Merthyr Express column

15th April ’10

Arts In Merthyr

The Arts In Merthyr Tydfil is a new summary document being launched tonight, Thursday, 15th April, at 6pm until 8pm in the Myfanwy Theatre, Merthyr Tydfil College, with performances and talks by groups like 3Gs, Head for Arts, The Zoar Arts Centre Project, Night Out and others. The document has been compiled by the Merthyr Tydfil Arts, Culture and Media Forum as a snap shot of the arts across the borough over the last year. The event is free entry but please register your attendance by leaving a message at either 01685 725382 or arts@merthyr.gov.uk. An outline of the event is also available online at www.artscelf.blogspot.com

Prize Winning Author

The winner of this year’s prestigeous TS Elliot prize; Philip Gross, will be reading at this week’s Open Mike Night at the Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil tonight, Thursday, 15th April. The Open Mike Night starts at 7.30pm. All are welcome to come along and read or to just relax and listen to others. Philip born in 1952 in Delabole, Cornwall. Son of an Estonian wartime refugee and the village schoolmaster/s daughter. Has written poetry for adults and children, novels for young people, plays for radio and stage, short stories and opera libretti. He has also won an Eric Gregory Award and numerous other prizes, and his 1998 collection The Wasting Game (Bloodaxe, 1998) was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize. A teacher of creative writing since 1984, he joined the University of Glamorgan in 2004 as Professor in Creative Writing. For further details, please contact 01685 725382 or email arts@merthyr.gov.uk

Unified Festival
A new festival will be coming to Merthyr this May. The Unified Music Festival will be held on Saturday 8th May at Merthyr Tydfil College. Doors open at 12:00pm. There will be workshops and accoustic sets throughout the day, with the theatre opening at 7:00pm. The fully confirmed line-up consist of: The Guns, The Oratorios, Portal House, Headline, Eight Piece Suit, Missdalgik, My Ceramic Rabbit, Kiss Silv R, The Secret Enemy, Y Betti Galws, Mike Morgan, Dicey, Colon, The Gubbins, Jawz, Dave Hassell and Orange Elvis. Tickets cost £4 in advance or £6 on the door. Children go free. In association with Merthyr and the Valleys Mind.

Extravaganza Concert
An extravaganza concert is to be held at Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre this Saturday, 17th April 2010, at 7.00 pm. The concert is in aid of the Mayor’s Appeal; Macmillan Cancer Support featuring Dowlais Male Choir, Cantorion Cyfarthfa, Con Voce, Merthyr Ladies Choir, Treharris Male Choir, Ynysowen Male Choir plus The Big Band and Triawd. Tickets cost £10, with £8 concessions available from the Mayor’s Office, Merthyr Tydfil Civic Centre (tel. 01685 725320) Choir Members and Macmillan Ladies. The event is sponsored by Willmott Dixon Group

Merthyr Artist
A new exhibition of recent work by Dowlais artist Michael Gus Payne is soon to open at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea. The exhibition, titled “Gwyn Gwel Y Fran Ei Chiw” (or the “Crow See’s Its Chick As White”) is a series of works produced in response to Welsh idioms and phrases, with a social consiousness. The work is part of a wider collaberation with Heolgerrig poet and author Mike Jenkins which is planned to tour Wales from summer 2011. The exhibition at the Dylan Thomas Centre is free entry and starts from 20th April until 17th May. For further information please visit mgpayne.com.