Gwanwyn Festival 2018 - celebrating creativity in older age

Age Cymru has launched its annual Gwanwyn Festival to encourage as many older people as possible to take part in creative activities across Wales.

The Festival, which runs throughout May, is managed by Age Cymru with financial support from the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Government. Last autumn, grants of up to £500 were made available to groups or individuals throughout Wales who wanted to deliver a creative activity during the festival.

And this year the range of activities and performances being supported is quite possibly our most diverse, exciting and innovative to date. In all there are 45 organisations taking part, delivering more than 100 events and activities.

So let’s take a brief snapshot of what’s happening:

Shantis Y Mor - Literary Boat Trip with Twm Morys and Gwyneth Glyn
Literature Wales will be organising literary boat trips around Ynys Mon/Anglesey with renowned writers Twm Morys and Gwyneth Glyn. (8, 14, 21, & 29 May 2018). There will also be musicians, poems and stories as well as traditional Welsh songs about the sea and discussions featuring the maritime tradition in Wales, including once important industries such as boat construction, fishing and smuggling. The literary tour will be through the medium of Welsh.

Tredegar House, Newport – Live Performance by the Forget Me Not Chorus
In collaboration with the Welsh writer Patrick Jones, the chorus, which is made up of people living with dementia, will perform their favourite pieces and share the stories behind each of them.

Borough Theatre, Abergavenny – circus and comedy workshops
The weekly sessions will culminate in a special showcase of the skills learnt towards the end of the festival.

Gentle/ Radical Cardiff - Ageing beautifully now
Representatives of the BME Community in Cardiff will explore what beauty means to older people through the use of curated film screenings.

The flamboyant bus tour – Cardiff – 5 May
Get the chance will tour the centre of Cardiff asking people whether ageing is an art form.

Venue Cymru – Llandudno
Led by the Welsh National Opera’s Jenny Pearson the Hummingbirds group will lead singing sessions for the over 50s while Paul Samson will deliver a session on pixel stick photography.

Neuadd Les, Ystradgynlais – Stand Up Comedy
Five stand-up comedy workshops for older people culminating in an end of festival show.

Artis Community, Old Courthouse, Pontypridd – Pontypridd Myths and Music
Local harpist Bethan Nia will lead song writing sessions exploring local stories and myths, culminating in a new piece of music to inspire the community’s dance classes.

Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen – Creating dementia friendly galleries
The centre will host four activity sessions throughout May for older people living with dementia, plus training for gallery staff and artists to become ‘dementia friendly’.

Ffrnes Theatre, Llanelli – circus and contemporary dance workshops
In collaboration with People Speak Up, the theatre will host workshops on circus skills, contemporary dance, storytelling and the visual arts

Fishguard Storytelling – The wild word-surfers workshop
Improvisation workshops for the over 50s

Applied Arts Unlimited – Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Wind Street, Swansea
Interactive arts event encouraging participants to doodle, draw, create, tell stories, have fun with temporary tattoos, plus advice on creating work on a large canvass.

Shakespeare Link – Willow Globe, Llandrindod Wells
The Shakespeare Link will run a series of ‘have-a-go workshops’ with an end of festival show at the town’s main theatre.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre – Gwyl Gwanwyn Festival – 9 May
The centre will hold a free arts and well-being day for older people.

Live Music Now, Newydd Housing Association, Cardiff
Contemporary music project with string beats duo (fiddle and beatbox/loop pedal) incorporating performances, and workshops with recording.

Memory Clinic, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, Ystrad Mynach – Movement and Memories
The memory clinic will be performing three dance and movement sessions for people with dementia.

Llantwit Major – Art exhibition and creative writing
This lively town in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan will be organising art exhibitions and a creative writing competition under the heading of Gwanwyn 1918 – 2018.

For further information, contact:
Michael Phillips (Communications Manager)
Call 029 2043 1545 or email michael.phillips@agecymru.org.uk