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The Year of Wales will officially open on Saturday the 2nd
of August with a gala celebration and exhibition to showcase the rich and
ancient culture of Wales at the Lorient Interceltic Festival 2008 in Brittany.
The
gala evening will be a feast and fusion of ancient and contemporary Welsh
traditions presented by the Welsh/Breton poet, rapper and TV presenter, Aneirin
Karadog, who will give his own introduction to the Brythonic culture linking Wales and Brittany.
He will be joined by writer and art critic Siân Melangell Dafydd, born and
brought up in Snowdonia and currently living between Paris
and Wales.
The first half of the evening will delve into
the roots of Welsh traditions, with performances of music and dance by, Clerorfa, a fifty-strong folk orchestra of harps, fiddles,
flutes, Welsh hornpipes and bagpipes, directed by two of Wales' top
traditional musicians, Stephen Rees and Robin Huw Bowen. Dawnswyr Môn along
with Huw and Bethan Williams will bring the percussive beats of Welsh clog dancing
to Clerorfa's rich sound. Other musicians include the trio Sidan and one of Wales'
finest choirs, Dowlais Male Voice Choir.
The second half will feature young and
emerging performers such as Bethan Nia (Winner of the Celtic Connections Open
Stage competition 2008) with Helina Rees, and Creative Wales 2008 Award Winner,
singer song writer, Richard James. 9Bach, who have distilled over 200 years
worth of songs to create a honey-dipped sound, will round off a memorable
evening.
Eluned Haf, Director of Wales Arts International who are
supporting Welsh artists to participate in the Lorient Festival said "Welsh
culture, more than ever before, is developing a strong international
reputation, and has a wealth of artists who are already positioned on a world stage.
Now is the time for Welsh art and
artists. The world is getting excited about our culture and traditions through
the quality of work being produced by our contemporary artists and musicians,
and the strong international reputations they are building. Ours is a cultural
tradition steeped in history, but it is a living, vibrant culture that our
creative people are able to communicate in very contemporary ways."
Two Welsh artists will be featured in the Euro-celtic art
exhibition. In the Hon collaboration with leading Welsh writers and
poets, Iwan Bala explores cultural identity and the way it exists within the
wider world. His work makes use of recurring motifs such as the twin faced
Janus, a Romano-Celtic deity that unites past, present and future in its
gaze. At the opening of the exhibition
on Saturday 2nd August, one of the collaborating writers, art critic Siân Melangell
Dafydd, will introduce the "Hon" exhibition.
John
Uzzell Edwards' work is to do with Pure Painting, not picture making, and has
been driven by an exploration of early Welsh forms. His exhibition is inspired
by the aesthetic quality of Welsh quilts and blankets that has given such a
purpose and energy to this new body of work.
Antwn Owen Hicks, Leader of Welsh Delegation for the Year of
Wales at Lorient said: "This is a unique
opportunity to showcase the culture of Wales to an international
audience. We've been able to bring
together an exciting line up of artists for this very special Year of Wales. It's a
strong programme that honours the deep, historic
cultural traditions of our nation as well as presenting the vibrant way in
which our young contemporary artists and musicians are expressing
that tradition, to great international acclaim. The festival
organisers are extremely pleased by the quality and diversity of the programme,
and together we're looking forward to a great Year of Wales."
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