody.

"People sometimes erroneously think it's just for children but through the ages the best stories have been those that appeal to all ages.

"This year I've expanded the festival sideways to really explore the visual arts side but we still have a lot of top storytellers who have chosen to take part.

"For example, Michael Harvey, who is in my view the best storyteller in Wales at the moment, is coming along to tell some Breton tales.

"We've also got Tuup, whom people think of as an elder in the storytelling tradition in Britain. He is returning after last year and this time is accompanied by the sitar player Sheema Mukherjee."

Storyteller Michael Harvey. Image courtesy of Michael Harvey

This year the festival's theme is Stories and the Visual Arts and Peter has specially commissioned three pieces of new work.

The first is by Mauritian artist Josian Fauzou, who is based in Aberystwyth, which invites the audience on a voyage in the Indian Ocean with stories from his native land written by local authors.

Mikyoung Jun Pearce and Rebecca Woodford-Smith have also produced an hour long film especially for the festival that will be shown in The Box, while Peter himself has devised a new show called Cabinet of Curiosities which features The Dancing Bear and the Doll.

Illustration from Peter Stevenson's The Dancing Bear and the Doll, courtesy of the artist

He told me: "It borrows from old Welsh stories about King Arthur and St Dwynwen struggling to understand their place in a world where history is told by museum mannequins and the past is sanitised in fluffy furry toys."

Peter will convey the stories with the help of his illuminarium and about 300 illustrations he has created for the event.

There will also be an exhibition of old fairy-tale films and modern contemporary artists' films about fairy tales as well as a photographic exhibition by Zoe Childerley featuring various sites where stories have historically been told in Wales.

Photograph from Zoe Childerley's Petrified in Storyland exhibition, courtesy of the artist

The festival takes place at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre from Friday 30 November until Sunday 2 December. Full details can be found on the Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival website.

Festival tickets are £25 and day tickets are available: Friday £8 (children £6); Saturday £12; Sunday £12 (£6). To book contact the ticket office on 01970 623232 or visit aber.ac.uk/artscentre.

Do Not Go Gentle festival designed with Dylan Thomas in mind

2012-11-01T15:44:14+00:00

Organisers of the inaugural Do Not Go Gentle festival, which takes place in Swansea this weekend, have kept one of the city's most famous sons firmly in mind during its planning.

The new festival celebrates the life and work of Dylan Thomas. As the website says, it aims "to be a festival Dylan might have liked, and yes that involves beer, but it also involves cosy and atmospheric venues, great acts and the lovely people of Swansea who first inspired him to write all those years ago."

Dylan Thomas at the BBC in 1948

I spoke to festival organiser Pierre Davies, who told me that the idea for Do Not Go Gentle was conceived "on a whim".

He said: "It all started after I read about a new Dylan Thomas festival in Ireland". He refers to the Dylan Thomas Literary Weekend held in County Clare in May, which celebrated Caitlin Thomas' Irish connections and the fact her father, Francis Macnamara, once lived in the festival venue, the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon.

News of the Irish festival, and perhaps its tenuous link to the poet, inspired Davies to create an event in Uplands area of Swansea, which has a far greater connection to Thomas but, he felt, was doing little to celebrate him.

He said: "We only started planning it about six months ago, which is a little risky for a festival - starting it on a whim! But people have really grasped the idea and the response has been great."

Davies explained the reasoning behind creating a festival that the poet may have enjoyed: "He seemed to enjoy small cosy bars and pubs. I think he'd be right at home in the venues chosen for the festival; we've tried to create an ambience that he might have enjoyed."

For a fledging festival there's a full and varied line-up, something Davies attributes to the respect shown towards the poet. He said, "It's all thanks to Dylan really; everyone we've contacted, when we've mentioned Dylan Thomas, they've said yes."

Writers involved in the weekend include the inaugural winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize, Rachel Trezise; poet Rhian Edwards, who was the winner of the 2012 John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry; writer and co-organiser of the recent xx minifest of women's writing, Susie Wild; plus comic poet and performer Mab Jones.

Rhian Edwards performing at Mozart's, Swansea in October 2011. Photo: Michael Süß/suessmichael.de

There's also a number of musicians from Swansea on the line-up such as Out Of The Woods, Captain Cat & The Sailors, Rag Foundation, Andy Jones, Thistledown and The Attic People.

Other musicians involved include Llandeilo duo Trwbador, Jemma Krysa, The Gentle Good, Peter Bruntnell and west Walian band Chailo Sim.

I asked Davies for some of his highlights. He said: "We've fantastic musical artists like Greta Isaac, who's only 17 and going to be star I think, plus great poets like Mab Jones and Rhian Edwards.

"Julie Murphy is going to be performing and we have the Dunvant Male Choir, which perhaps people won't have expected. They are amazing, and will be performing the Eli Jenkins Prayer from Under Milk Wood in a 300 capacity church. It'll be impressive.

"Scottish comedian Phil Kay is also performing, and we've just found out that some of the shortlisted authors for the Dylan Thomas Prize will be attending and reading extracts from their books."

There's also a little drama thrown into the mix, as Swansea-born actress Helen Griffin will perform the one-woman show Caitlin, bringing the love story of Caitlin and Dylan Thomas to life.

Do Not Go Gentle takes place between 3 and 4 November. For more details visit the website donotgogentlefestival.com.

There are more Dylan-related events taking place in Swansea over the next week or so.

The winner of the 2012 Dylan Thomas Prize will be announced at a ceremony on 9 November, the 59th anniversary of the poet's death.

The five shortlisted authors vying for the £30,000 prize are Chibundu Onuzo, Andrea Eames, Maggie Shipstead, Tom Benn and DW Wilson.

The Dylan Thomas Festival, which runs annually at the Dylan Thomas Centre and is unrelated to the Do Not Go Gentle festival, also continues until 9 November.

Upcoming events include a performance from Irish poet Paul Durcan, a talk by football journalist Graham Hunter on the similarities between FC Barcelona and Swansea City Football club and a poetry workshop by Rhian Edwards.

Derek Shiel will present his film on the Welsh artist and poet David Jones, poets Ros Barber and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch read from their latest works and Nigel Jenkins will launch the book Real Swansea 2, and will be in conversation with the series editor Peter Finch.

Zombies, ghouls and gore in store at Abertoir 2012

2012-10-26T12:47:29+00:00

It's that time of year when ghouls and vampires are haunting our shop windows and we are all a bit more prepared to be scared, whether it's by watching a scary movie or dressing as a bloodthirsty zombie for Hallowe'en.

And for fans of horror films, it's the time of year when attentions turn to Aberystwyth and a festival which, quite by accident according to organisers, has become an annual fixture.

Now in its seventh year, Abertoir attracts horror fans from all over the UK and showcases some of the best new European and British spine chillers on the screen, while re-showing cult classics from across the world.

Guests can also enjoy access to all sorts of appearances by special guests, talks and presentations from experts, live music, silent film accompaniment and live theatre.

Horror fans at Abertoir 2011. Photo courtesy of Abertoir Horror Festival

This year for the first time the festival is also reaching out to audiences in Cardiff, with a pre-festival warm-up to whet the appetite at Chapter Arts Centre, starting this weekend.

Films run from Friday 26 October until next Wednesday and viewers can purchase a Saturday pass for just £20 or buy three tickets for any shows on offer and get a fourth for free. Visit the Abertoir website for details on what's available at Chapter.

I caught up with festival director, Gaz Bailey, ahead of the festival, which kicks off in Aberystwyth on 6 November and runs until 11 November.

He said: "We're really excited to have teamed up with Chapter as this event gives audiences in Cardiff a taste of what to expect from the main event and hopefully encourages them to come along in the future.

"We've done our best to make it as affordable as possible, with help and funding from Film Agency Wales and Aberystwyth University.

"In Cardiff we've got the Welsh premières of the films Entity, Chained, Spectacle and Before Dawn, which is produced by Marc Price, the man behind the hit zombie film Colin. There will also be several opportunities for Q and As with those behind the films.

"And this year in Aberystwyth we've got the actress Catriona MacColl, best known for her roles in Italian horror, coming along to talk as well as the screening of a silent film called The Unknown, which will have a live piano accompaniment from Paul Shallcross who has created a brand new score especially for the event."

Guests will also be able to don their suspenders and stockings for a screening - with full audience participation - of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and a competition will judge the best dressed.

The festival opens with the extended version of The Shining and closes with an advance screening of Sightseers, the British black comedy thriller directed by Ben Wheatley, written by and starring Alice Lowe and Steve Oram.

Still from the film Sightseers. Photograph courtesy of Studio Canal

Other highlights include Vincent Price, the festival's official patron, making an appearance in digital 3D for the UK premiere of Sony's newly remastered version of the 1954 classic The Mad Magician. While actor Robert Lloyd Parry takes to the theatre stage to present old fashioned ghost stories from M R James.

Audiences will also get the chance to judge the winner of Abertoir's own short film competition. This year's shortlisted entrants will see their films considered alongside winning short films exhibited at film festivals across Europe.

Gaz added: "We're now a member of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation, so we're delighted to be awarding the winning short film a Méliès d'Argent award and an automatic nomination for the Méliès d'Or for Best European Fantastic Short Film, decided each year at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain.

"We're thrilled to be in our seventh year. Abertoir was never designed to be as popular or as long running as it has become but it's the only dedicated horror festival in Wales, hence its success.

"This is also the reason for our determination to make it as affordable an event as possible with the quality of content you'd expect from large cities."

Six-day festival passes cost £58 and allow festival-goers free entry to all films and special events. Individual tickets for screenings and gigs are also on sale. To book, telephone the box office on 01970 62 32 32 or visit abertoir.co.uk.

Sŵn diary

2012-10-24T08:52:10+00:00

Thursday

There was a little hum of excitement around the streets of Cardiff, especially down the musical hubbub of Womanby Street where Clwb Ifor Bach, Dempsey's, the Full Moon and now the Fashion Quarter are based: a vital heart to the Sŵn Festival activities.

The Full Moon was my first stop as I collected my wristband and felt the immediate warmth and pink glow of a plan about to hatch. Sŵn year six is go! An hour later I gatecrashed the Welsh Music Prize at the Angel Hotel, where such an array of Welsh talent gathered to hear who the panel of judges have awarded the album of the year to.

The nominees - Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Cate Le Bon, Kids In Glass Houses, Bright Light Bright Light, Jodie Marie, Los Campesinos! and so on - were all so totally different it was hard to see how they could compare such works, but the esteemed prize went to Future Of The Left for The Plot Against Common Sense. Band members Jimmy Watkins and Jack Egglestone took to the stage to accept their award with a bizarre but amusing speech and sporting quietly confident smiles.

The next step on my Thursday evening toe-dipping Sŵn experience was a showcase of short music documentaries by Soundtrack festival at 10 Feet Tall. This was one of my favourite Sŵn experiences too: from a yodelling farmer to a honkytonk piano maker to an obese rapper from Spain, all the films were incredibly gripping and entertaining.

Friday

After a day of sightseeing around Cardiff with some Sŵn visitors, I was late out on Friday and just made it to Clwb Ifor Bach to see The Invisible. 'Funkiness' can be a bad word in some circles, but here it's an apt description: pure funky flow, relaxed basslines, falsetto croonings and toe tapping dazzle. I liked it a lot but Liars had started already upstairs so I inched my way out of the packed crowd before the end of their set.

The last time I saw Liars in Cardiff was in the small confines of the Barfly, and I've still got their rather bizarre spray painted tie from the merch stand that night.

This time the onset of flu-like symptoms, a razor-raw sore throat and not being able to see much past their strange visuals meant I didn't exactly get into it, get my head around it, or come near to appreciating it. I call it a night, the duvet calls!

Saturday

The day of our annual BBC activity at Sŵn. Since the beginning and Adam Walton and I have hosted a joint stage and to showcase some of Wales' finest talents as well as bring in some new music names that we enjoy and appreciate, from Marina and the Diamonds to The Duke Spirit and Slow Club.

This year Frankie and the Heartstrings came to join us at Clwb Ifor Bach in the early afternoon for a raft of acoustic sessions. The others on the line-up included Sweet Baboo, Among Brothers, We Are Animal and Osian Howells, and if you're quick they can still be heard on Adam's show and my show from the weekend on BBC Radio Wales.

Frankie and the Heartstrings

There's something about seeing bands trying to adapt what they do normally for an acoustic session, and it often gets quite surprising results; from Frankie and the Heartstrings' cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain, to Among Brother's breakdown of random handclaps, those recordings will be something to remember.

Among Brothers at Swn Festival 2012

Sunday

I was involved with more sessions for future broadcast at Music Box studios, making the wave upon wave of bands in the city for the weekend. Sunday started with the privilege of recording Leeds band Fossil Collective, Bristol folk loveliness from Joyce The Librarian, and Welsh bands Golden Fable and Trwbador.

An up close and personal Sŵn experience then, but sadly my flu symptoms were raging by this time, and I had to abandon my plans to head to the Peski and Poor Records Swiss night at Gwdihw. I went to hide under the duvet some more, instead living vicariously through people's Twitter journeys around Cardiff.

I asked a few Twitter friends to send some thoughts on a new discovery they found over the weekend. Here's what they said:

Haley Evans ‏(@haythebluebird)

"Pretty much every act I saw was a new discovery for me, but I really enjoyed Y Bandana - and that's from a non Welsh speaker!"

Ian Hamer (‏@ian_hamer)

"Night Engine in Undertone 4pm Sunday. A bit Bowie, a bit Talking Heads, a bit Robert Palmer! Intense and immense live."

James Alone (‏@alone_music)

"Cut Ribbons absolutely blew me away, they were absolutley flawless. One of the best shows I've seen this year!"

Hysterical Injury ‏(@hiband)

"Cold Pumas at Clwb Ifor Bach, Sunday: drummer on lead vocals; otherwise diametrically opposed to Phil Collins in every way."

Shell Zenner ‏(@shellzenner)

"I've been dying to see Faye play live for 6 months. Her Sŵn set showcased her pop sensibility with a dynamic edge and beats."

Damian Jeremiah ‏(@CassidyUK)

"Holy Mountain. The drummer was obviously the love child of John Henry Bonham and Keith Moon. But better at drumming."

Amy Van-Baaren (‏@amyvanbaaren)

"I didn't even know I liked live music: Harri Davies, Paper Aeroplanes, We Were Evergreen, Beatbox Fozzy & Earth."

Hannah Cook ‏(@han_louisecook)

"Never wear white shoes to any of the gigs, and Palma Violets do a killer live show."

Sŵn Festival is a glorious place to be in so many ways. The venues and bars of Cardiff come alive to some wild and exciting musical acts from around the world. The music industry from further afield returns to the city year on year, but industry aside it's like a jolly reunion of friends past and present.

The world of welsh music comes together be it promoters, DJs, bands, Welsh language bands, record labels, designers, photographers, and venues. So well done to all who contribute to the biggest weekend in Cardiff's music calendar; well done to Huw, John, Gemma and the team for pulling it all together.

Although the excitement and happy memories live on via Twitter and other forums, Cardiff's music and nightlife will continues to glow, just not quite as pinkly

A snapshot of Sŵn

2012-10-22T13:27:41+00:00

The sixth Sŵn festival hit Cardiff at the weekend and with it came a better than ever mix of artists spanning every imaginable genre, occupying pubs, clubs and venues across the city.

It all kicked off on Thursday. The palpable excitement that buzzes around Cardiff on Sŵn Thursday is infectious. Close to the epicentre of Swn, in the Moon Club in the shadow of Cardiff Castle, Beard Of Wolves brought their north Walians blend of garage rock and electronica, while over in Cardiff University's student union, Super Furry Animals' Guto Pryce did his cinematic electronica with Gulp bandmate Lindsey Leven.

Gulp at Swn 2012

Gulp were followed by arguably the most anticipated act of day one, the neo-psychedelic quartet Django Django, while back over in the city centre northern rock loons Pulled Apart By Horses nailed their metal tinged tunes in a sweaty set at a packed Clwb Ifor Bach.

As Thursday slid into Friday, and Charlotte Church played a nocturnal set upstairs in a small room in Dempsey's pub (yes, really) some real gems were to be found in the murk of the Moon Club. Virals were a definite highlight, offering Nirvana-meets-Tom Petty thrills, ably followed by Milk Maid's Mancunian fuzz rock.

As keen music fans ducked out of work early, Friday's highlights included Welsh Music Prize nominees and Cardiff's finest power trio Kutosis followed in a sweaty Clwb Ifor Bach by part Antipodean art rockers Liars.

Liars at Swn 2012

Friday's line up illustrated well how Sŵn has grown. Festival favourites and indie royalty The Cribs wowed Cardiff Student's Union with the bouncy pop of Men's Needs and Hey Scensters, complete with highlights from their recent album In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull.

The general pattern seemed to be one of punters trying to make the most of every minute - scampering from Chapter Arts Centre over in Canton to the Globe and Gate in Roath to see pop punkers The Blackout, metal favourites Gallows and the evergreen Paper Aeroplanes. Those who managed to squeeze into the upstairs room in Dempsey's were spellbound by the death cult drone rock of Japanese four piece Bo Ningen. The praise for these guys rang out long after the feedback faded.

A little frayed around the edges but spurred on by the promise of more music and a glorious razor sharp autumn day, Saturday was when Sŵn really hit its stride. Freed from the shackles of the working week, sonic rewards were copious from the Welsh indie label market in Chapter to visual arts showcases.

In Buffalo Bar all things electro and beats based throbbed throughout the day and in Gwidihw, the weekend's home of Welsh language, Patagonian Rene Griffiths wowed a packed venue, as did We Are Animal with their blend of loud, slightly sleazy rock.

It was a wise and drunk girl who said at some point during Saturday: "When all is said and done you can't beat a bunch of long haired guys thrashing about on guitars." On Saturday night downstairs in Clwb Ifor Bach, Black Moth and Holy Mountain proved this to be the case by mixing grungy soundscapes and Black Sabbath riffs, while upstairs BBC 6 Music favourites, the hotly-tipped Palma Violets, summoned up the spirit of The Ramones and heart-on-sleeve indie which seemed somewhat emasculated after the massive riffs from below.

Saturday's best was saved for last. Upstairs in O'Neill's, which usually serves as stag 'n' hen do central, Wrexham's Gallops played their whirlwind of mesmerising riffs and Krautrock-meets-Battles melodies as collectively Sŵn drank up, necked some Resolve and strapped in for the final day.

Once again blessed with un-Cardifflike October sun, Mowbird, a gang of Wrexham-based guys and girl playing their ninth Cardiff show of fuzzed up and surf rock and distortion, provided a much needed slap in the chops. The Peski label did their bit for international relations with the Welsh-Swiss society serving up a tasty cheese fondue and a dazzling range of sounds and styles from Gwenno Saunders' sophisticated pop to Plyci's glitch electronica at a packed Gwidihw.

With Monday getting closer the crowds still stalked from venue to venue, raging against the thought of the working week. While some punters were running on fumes, the bands showed no signs of turning down the wick. In O'Neill's the London quartet Toy upped the ante with hypnotic My Bloody Valentine drones.

The similarly much-talked-about Clock Opera rounded off the proceedings in Clwb Ifor Bach and found favour with a hint of 80s Talk Talk pop wrapped in a healthy dose of experimental noodling and some impressive facial hair.

Once again, despite some venues being too small for the demand, and there simple being too many clashes in the schedule, the sheer spirit of Sŵn and momentum that has generated over the last six years was a real shot in the arm for music in Cardiff and Wales. With simply too much going on to do justice in a review, it goes without saying that it was worth the walking and the sleep deprivation – it's just a shame we have to wait another 12 months for Sŵn's return.

Championing art in the community: Made in Roath 2012

2012-10-12T14:01:21+00:00

Cardiff arts festival Made in Roath returns today for the fourth time, celebrating one of the most artistic communities in the capital city.

Made in Roath showcases the work of both emerging and already established artists, makers, musicians, writers and performers.

The festival takes art out of the ordinary settings of galleries and makes use of a myriad of spaces to highlight the range of contemporary artwork being created in the area.

These range from cafes and open houses to shop windows, community gardens, parks and recreation grounds, churches, artist studios and basements. You can even see abstract paintings, by artist Stevie Stabbers, in the toilets of The Crofts pub in Croft Street.

Stevie Stabbers' abstract paintings at The Crofts pub. Photo: Dave Daggers

A large programme of free family workshops, including silent movie making, script writing, flower arranging, lindy hop dancing and digital photography with Ffotogallery, mean that art lovers of all ages can get involved.

Meanwhile, first year broadcast students from Glamorgan University will be taking to the airwaves, on radioRoath, to present a daily show throughout the festival.

This year’s event also ventures into Cardiff’s city centre for the first time. Made in Roath will occupy an empty shop space in Queens Arcade for the duration of the festival, with the aim of taking performance art to the public and passing shoppers.

The project is called Hand of Roath, and planned events include a pop-up poetry booth, live music and an installation by artist Sara Rees called DEMOCRACY.

Paint the park workshop at Made in Roath 2011. Photo: Dave Daggers. Another paint the park workshop will take place this year on Saturday 20 October at Roath Park

This year's Open Exhibition will run at The Gate Arts Centre. An integral part of each festival so far, the majority of works in the exhibition are made by the residents of Roath, or people who have a connection with the area.

The exhibition "embraces the notion of absolute inclusivity", as every artwork that was submitted to the organisers will be on display, showcasing the talents of local artists of all ages and abilities.

Additional exhibitions during the festival will be taking place at venues such as the Skittle Gallery at The Crofts pub, the Milkwood Gallery, g39, St Martins Church and Milgi.

The Made in Roath Open Exhibition in 2011. Photo: Dave Daggers

Other highlights of the festival include Moving Words, an initiative to put art on public transport in Wales - starting with poetry on the buses - and an event called Nocturne in CF24.

Dubbed a "night time art trail of sound and light based artworks, interventions and nocturnal happenings," it will include a talk from Paranormal Wales and a Requiem Mass for Cardiff’s lost architecture sung by Cor Cyfoes.

Made in Roath runs from today, Friday 12 October, until Sunday 21 October. For more information and to download the Made in Roath 2012 brochure visit madeinroath.com.

Cardiff gears up for festival celebrating gay and lesbian film talent

2012-10-09T10:50:15+00:00

Cardiff will become a mecca for international film-makers and actors this week as the sixth annual Iris Prize Festival gets underway.

A total of 31 short films are in the running for the prestigious £25,000 prize, which will fund the winner in their making of a new short film.

The festival was set up in 2007 to showcase the very best gay and lesbian film-making talent from across the world.

During the five day event, which runs from 10-14 October, the shorts, along with eight new feature films, will be screened between Cineworld and Chapter Arts Centre. The glittering awards show, hosted by popular performer Amy Lamé, and a film industry discussion will take place at The Park Inn.

Still taken from Polaroid Girl by April Maxey

Iris Prize founder Berwyn Rowlands told me this is sure to be the best festival yet, with an extra day added, a host of actors visiting and a high standard of entries.

The unique thing about the Iris Prize is that a film-maker will win the prize in year one, return in year two to sit on the international jury and judge the next winner and then in year three will present the fruits of their labour at the very same festival.

This rolling relationship means the festival maintains links and a creative dialogue with its winners.

This year 2010 Norwegian winner Magnus Mork will begin shooting his Iris Prize funded film in Wales at the end of October, while last year's winner, Brazilian Daniel Ribeiro, will sit on the jury.

Mork's film, which has the working title Burger, is influenced by his experience of the late night burger establishments in Cardiff.

And on the closing night of the festival, Little Man, the third film to be made with festival prize money and directed by Eldar Rapaport, will be screened at Cineworld.

It stars West End actor and Any Dream Will Do contestant Daniel Boys in his first gay role.

Eldar Rapaport, director and co-writer of Little Man

Berwyn said: "This year the feature films we've gone for are fun, accessible and entertaining and we are closing with the UK première of Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, written and directed by Iris Prize alumnus Madeleine Olnek, which is very funny.

"But we've also got guests coming to our feature films from Israel and America, which is a sign the festival is really growing and we have the mechanisms to entertain these people.

"It's what a film festival is all about. From the public's point of view, I know they want to see great films, but they also enjoy meeting the stars face-to-face. I'm sure they won't be disappointed this year, as we have a great line-up of guests."

Among the VIPs visiting will be Israeli model and actor Oz Zehavi at the opening night screening of Yossi, in which he stars as an openly gay soldier.

Still taken from Yossi, directed by Eytan Fox and written by Itay Segal

Comic Jackie Monahan, who stars in Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, is to attend the closing night screening of the film, while Daniel Boys will be at the première of Little Man.

This year the topics tackled by the competing film-makers include a young boy's trauma waiting for body hair to grow, a love story which develops thanks to a Polaroid camera, the unexpected comfort of coffee and pie - especially when you're being dumped - and a dramatic one night stand with a serial killer.

Festival-goers will also be able to enjoy panel sessions, networking opportunities, parties and a glittering awards show and brunch.

Image from Coffee & Pie by Douglas Horn

Berwyn added: "Half of the shortlisted films have been nominated by our partner festivals – film festivals from around the world that have their fingers on the pulse of upcoming gay and lesbian film-making talent.

"Iris is recognised for supporting talented film makers from all over the world. It's more than just a trophy that gathers dust or a certificate that yellows on the wall. Iris is what film makers need – funding, support and guidance."

Films from all over the globe are represented in the shortlist, with entries from Canada, Germany, Brazil, Israel, France, Norway, Austria, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland all making it through to the final.

The US has got the largest number of films in competition with an impressive 10 out of the final 31.

Festival patron Andrew Pierce said: "2012 is a landmark year for the festival.

"We've extended the event by an extra day to enable us to present a more lavish awards show, which is appropriate for the Iris Prize, which continues to be the world's largest LGBT short film prize at £25,000."

Image from Madeleine Olnek's Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same

This year organisers have also expanded the Producers' Forum into a stand-alone event and, in partnership with DIGON, included an education day for young people aged 14-18.

To view the full shortlist of films visit irisprize.org/short-list/year-2012 and watch a 2012 Iris Prize montage on YouTube.

Newport ready for third comedy festival

2012-10-05T13:10:55+00:00

An eclectic mix of talent will descend on Newport next week as the annual Comedy Port festival gets underway.

Headliner Al Murray is already sold out, but for those wanting to sample fresh talent, there will be a collection of new comics straight from the Edinburgh Festival, as well as local acts and musical comedy.

Events will be centred on The Riverfront Theatre and at a pop-up venue at URBAN in John Frost Square and run from next Monday 8 October until Saturday 13 October.

The festival will be launched by Tin Shed Theatre, who have transformed the URBAN venue - an empty shop - into a submarine, which will be known as the Launchpad throughout the week. The closing party will also take place in this deep sea setting.

Tin Shed consists of three performance artists - Justin Cliffe, Antonio Rimola and Georgina Harris - and they have devised a programme showcasing local comedy talent. But thirsty punters throughout the festival will be able to seek succour in the submarine, where a bar will be manned by seafarers and underwater characters.

Also appearing are The Silky Pair, comedy duo Kathryn Bond and Lorna Shaw, who have been likened to the hilarious Flight of the Conchords.

Edinburgh Comedy Award winning stand-up comic and poet Tim Key will present his show Masterslut, while there are also performances from Highwayman Guy D'amnfine, award-winning magician Paul Dabek and Merthyr Tydfil's very own Dangerous Ryan.

Tim Key promotional image

Other highlights include One Day In The Life Of Lloyd Owen Langford, a show about one Welshman's difficulty navigating his way through the world, and Dan Mitchell's Beak, the tale of the world's first stand-up seagull.

Bridget Christie, who has proved popular at Edinburgh in recent years, will also present War Donkey in her first performance in Newport while there will be a script-held performance of Moist as part of the On The Edge series of plays.

Organisers promise a whole host of family events with a comedy club for kids and screenings of various funnies at the Launchpad.

It's the third time Comedy Port has been held in Newport and the team behind it are hoping to build on the success of the past two years.

Full Comedy Port listings and tickets are available at newport.gov.uk/comedyport. A Comedy Port Fringe Launch-pass allows access to all 7 Launchpad shows at URBAN for £15.

Families invited to take part in new Welsh Language Festival

2012-09-28T14:40:01+00:00

Thought our sodden summer and the festival season were over? Well think again.

This weekend a new venture is taking place at the gorgeous Willow Globe, a living willow theatre near Llanwrthwl in Radnorshire.

Gŵyl Hwyr Haf 2012 is a Welsh language family festival, organised by Menter Brycheiniog a Maesyfed, a Welsh language initiative that promotes the use of the language within the communities of Brecon and Radnor.

The free event will feature performances by young solo performers from the Welsh language rock scene, including Cardiff reggae/pop singer Catrin Herbert, Llandrindod Wells-based Jess Hall's new project The Jess Hall Band and the Radnorshire based singer Gareth Phillips.

There will also be storytelling and craft sessions with Nia Llywelyn, an appearance by popular children's character Dewin on the Mudiad Meithrin stall and a nature trail in the grounds of Penlanole as well as a raffle in aid of the Welsh nursery group Arch yr Enfys in Rhayader.

Menter Brycheiniog a Maesyfed co-coordinator Euros Richards told me: "We've been waiting a while for summer without much success.

"As the good folk of Radnorshire are optimists by nature, we decided to organise Gŵyl Hwyr Haf 2012 to bring the summer to a close in style.

"Gŵyl Hwyr Haf 2012 aims to introduce contemporary Welsh language culture to Radnorshire and to give an opportunity for people to meet up and socialise in a Welsh speaking environment.

"We hope that Gŵyl Hwyr Haf 2012 will create a sense of pride and encourage people to speak Welsh."

The event takes place from 2-5pm and is totally free of charge.

The Willow Globe is a scaled down, living version of the Globe in London, and is a third of its size in diameter.

The founders say: "The willow has been carefully woven into an organic and spiritual theatre, starkly sculptural in spring, which is almost completely absorbed by its lush, green surroundings in summer months.

"This secret, magical and intimate space, with a rough thrust stage, is totally unique – we believe it is one of the largest willow constructions in the country and probably the only one in use as a theatre in the world."

For further information contact the Willow Globe on 01597 811 487 or email admin@willowglobe.co.uk and info@shakespearelink.co.uk.

Festival of sung and spoken word at Dylan Thomas' birthplace

2012-09-28T10:47:31+00:00

Poets and musicians will be descending on a significant address in Swansea from today as part of an evolving festival.

The week long event has been arranged by Annie Haden, director of Dylan Thomas' birthplace at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Swansea.

In 2005, Annie and her husband Geoff funded its restoration so that it now resembles the house as it would have been when Thomas was born in 1918.

The front room of 5 Cwmdonkin Drive. Photo: Annie Haden

This is the festival's second year and Annie is delighted with the enthusiasm from participating local artists and performers, which is helping her aim to make the venue a living museum.

She told me: "It's a lovely, eclectic mix of people in a stunning environment. There's no specific performing area as such, but the whole of the house is a stage and artists can choose where they want to be.

"After last year, people came forward offering to take part. There's a lot of new talent coming through and I think it will be nice for people to say they have performed in such a wonderful venue."

The festival welcomes poet in residence, Sri Lankan born Asoka Weerasinghe, who has just returned to Wales from Canada. This Saturday he will be presenting his work Once upon a time... I returned alongside John Lindley's new work Screen Fever and a performance by folk singer Steve Garrett.

Sunday sees crime writer Sally Spedding launch her new work Malediction in the company of storyteller Amanda Rackstraw, Helen Miller and Asoka Weerasinghe.

On Monday 1 October local poet Angela Brunt will launch her new work Tawe Town, an illustrated chapbook of haikus written about Swansea.

Angela wrote a lot of poetry in her late teens and early 20s, when she used to take the bus every morning with the late Vernon Watkins, a poet and friend of Dylan Thomas, and he advised her on her technique. After a career in science, she has returned to poetry and this is the first time she has performed her haikus in public.

She told me: "I first started writing them after an event at the Dylan Thomas Centre, which happened just as the horror of the Japanese tsunami was unfolding.

"It seemed so strange that as we were walking on the beach, drinking wine and talking about poetry, far away, this horrendous tragedy was occurring."

Her new chapbook is divided into three parts - a section about Swansea's foreshore, marina and harbour, a section about the town, Thomas' birthplace and the suburbs and the third about the seafront hospital and seafront university.

She will share the stage with local musicians Sarah Passmore, Neil Clarke, Sam Gardener, Martin Thomas and Keira Marshall.

On Tuesday 2 October Swansea Jazz legend Derek Morgan will host an evening of jazz, while on the following day Dylan's Holiday Memory will be read by the Porthcawl reading group to begin an evening when Glenys Davies' new work Elusive Liberty and Bernard Pearson's Steaming Light will be launched.

On Thursday 4 October Andy Morse, together with local musicians and poets, will celebrate National Poetry Day. They will introduce Down Sparrow Lane by poet and musician Tony Webb and The Other Side Of The Bridge, which is the new work by award winning Cumbrian poet Geraldine Green.

Annie hopes the event will become an annual fixture and help with the upkeep of the tourist attraction.

All events take place at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands, Swansea, SA2 0RA. To book phone 01792 472555 or email info@dylanthomasbirthplace.

Afrovibes Festival comes to Cardiff

2012-09-20T14:44:32+00:00

Next month an event showcasing new contemporary South African performance is coming to Wales for the first time.

The biennial Afrovibes Festival will bring an exciting array of theatre, music, spoken word and dance to the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, which will also become the site of a specially-created Township Cafe.

During the week of October 15-21, the Sherman's foyer will become a hub for activity and discussion surrounding the festival with debates, jamming sessions, post-show talks, late night music and workshops so audiences can engage directly with visiting performers.

The Sibikwa Arts African Indigenous Orchestra

Throughout the week, chefs from Cardiff's African restaurant Tribe Tribe will be providing some authentic cuisine to get people salivating and give them a flavour of local delicacies.

There will be performances of three shows: And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses, Thirst and Mother To Mother.

I caught up with South African actress Thembi Mtshali-Jones, star of Mother To Mother, which shows on 17 and 18 October, ahead of her trip to Cardiff.

The play is a haunting monologue adapted from the novel by Dr Sindiwe Magona about the murder of American Fulbright scholar Amy Biehl in Cape Town in 1993.

The 26-year-old anti-apartheid activist was killed in a vicious stoning and stabbing by four youths in the Gugulethu Township as she drove some friends home.

Mother To Mother recounts the tragedy from the viewpoint of one of the killer's mothers as she holds an imaginary conversation with Amy's mother.

Directed by Janice Honeyman, it showed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August receiving four star reviews.

Thembi told me her involvement with the production stems from the pain she felt when reading the novel.

"I got exposed to the pain of the killer's mother, the pain that I had not even thought about before. Naturally one sympathises with the victims and the people close to them," she said.

"I felt the pain of this woman who had tried to singlehandedly raise her children and worked hard as a domestic worker for her children to get education. Every mother would understand this pain."

She approached the author Dr Magona after reading her novel with the idea of adapting it and persuaded the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town to produce the play.

Her research led her to conversations with both Amy's mother and the mother of one of the killers.

She told me: "I understood both women's pain and how they related to each other when they met.

"Linda Biehl and her husband reconciled with the boys that killed her daughter and continued the work that she died for.

"They formed The Amy Biehl Foundation, which runs after school projects to educate young people in the townships and keep them off the streets. Two of the boys that killed Amy work for the foundation."

Thembi believes the play helps give a greater understanding of life during the apartheid era and the events around Amy's death.

The Afrovibes Festival is produced by UK Arts International, who brought The Harder They Come to the stage. Its visit to Wales is part of a UK tour.

Lesego Motsepe and Hlengiwe Lushaba who star in And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses

The programme also includes a performance of the light-hearted play And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses (15-16 October). Adapted from the short story by Zakes Mda, it is directed by Princess Mhlongo and performed by Lesego Motsepe and Hlengiwe Lushaba, and presented by the Market Theatre, Johannesburg.

On 16 October there will be a performance of Thirst, which is written and directed by the current Afrovibes director James Ngcobo, and choreographed by Gregory Maqoma, a previous director of the festival.

The play centres on three water carriers from an African village that has run dry and their extraordinary mythical journey to find the source of their dried-out river. Thirst was nominated for the Naledi Award 2010 for Best New South African Play.

The music on offer during the festival includes rhythm and beats from the lively Sibikwa Arts African Indigenous Orchestra (18 October) and there will be a dance double bill on 20 October showcasing the dance solo Inception by Sonia Radebe and physical theatre piece My Exile Is In My Head, choreographed and performed by Qudus Onikeku with music by Charles Amblard.

On 19 October, there will be a screening of The Three Furies, a poetry in performance film by Zena Edwards, Mbail Vilakazi and Clara Opoku.

Jan Ryan, director of UK Arts International says: "Afrovibes is a festival that connects artists in the UK with artists in South Africa.

"It enables people to not only experience the work of a range of South African performers, but to contextualise that work through events that take place in the Township Cafe.

"Although we have been presenting theatre, dance and music from South Africa since 1995 - from solo performances at the Edinburgh Fringe to large scale music theatre productions at the Kennedy Centre in Washington - Afrovibes invites discussion around both artistic and social issues affecting contemporary South Africa, in a way that a stand-alone piece can never do. It allows audiences and participants to dig deeper into the life and mindset of this extraordinary country."

For full details of the Afrovibes Festival please visit shermancymru.co.uk or contact Sherman Cymru's ticket office on 029 2064 6900. Ticket prices vary and there's also a festival ticket offer if you book to see more than one performance.

New youth arts festival for Swansea

2012-09-13T14:08:49+00:00

A new youth arts festival celebrating dance, drama, music and visual arts will take place in Swansea on Sunday.

The Olion Youth Arts Festival, which has been organised by Swansea Metropolitan University, will be held in Paradise Park in the Townhill area of the city from 11am to 4pm.

Performers will include young local bands, DJs, dance acts and singers. Britain's Got Talent finalists A3 will appear and there will be a performance of Troy Boyz, a mix of street dance and physical dance theatre.

An urban art exhibition will show the results from a number of workshops run by art and design student Jen-Wah Lee with young people at the Hill Youth Support Centre.

Festival organiser Lucy Beddall said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the creative talents of local young people. Everyone is welcome and there will be the chance to talk to local organisations to see how people can get involved with other projects."

Swansea Met performing arts graduate Julia Kelleher, festival organiser Lucy Beddall, and Curtis Cana and Kai Pickman from the Hill Youth Support Centre

The festival is one of a number of creative projects for young people organised by Project Olion, which aims to reduce the number of young people in Wales who are not in education, employment or training.

Snowdonia Arts Festival - a preview

2012-08-23T07:59:10+00:00

It may be renowned worldwide for its breathtaking scenery, but Snowdonia has also been a mecca for artists for almost 170 years.

Way back in 1844, Britain's first colony of artists was formed in the village of Betws-y-Coed in the Conwy Valley.

The fashion at the time centred on landscape painting and after visits in the 1790s from JMW Turner and some of his contemporaries, including David Cox who spent his summers in the village at the Royal Oak Hotel, the area became a firm favourite for those seeking rugged landscapes for the subject of their creations.

In the years that followed a stream of artists including Henry Clarence Whaite, George Popkin, James Whittaker, Thomas Collier, John Syer, Benjamin Williams Leader, Lawrence Coppard and George Harrison used the area as a base, eventually migrating along the Conwy Valley to escape the influx of tourists and holiday villas.

In 1882, Whaite and other colony artists were instrumental in founding the Royal Cambrian Academy in Conwy.

It is with this strong tradition in mind that the Snowdonia Arts Festival was formed three years ago - to celebrate that era while showcasing the best work on offer from contemporary artists living in the region now.

This year's festival, where most events are free, takes place from 5-7 October, with a wealth of work from photographers, craftsmen and women, visual artists and musicians on offer.

Guitarist Samuel Moore performing in 2011. Photo: Chasing the Light Photography

Those exhibiting include textile artist Josie Russell, and Alison Bradley, who works in charcoal and oils, painting local scenes from the north Wales landscape.

Visitors will also be able to see work by the photographers Peirino Algeiri and John Davies, who are showing a range of images and carved wooden birds, as well as a collaborative exhibition of new work by John Hedley, Diana Footer and Graham Hemborough.

This year for the first time, centre-stage on the village green (Cae Llan), will be a festival marquee, hosting a varied programme of talks, shows and workshops, including work from the Gwynedd and Clwyd Association of Craftworkers and craft workshops for children on both mornings.

There will also be talks about Snowdonia and its heritage as an arts location and performances by a variety of musicians including the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir and the North Wales Saxophone Choir.

Those interested in the area's artistic legacy can enjoy a 'Walk of Art', which takes in some of the more significant locations of the 1844-1914 Artists' Colony.

For full information on events visit the website snowdoniaartsfestival.org.uk.