Merthyr Express column

16 April 09
Punk Art, Music and Poetry
Tonight (16th April) music, art and poetry all come together for the Punk Forever Festival, at the Myfanwy Theatre, with punk poet Attila The Stockbroker, ska punk from Dirty Revolution, Fixed Up and in the bar area left wing poetry from The Red Poets Society. The festival also includes an art exhibition of original art work by Jamie Reid, on show today and tomorrow (16th and 17th April). Jamie Reid was responsible for the iconic imagry associated with the Sex Pistols, including the iconoclastic “God Save The Queen” single cover and the notorious the first Sex Pistols LP cover. Jamie Reid’s work will be showing alongside other renowned “punk” artists James Cauty and Billy Childish. Admission to the art exhibition is free. Entry to the live music and poetry is £10.For further information please contact Myfanwy Theatre on: 07863 354097 / themadone28@hotmail.com.

Rights Celebration
This Saturday (18th April) is the 170th Anniversary Year of the South Wales Rising 1839, where the working classes demanded certain rights set out in the Peoples Charter. Merthyr Tydfil Chartists had a prominent place in history! Chartist activity in south Wales in the late 1830s and 1840s counted thousands of supporters in Merthyr Tydfil: their cause was reform, to give all the men the vote and to make society far more democratic! Merthyr Tydfil Chartist Festival will take place in and around Market Square Church, Lower High Street 9.30am – 4.30pm; with performances, multi-media, lectures and debates. For more information please contact Huw on 07968256864, Viv on 01685 377883 or les.james@newport.ac.uk. All sessions are free but please book your place today.

Open Mike
The next Open Mike Night welcomes poets, short story writers, singers and acoustic musicians on Thursday, 23rd April, at the Imperial Hotel. There will also be a small prize for the best reading, judged by the guest author for the evening, who will be David Hughes. The event is free entry, come along to perform or just to listen to others. Please contact 01685 725382 or arts@merthyr.gov.uk for more details.

Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera return to the Myfanwy Theatre this Saturday, 18th April, with a performance at 7.30pm. Entrance is £12. For further Information call 01685 726161 or visit mtheatre@merthyr.ac.uk

Dance Showcase
The first Merthyr Tydfil Schools Dance Showcase at the Myfanwy Theatre, will be held on Tuesday, 5th May, at 7pm. Merthyr Tydfil schools have been invited to produce a piece of dance to perform at the showcase evening. If you would like your school to be involved but haven’t yet received an entry form, please contact Jo Richards on 07505269523. This showcase event is hoped to become a regular annual fixture in Merthyr’s arts calander. For tickets please contact the box office on 01685 726000. Adults £3, children and concessions £2.