24/12/2008

Merthyr Express column

8 Jan 09
Festival of Four
Be part of the Festival of Four “Fringe“. The Festival of Four is a month long celebration of community arts to be held in March 2009. The festival is designed to raise the profile of the artistic and creative activity taking place across the four eastern Heads of the Valley’s county boroughs. If your group has a performance/exhibition or showing of work planned for March 2009 – H4A want to hear from you! H4A or Head for Arts is the eastern Heads of The Valleys’ community arts organisation. H4A are able to offer you free publicity and marketing support by placing your event in our Festival of Four brochure – a publication which will be distributed throughout the Heads of the Valley’s area.Don’t miss the opportunity to be involved in this exciting, cross-county celebratory event – to make sure your group’s events are included, submit information to Kate at Head forArts – kate.strudwick@head4arts.org.uk - by 12th January 2009.

Welsh Quilt Painting
Celebrated Welsh artist John Uzzell Edwards will soon be showing new work in Merthyr Tydfil. The artist, was thrilled to have been chosen to represent Wales at the world-famous Interceltic Festival in L’Orient, Brittany. His vibrant canvases were on show during August to the estimated 650,000 visitors that flood the busy maritime town every year. Some of these works can soon be seen at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery, from 1st February – 31st March 2009. These new works are based on nineteenth century Welsh quilts and blankets, and are a riot of colour, pattern, print and added collage. John Uzzell Edwards was born in 1937 in Deri, Rhymney Valley. Between 1962 and 1970 he had a studio and art gallery in Merthyr Tydfil and Tenby. Now he has his studio in Swansea. From his childhood in Deri, Edwards remembers having Welsh quilts and blankets on his bed, but has more recently discovered Log Cabin quilts and has been “amazed by the intricacy of the design”. Edwards goes on to explain that “some of the very old quilts made from scraps have bold, very modern designs. Some are even like a Jackson Pollock or a Mark Rothko painting”. He explaines that his work is not “copied...my inspiration comes from the patterns, materials, meanderings and rhythms.” The exhibition is free. For further details, please call 01685 723112 or e-mail museum@merthyr.gov.uk

Zoom Cymru
The 2009 Zoom film Festival returns to venues across the south Wales valleys; Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris, Ebbw Vale, Pontypridd, Blackwood, Cwmbran and Hirwaun from 20th - 23rd January 2009. On Wednesday, 21st January Zoom brings to Merthyr Tydfil College, the Welsh premier of Special People (ages 13+) at 9.30 - 11am, then the film Unni: Life Is All About (ages 10+), from 11.30am - 1pm and the documentary Good Arrows from 1.30 - 3pm. There will also be workshops on the same day, including a taster animation session with Moonoo at 9.30am - 1pm and Green Screen reporting workshop with Merthyr Media from 1.30 - 3pm. Zoom will also include a Photoshop That! workshop with Octopus, from 9.30 - 11am, at Treharris College also on 21st January. For further information please visit www.zoomcymru.com or contact 01443 413622 jenny@zoomcymru.com.

Merthyr Express column


1 Jan 09
Head 4 Valleys Girl
Valley’s Girl is a performance project from H4A or Head 4 Arts, the eastern Heads of The Valleys community Arts Project, that aims to draw upon several art forms and disciplines to create a four-stage, bilingual, multimedia presentation devised and performed by members of the community. A performance will be created in each of the county boroughs that Head for Arts serves; with performances in Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil. Each performance will explore a different aspect of a Valley’s Girl’s life; with the Torfaen performance looking at childhood, the Blaenau Gwent performance focusing on courtship, the Caerphilly performance portraying the passing of time and the Merthyr Tydfil performance exploring aging and reflection. Each performance will also be linked to the four seasons of the year with childhood being linked to spring, courtship being linked to summer, the passing of time being linked to autumn and aging and reflection being linked to winter. The theme of the seasons will pinpoint the act of renewal as generation succeeds generation. The project explores the concept of time and therefore aims to involve community members of all ages. The project explores the lives of women and our relationships with women. It does not seek to be a historical or heritage project, but rather a celebration of life in song, words, film and dance. Merthyr Performance of “Valley’s Girl”, Sunday 29th March 2009 at the Engine House, Dowlais. Three ways YOU can get involved: Valleys’ Drama, Valleys’ Digital Stories and the Festival of Four:

Head 4 Drama
H4A would like to set up a drama group targeted towards adults and young people aged 16 + to create a short dramatic piece (approx 20 minutes long) which will feed into the Merthyr performance of the Valley’s Girl project. Workshops will be run by experienced community drama practitioner. Participants would only be expected to attend 2 three-hour drama workshops (dates to be confirmed), plus a dress rehearsal on Saturday 28th March before taking part in matinee and evening performances on 29th March 2009. If there is sufficient interest H4A would consider continuing this group after March 2009.

Head 4 Digital Stories
H4A will be holding a digital storytelling event in Dowlais Library between 3 – 7pm on 19th January 2009. This is an excellent opportunity for community members who do not wish to perform on stage to contribute to the project and have a ‘voice’ in the Valley’s Girl performance.
We will be inviting members of the community to bring a photograph and a treasured item along to the library with them and talk about these 2 things. For the “treasured item”, H4A are particularly keen for people to bring along a doll, a wedding dress, a clock or a significant pair of shoes – but it could be something else that is not on this list. Each item will be photographed and the conversations will be recorded and edited to make digital stories. The photographs and recordings will be integrated into Valley’s Girl performances. Community members will be able to participate in the event through both the mediums of Welsh and English. Please come along – H4A look forward to seeing you! If you, or any of your group’s members, are interested in being involved in either of these elements, please contact Bethan at Head for Arts bethan.watkins@head4arts.org.uk / 01495 357816

19/12/2008

FW: Free Dance in Education course - 14th January 2009 - still places left

 

Dance in Education

A one day course for dance practitioners and teachers
 to familiarise themselves with teaching dance in a school setting.

14 January 2009
9.15am to 3.45pm
The Media Resource Centre (MRC Wales), Llandrindod Wells

Course Outline

Dance in Education and School Structures – from policy to implementation
 Understanding where Dance contributes to the National Curriculum
Curriculum Matters – language and levels
Teaching and Learning – strategies and practise
Assessment for Learning – composition and performance
The course involves individual, paired and group work with opportunity to view video footage.
There are no dance practical elements to the course.

This course is free to attend!

PLEASE BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW (NO BOOKING FORM), JUST CONTACT:     
training@communitydancewales.com  or tel: 02920 575075

Please note: This course is a pre-requisite for Dance practitioners to attend the Dance Mentoring courses, which will follow throughout the year.

Dawns mewn Addysg

Cwrs undydd ar gyfer hyfforddwyr dawns ac athrawon fel eu bod
yn dod yn gyfarwydd â dysgu dawns mewn ysgolion.

14 Ionawr 2009
9.15am i 3.45pm
Media Resource Centre (MRC Cymru), Llandrindod

Amlinelliad o'r Cwrs

Dawns mewn Addysg a Strwythurau Ysgol – o bolisi i weithredu
Deall lle mae Dawns yn cyfrannu at y Cwricwlwm Cenedlaethol
Materion y Cwricwlwm – iaith a lefelau
Addysgu a Dysgu – strategaethau ac arfer
Asesu ar gyfer Dysgu – llunio a pherfformio

Mae'r cwrs yn cynnwys gwaith unigol, pâr a grŵp gyda chyfle i weld clipiau fideo.
Ni cheir unrhyw elfennau dawns ymarferol ar y cwrs.  

Mae'r cwrs yn rhad ac am ddim i'w fynychu.

ARCHEBWCH EICH LLE YN AWR (DIM FFURFLEN ARCHEBU)

CYSYLLTWCH Â: training@communitydancewales.com <mailto:training@communitydancewales.com>  neu ffôn:02920 575075

Sylwer: Mae'r cwrs hwn yn angenrheidiol ar gyfer yr hyfforddwyr Dawns sy'n mynychu'r Cyrsiau Mentora Dawns a fydd yn dilyn drwy gydol y flwyddyn.


Nicola Tudor
Administration Manager

Community Dance Wales
Sbectrwm
Bwlch Road
Fairwater
Cardiff
CF5 3EF

Tel: 02920 575 075
Fax: 02920 575 073
Email: info@communitydancewales.com

www.communitydancewales.com


------ End of Forwarded Message

18/12/2008

Merthyr Express column

25 Dec 08
Alleyway Art
Town and Park Communities First, in partnership with Glamorgan Gates, the Info Shop and MTCBC Arts and Town Centre departments are running a series of Design Workshops to develop a mural along the wall through Hong Kong Alley. The theme for the project is simply “the positive aspects of Merthyr Tydfil”. This intergenerational project has some sessions targeted at young people and others targeted at adults. Sessions will run 10am – 1pm and 1.30pm – 4.30pm for young people on Thursday, 8th January at the Info Shop and for adults at Glamorgan Gates on Friday, 16th January. There will also be sessions for young people on Thursday, 15th January, in the Info Shop, at 1.30pm – 4.30pm and 5pm – 8pm. Please contact either the Info Shop, for young people’s sessions, on 01685 727085 or Glamorgan Gates, for adult sessions, on 01685 729940.

Xmas Reading
Merthyr Writing! Is an often hard hitting and not for the faint-hearted short stories and poetry book, by Des Barry, Mike Jenkins, Anthony Bunko and twenty-three other Merthyr authors. The collection, which is described as being suitable for ages over sixteen, is available now through the Welsh Books Council at various locations including Cyfarthfa Castle, Central Library and www.gwales.com priced £4.99 (ISBN: 978-0-9555306-2-3).

Valleys Girl
Head for Arts is the eastern Heads of The Valleys’ community arts organisation. H4A is coming to its first year, following funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, through the Arts Council, to work with partners to develop participatory arts across the whole of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent, and the northern halves of Caerphilly and Torfaen county boroughs. H4A has already delivered a number of community arts activities and events across the area and is now putting together a multi-arts community performance taking place across four venues in the four counties in March 2009. "Valleys Girl" will be performed at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall (8th March), Kidz R Us, Tredegar (18th March), White Rose Centre, New Tredegar (22 March) and the Blast Engine House, Dowlais (29th March). It will involve drama, dance, choirs and digital stories so there are plenty of opportunities for participation - for all ages. H4A are actively seeking people to get involved with their local performance - either as a performer, helping backstage or "front of house". Please contact Bethan on 01495 357816 (info@head4arts.org.uk) for further details or visit www.head4arts.org.uk

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
The Owen Money Theatre Company proudly presents Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at the Blackwood Miners Institute until 28th December. Snow White’s wicked stepmother is so jealous when her magic mirror says that Snow White is the most beautiful person in the land she poisons her! Will Muddles and the dwarfs save Snow White and help her find everlasting happiness with her love Prince Mervyn of Merthyr? This very famous story is packed with all the fun of the panto! Expect plenty of laughs from Welsh entertainer Mike Doyle who returns by popular demand as Muddles as well as a full cast of talented singers and dancers and of course YOU also get the chance to join in with the usual panto mayhem! Times vary contact the Box Office on 01495 227206 for more details or visit www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com. Prices: £12 / £9.50 concessions/£38 Family Ticket. Xmas Eve & Boxing Day Tickets Tickets £14 / £10 concessions/£40 Family Ticket. Wheelchair access

11/12/2008

Merthyr Express column


18 Dec 08
Dance Show
Merthyr’s dance group the Silhouettes present their Christmas Show at Georgetown Boys Club on Monday, 22nd December, at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now £3.50. For further info contact 07908454275, or pay on the door.

Charity Concert
Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil’s Christmas Concert will be held tonight (Thursday 18th December) with the Ynysowen Male Choir and Supporting Artists, at the Mormon Church, Merthyr Tydfil. Doors open at 6.30pm and the concerts starts at 7pm, tickets can be obtained from the Cancer Aid Centre of Excellence, Upper Union Street, Dowlais, for a donation of £5.00. All proceeds go to Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil, who provide free services to those whose lives have been touched by cancer in the Merthyr Tydfil borough. Tel: 01685 379633

Last Chance for Santa Exhibition
This week will be your last chance to catch the exhibition “Santa Claus the Photographs”. The exhibition is a twenty five year pictorial record by Walter Waygood, documentary photographer. At Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery until 23rd December 2008. The exhibition is open Tuesday – Friday at 10am – 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 4pm (Closed Mondays). The exhibition is free entry. For further details, call 01685 723112 or e-mail museum@merthyr.gov.uk

Drama, Dance, Choirs and Digital Stories
Head for Arts is the eastern Heads of The Valleys’ community arts organisation. H4A is coming to it’s first year, following funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, through the Arts Council, to work with partners to develop participatory arts across the whole of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent, and the northern halfs of Caerphily and Torfaen county boroughs. H4A has already delivered a number of community arts activities and events across the area and is now putting together a multi-arts community performance taking place across four venues in the four counties in March 2009. "Valleys Girl" will be perfomed at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall (8th March), Kidz R Us, Tredegar (18th March), White Rose Centre, New Tredegar (22 March) and the Blast Engine House, Dowlais (29th March). It will involve drama, dance, choirs and digital stories so there are plenty of opportunities for participation - for all ages. H4A are activiely seeking people to get involved with their local performance - either as a performer, helping backstage or "front of house". Please contact Bethan on 01495 357816 (info@head4arts.org.uk) for further details or visit www.head4arts.org.uk

Christmas at Cyfarthfa
Come along to Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery to meet Father Christmas and take part in festive craft activities today and tomorrow (18th and 19th December) at 5:00pm; 6:00pm and 7:00pm. Prices are: £2.50 per child. Booking is essential! Please contact 01685 723112 or email museum@merthyr.gov.uk

Artist’s On Show
Merthyr artists Joanne Smith and MG Payne are two of a number of artists currently showing in the Christmas exhibition at Cardiff’s Kooywood Gallery, Museum Place, until 24th December. Gallery open Tuesday – Saturday, 11.30am – 6pm. For details please contact: 029 2023 5093 enquiries@kooywoodgallery.com

05/12/2008

Merthyr Express column


11 Dec 2008
Xmas Book
Merthyr Writing! Is a short stories and poetry book by Des Barry, Mike Jenkins, Anthony Bunko and twenty-three other Merthyr authors. Published last month the book is the perfect Christmas present for adult friends or family. Available now through the Welsh Books Council at various locations including Cyfarthfa Castle and www.gwales.com priced £4.99 (ISBN: 978-0-9555306-2-3).

Santa Photography Exhibition
Santa Claus the Photographs is Aatwenty five year pictorial record by Walter Waygood, documentary photographer. At Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery until 23rd December 2008. The exhibition is open Tuesday – Friday at 10am – 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 4pm (Closed Mondays). The exhibition is free entry. For further details, call 01685 723112 or e-mail museum@merthyr.gov.uk

Open Mic Literature
The next open mic night, with poetry and short story extracts, welcomes Graham Hartill tonight, Thursday, 11th December at the Imperial Hotel at 7.30pm. Open Mic Night are open to all to come and read or just listen to others. The evenings are also free entry. Graham Hartill is a poet, workshop facilitator and lecturer. He was born in 1952 in the English Midlands, Graham has lived in Wales most of his life since 1971. He studied at the Universities of Wales and Massachusetts, and has since given countless workshops and classes in the UK, USA and China. Co–founder of LAPIDUS, the UK–wide association for the promotion of creative writing in therapeutic context, Graham was also a Scottish Arts Council Writing Fellow 1990-92 and an Arts Council of Wales Writer’s Bursary recipient 1993, 1999 and 2006. For further details: 01685 725382 / arts@merthyr.gov.uk. Open Mic Nights are funded by MTCBC & Academi

Live Soul Music
Fire Down Below, a 7-piece, south Wales soul/rock band featuring a 3-man brass section and vocals by Dave (Spidge) Spiller, will be performing at Myfanwy Theatre, Merthyr Tydfil College next Wednesday, 17th December with songs by Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Spencer Davies, Southside Johnny, Springsteen and many, many more. Tickets cost £5. For further information please contact: Myfanwy Theatre 01685 726000

Kids Christmas with Cyw
Shout ‘Hello Cyw’ this Christmas as Cyw and his friends including Sali Mali, Holi Hana’s Hana, Now from Ribidirês, Norman Preis from Fireman Sam and Heini all visit the Myfanwy Theatre, at Merthyr Tydfil College, tomorrow (12th December) in a magical show to celebrate the occasion. Cyw’s Christmas Show runs at 10:30am and 1:30pm, when Father Christmas will also pay a special visit and there will be fun and laughter for all the little ones with a special festive show. Admission to the show is £3.00 for both children and adults, and tickets can be ordered before hand via the S4C Viewers’ Hotline on 0870 6004141 (calls charged at national rate).
The show is suitable for children over the age of 2. For further information please contact: Myfanwy Theatre 01685 726000

01/12/2008

Merthyr Express column

04 Dec 08
Charity Concert
Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil Christmas Concert will be held on Thursday 18th December with the Ynysowen Male Choir and Supporting Artists, at the Mormon Church, Merthyr Tydfil. Doors open at 6.30pm and the concerts starts at 7pm, tickets can be obtained from the Cancer Aid Centre of Excellence, Upper Union Street, Dowlais, for a donation of £5.00. All proceeds go to Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil, who provide free services to those whose lives have been touched by cancer in the Merthyr Tydfil borough. Tel: 01685 379633

Hans Christian Andersen - Kids Christmas Show
Today (4th December) the Myfanwy Theatre proudly present the Hans Christian Andersen – Kids Christmas Show; The Matchstick Girl and the Brave Tin Soldier. For further in formation please contact: Myfanwy Theatre, at Merthyr Tydfil College on 01685 726000

Spoken Poems and Story Extracts
Next week’s open mic night, welcomes Graham Hartill on Thursday, 11th December at the Imperial Hotel at 7.30pm. Comealong to read your own work or just listen to others. For further details: 01685 725382 / arts@merthyr.gov.uk.


Jazz Singer
Myfanwy Theatre in Merthyr Tydfil Colege welcomes Jazz singer Michael L Roberts next Wednesday (10th December). Michael is joined by his band Chris Montague - guitar, Mark Rose - double bass and Chris Nickolls - drums. 7.30pm. Tickets for this event are only £5. Before then popular broadcaster Chris Needs, will also be performing at the Myfanwy Theatre, together with special guests Part Two, on Monday and Tuesday (8th and 9th December), at 7.pm. Price: £10 / £8. Box Office 01685 726000.

Christmas Music, Drama and Crafts
There are a number of arts and crafts events at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery this coming week. Firstly there’s a Victorian Christmas evening tonight (4th December): An evening of Canapes, Mulled Wine, Mince Pies, Christmas Fayre and Carols with the Llwydcoed Band. Also Christmas with the Crawshay written and performed by Historia. Entry is £10. Then there’s the opportunity to find the perfect present at the Christmas Craft Fair, at 12:30 - 3:30 pm this Saturday (6th December). The Fair is free entry. The Christmas theme continues at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery, with a drop in workshop to help you learn how to make a pomander, a fragrant Christmas decoration. Sessions run12:30 - 3:30pm this Saturday and Sunday (6th and 7th December). Entry is only £1.00 per person. Also on Tuesday and Wednesday (9th and 10th December) there will be a workshop for adults on how to make Christmas decorations from around the world at 6 - 9pm. Booking for this is essential. For more information on all these activities, please call Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery on 01685 723112 or email museum@merthyr.gov.uk