Merthyr Express column

30th Dec 10

2011 Poetry Nights

Open Mic Nights at the Imperial Hotel continue in 2011 with Paul Groves on 13th January 2011 at 7.30pm. Open Mic Nights are supported by local award winning author Mike Jenkins who collects names on the night for those who’d like to join the guest author and read. The nights are free entry, sponsoured by MTCBC and Academi. Following Open Mic Nights for the first half of 2011 will be with guest authors and poets Phil Knight on 10th February, Mario Basini on 12th May, Paul C Evans on 16th June, Ivy Alvarez on 14th July and David Annwn on 29th September. For further information contact: (01685) 725382 arts@merthyr.gov.uk.

2011 Festivals
Festivals set for 2011 in Merthyr Tydfil include Zoom; Wales' International Young People's Film Festival, which will be taking place this February and March.
Zoom is a young people's film and media development programme which incorporates a major international festival of children's film and media, offering young people across the south Wales valleys an opportunity to work with others to create their own film and media projects. Through Zoom's activities young people can make new friends, develop new skills and comment on the world around them. For more information about Zoom visit; www.zoomcymru.com.
During the early summer Cyfarthfa Park welcomes back the Global Village Festival established in 2005 to celebrate and raise awareness of the cultural diversity and heritage of Merthyr Tydfil and has continued every year since then, with the addition of community workshops in selected locations for two weeks prior to the main event day, since 2009, thanks to funding from the Arts Council of Wales. Merthyr Tydfil Global Village is a constituted group of volunteers, committed to working with statutory and voluntary organisations and with individuals to promote equality and diversity within the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil. Global Village also receives funding from various sources for the festival day including MTCBC, Big Lottery, MTHA, Communities First and others, together with in-kind support from MTHA, Merthyr Tydfil College, MTCBC, Glamorgan Gates, Menter Merthyr, Bridges Into Work, WAG and others. The 2011 event date will be Sunday, 22nd May. One of the Global Village aims is to celebrate and raise awareness of cultural diversity.
June 2011 also welcomes back Bedroc; Welsh language music festival held in various locations in the village of Bedlinog, in the Taff Bargoed Valley. Past years have included ledgendary performers from the Welsh language music scene including Meic Stevens, Dafydd Iwan, Tebot Piws, Heather Jones and Bryn Fon together with many more including Merthyr’s very own Betti Galws. Details and performers for 2011 will be released closer to the date. For further information visit: www.merthyrtudful.com.

Live Music Now
Live Music Now’s 20th Anniversary Concert – Mapping Wales; will take place on Friday, 21st January at the Coliseum Theatre Aberdare. The concert promises to be a glittering celebration with performances by past and present musicians from the Live Music Now scheme including Craig Yates (Only Men Aloud), Dan Perkins, Sian Cameron, Ginge and Cello Boi, Lunar Saxaphone Quartet and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Youth Chorus. Tickets cost £10 for adults with £7 concessions. The evening starts at 7.30pm. For further information or tickets, please telephone 08000 147 111.