Aber Arts

As always, the new year at Aberystwyth Arts Centre kicks off with the annual pantomime from the Wardens Theatre Company, and this year Robin Hood and his merry mob are battling it out with the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham until 24 January.

Families

There is also more for families as the season continues with Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure (14 Feb), Along Came a Magpie (17 Feb), The Ultimate Bubble Show (20 Feb), Natural History Museum presents Dinosaurs Live (14 March), Baby Brahms Concerts (20 March), Hay! (8 April) and the Ministry of Science Live! (10 April).

Music

The Arts Centre will be transformed into an immersive playground of sound and light from 6- 7 February as the annual Trawsnewid festival returns. Expect a blend of live music and cutting-edge visuals. The choice of music events this season at the Arts Centre is plentiful, ranging from the classical to tributes to our pop and rock favourities.

Aberystwyth Choral Society starts off the classical offering on 24 January with Rossini’s Mass with Sinfonia Cambrensis, and return again on 25 April with their Spring concert.
Johns Boys Welsh Male Choir return with their 10th Anniversary Tour on 1 March, BBC Young Musician Winner Laura van der Heijden joins Sinfonia Cymru on 27 February experience sweeping film melodies from Philomusica Aberystwyth on 14 March and BBC National Orchestra of Wales bring their Magic & Melodies tour on 19 March.

The tribute acts start with the official number one Elvis tribute artist in the world, Emilio Santoro on 14 February, then relive the electrifying 80s on 6 March with Calling Planet Earth, William Hicks channels The Legend of Barry White on 27 March and The Illegal Eagles celebrate 30 years on 10 April.

Folk or Jazz more your thing? Enjoy Stan Tracy’s defining work, the Under Milk Wood Jazz Suite (3 March) experience the foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes, Kathryn Tickell and her band The Darkening on 4 March, Welsh singer Mari Mathias and Gambian kora player Sura Susso come together in a unique collaboration on 21 February, catch folk’s most loved duos and founders of Bellowhead, Spiers and Boden on 10 March and contemporary North Wales duo Eve Goodman & SERA present their long-awaited Welsh Language project ‘Natur’ on 15 April.

Also in music, enjoy an intimate, cabaret-style evening with Vocalise Studio and Friends on 30 January, Anglo-French avant-pop band Stereolab play their first Aber show on 17 February, BBC Radio Wales star Bronwen Lewis returns to the Arts Centre with her ‘big night in’ tour on 11 Ebrill, The Soul Brothers Syndicate present a thrilling live show featuring a 20-piece Northern Soul Orchestra on 17 April and enjoy classic movie-musical songs on 18 April with Pulman &  Stilgoe – Hooray for Hollywood.

Theatre & Storytelling

There is plenty for the theatre fans this spring season, starting with Krapps’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett on 18 February and Waldo by Mewn Cymeriad on 19 February. Hijinx’s darkly funny Meet Feed is back on 28 February, and Flabbergast’s Macbeth on 11 and 12 March promises to be a powerful interpretation. Frozen Light welcomes you to their fantasy realm, The Ancient Oak of Baldor on 16 and 17 March and Wales-based TRIONGL investigate life, death and everything in between in their bilingual comedy Is there anybody there? on 19 March. On 21 April, step into the dazzling yet dangerous world of Club Mistero with TSE Creative Productions. You can also catch the local talent of Aberystwyth Community Theatre in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on 20 and 21 March.

There are two storytelling events to enjoy in February, Sam Freeman’s We’re not Getting a Dog on 12 February and Gayberystwyth Books’ Queer Lit Quarterly.

Dance

Be transported to 1930s Paris on 13 February with Rendez-Vous Dance and their highly virtuosic contemporary dance performance The Monocle and on 20 February, TWAWSI‘s new double bill, The World As We See It, presents two powerful contrasting visions of our world today. The Revenge of Popperface on 24 April invites audiences to witness the crafting of personal mythologies through dance, mixed martial arts, and boxing.

Comedy

The monthly Wednesday night Comedy Club returns to the Studio this spring on 25 Feb, 25 March and 22 April, in association with Little Wander and featuring line up of the UK’s top comedians.

Cinema

As always, don’t miss the latest movie releases and Oscar nominations this spring or be transported to London or New York for the biggest stage productions live on the big screen.

Exhibitions

Artes Mundi 11 continues in Gallery 1 through to March, with tours and workshops available to book. Following this, The Many Stories of Ivor Davies takes over the space until August. There is also a host of other temporary exhibitions to explore across the Arts Centre this spring and entry to all exhibition spaces is free of charge

Don’t forget to combine your visit with a bite to eat or drink at the Cafe or take a wander around the shop. Also, check out the weekly classes for a chance to learn a new creative skill in 2026, or revisit an old one!

Visit aberystwythartscentre.co.uk to book or for more information on all performances.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is delighted to announce its new status as a Registered Exam Centre with Trinity College London. This significant milestone allows us to offer Drama examinations such as Acting, Performance Art, Musical Theatre and Acting for Screen. This exciting development builds on over a decade of success as an Arts Award Centre, where we have nurtured creativity and celebrated the artistic achievements of young people and adults alike.

Trinity College London’s internationally respected Drama qualifications are designed to inspire learners of all ages to develop their creative and performance skills. By becoming a Registered Exam Centre, Aberystwyth Arts Centre is proud to expand its services and provide a local platform for individuals to showcase their talent, gain recognition for their skills, and progress in their artistic journeys. A Word from Aberystwyth Arts Centre 

Drama examinations with Trinity College London provide a flexible and inclusive framework that accommodates performers at all levels. Whether aspiring actors, directors, or those simply passionate about the dramatic arts, this new offering will enable participants to receive expert evaluation and recognition while developing confidence, creativity, and communication skills. Looking Ahead

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is committed to offering the first Trinity Drama exams in the summer, with sessions available for individuals and groups. Details about registration, exam formats, and upcoming workshops to support candidates will be announced soon.

For further information, please visit our website or contact us at lao8@aber.ac.uk or 01970 62 28 88

Aberystwyth Arts Centre has won the Best Family Arts Activity Award in Fantastic For Families Awards 2024

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is thrilled to share that they have won the Best Family Arts Activity Award in the Fantastic for Families Awards 2024 for their exhibition Teulu / Family. These national awards celebrate outstanding opportunities created for families and older audiences to access creative opportunities and enhance wellbeing through arts and cultural activities.

Teulu / Family was a unique six- month project where four families worked with Aberystwyth Arts Centre to co-curate a major art exhibition. It was a project that aimed to be innovative, break new ground and which tried to find new models of working that put the public at the heart of decision-making. At its core, the aim was to break down the barriers that prevent family audiences from enjoying and taking part in the arts.

Teulu/Family was an Arts Council of Wales funded exhibition with commissions funded by CELF, the national contemporary art gallery for Wales. CELF is a partnership of eleven venues across Wales, including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, working together to create and deliver opportunities for people to be able to enjoy artworks from the national collection.

Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, said:

“Llongyfarchiadau to all involved in Teulu / Family!

“This fantastic – and now award-winning – exhibition shows the benefits and potential of CELF’S new dispersed model, with items selected from across the national collection displayed alongside newly created items. By involving families so closely in its creation and curation I’m sure the exhibition will have inspired many more to enjoy and engage with the arts, possibly for the first time.”

Award-winners were selected out of over 150 applications, initially shortlisted to 26 organisations from across the United Kingdom. Each of the shortlisted projects were recognised and celebrated by the Family Arts Campaign through sharing their Stories of Family Arts engagement, ahead of the winners being announced.

Installation picture showing specially commissioned interactive weaving table by Crafted Space Architects and interactive sculptures by Ella Louise Jones funded by CELF- National Contemporary Art Gallery Wales.

The Best Family Arts Activity Award celebrates creative events and activities developed especially for families. The judges for this category were Sarah Mears, Programme Manager at Libraries Connected and Zoe Dennington, Head of Learning and Participation at the Crafts Council.

“We loved the TEULU/ FAMILY Exhibition—we thought co-creating an exhibition with families was really ambitious. The final show looked so vibrant and inviting—you can really see that the families’ choices shining through.”

– Zoe Dennington, Head of Learning and Participation at the Crafts Council

“It was really inspiring to see the range of activities in this category. We were particularly impressed by how the shortlisted organisations had involved families in the planning and development of activities and the real care and empathy they had shown in creating inclusive and accessible high-quality family arts.”

– Sarah Mears, Programme Manager at Libraries Connected

“We are so happy to receive this award, thank you so much to the 4 fantastic families that worked with us over 6 months to realise this co-curated exhibition, they opened our eyes to new ways of working and transformed our gallery into a welcoming and inclusive space for the whole family.

A huge thank you to all the artists in the exhibition, our partners Amgueddfa Cymru- National Museum Wales, National Library Wales, School of Art Museum and Galleries Aberystwyth University, Culture Colony, Plant Dewi, Flying Start and Families First. Thank you to the Arts Council of Wales and CELF- National Contemporary Art Gallery Wales for funding this project”

– Ffion Rhys, Curator Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Elin Vaughan Crowley, Artist and Project Co-ordinator.

Fantastic For Families Awards are given by Family Arts Campaign, which is the largest national, cross-art form initiative to increase access to arts and culture for families of all ages. The Family Arts Campaign is funded by Arts Council England and is a National Portfolio Organisation within the national Let’s Create strategy. Visit https://www.familyarts.co.uk/2024-winners/ to find out more and see the full list of Fantastic For Families Awards winners.

Teulu / Family was a unique six month project where four fantastic families worked with Aberystwyth Arts Centre to co-curate a major art exhibition- made by families, for families. It was a project that aimed to be innovative, break new ground and which tried to find new models of working that put the public at the heart of decision-making. At its core, the aim was to break down the barriers that prevent family audiences from enjoying and taking part in the arts.

Together we went through all aspects of usual exhibition production- the idea/theme/aspiration of the show, selecting the artworks, writing the interpretation panels and labels, deciding on the layout of walls, the placement of works in the space and in relation to each other and ideas for the opening event, marketing and gallery activities.

We came to understand that there aren’t many opportunities for families to take part in creative activity together as a whole unit- parents often go off to do one thing, while the children do a different activity, which was also identified as a priority in research carried out by The Audience Agency – Arts Connect Research: Family Access Scheme, 2016.

Through all of this process, we learnt that parents or carers sometimes feel that the gallery isn’t a space for them- they often worry that children might not be interested in the art, they might break something, make too much noise or run/slide on the floors- as galleries are often large wide-open spaces, and often more akin to libraries. They also felt that the artwork was often for adults and not targeted at children, with nothing additional for them to ‘do’.

We found that children love colour, sound, touch, movement, play and creating- not too surprising- but how would we include these elements in a gallery full of fragile valuable art?- that was the conundrum. How were we going to create a space that went towards making families feel that it was OK to come in, stay, enjoy, take part if they wanted and feel that it was their space?

We worked in partnership with National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru, National Library of Wales and the School of Art, Museum and Galleries, Aberystwyth University all of which hold amazing national collections that belong to us all. We wanted the families to have access to these important artworks and to give them the choice of selecting what they thought would represent their ideas, themes and aspirations. What they created was a joyful exhibition which welcomed over 7,750 visitors and was a real celebration of what family means to them.

The ‘white cube’ and straight edges had disappeared, and every wall was a different colour painted in curves with artworks hung at child height as well as adult height. The families even created their own ceramic and animation artworks in response to, and to show alongside their chosen artworks by Picasso, Ceri Richards, Kyffin Williams, David Hurn and Claudia Williams. The artworks spoke of spending time together with those you love – around the table at home, in nature, at the seaside and in the mountains. Their concerns about the preservation of our natural world for our future generations and climate emergency was also reflected in the works selected with photographs depicting rubbish collected on our beaches. The children chose more colourful and abstract works, children’s book illustrations depicting animals and creative play and also moving image work. The families also commissioned artists to create new interactive artworks in response to the themes of the exhibition- a ‘weaving table’ where the whole family can create together and interactive playful soft sculptures that move around the gallery.

On the families suggestion, Bendant the pirate and Rt. Hon. Elin Jones MS opened the exhibition, who commented that:

“This is the noisiest private view I have ever been too!, how refreshing it is to see so many families here, this is how it should be.”

The exhibition was on show during the Spring this year and we were very proud that it was chosen to launch the exciting initiative CELF – National Contemporary Art Gallery for Wales, which at its heart aims to give access to our national art collections through showcasing the collection in 9 partner galleries located throughout the breadth of Wales.

There are many unexpected outcomes to this project- the numerous requests from the artists selected to meet the families- having chips on Aberystwyth prom with David Hurn was a definite highlight! and the ceramics curator for Aberystwyth Art School asking if they could work with the families to curate another exhibition is a wonderful legacy. What we have learnt through this has far surpassed our expectations, and we are still learning from it, it has had a ripple effect throughout the whole Arts Centre team, and its visitors. The gallery is full of people of all ages, enjoying what they see, taking part in creating together, with less worry about noise or playing and how they are ‘expected’ to behave. Ultimately it has changed the way we work and changed attitudes as to what a gallery space can be- which is a space for ALL.

Links to films: Promo: https://youtu.be/8FxJ2DD3IrQ?si=t3pEzCUXZsXW3ICo Longer film: https://vimeo.com/941576543

Social media: @aberartscentregallery | @aberystwytharts | #FantasticForFamiliesAwards2024

Aberystwyth Arts Centre have been shortlisted for Best Family Arts Activity at the Fantastic Family Awards 2024 for their Teulu (Family) exhibition held in Gallery 1 back in March 2024. Teulu saw families working with Aberystwyth Arts Centre to co-curate a major exhibition that took inspiration and showed works from our national collections at National Library of Wales, National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru and the School of Art, Museums and Galleries, Aberystwyth University. It was a project that broke new ground, was innovative and which tried to find new models of working that put the public at the heart of decision-making. At its core, the aim was breaking down the barriers that prevent family audiences from enjoying and taking part in the arts.
 
Discover the organisations that have made outstanding contributions to family and age-friendly arts and culture in 2023-24. This year’s shortlist for the
Fantastic for Families Awards, organised by Family Arts Campaign, showcases the real innovation, creativity and impact made by cultural opportunities in the UK.
 
What better way to get to know something than through stories? Family Arts Campaign invites you to explore this year’s 26 Stories of Family Arts, which bring our Awards shortlist to life. Discover how the finalists created opportunities for families and older people to access creative opportunities and improve wellbeing across three categories: Best Family Arts Activity, Best Age-Friendly Outreach, and Audience Impact & Innovation.
 
Keep reading for facts, or stop right now and delve into the stories for the meaning, human connections and creative sparks behind them.
 
The Fantastic for Families Awards is an annual programme open to UK-based cultural organisations or cultural activity organisers who provide creative opportunities, activities, or initiatives for families and older people. The Audience and Innovation strand focuses on families in need.
Our nominees excel at creating imaginative experiences and many go the extra mile by supporting families in need, responding directly to the current challenges in the UK such as providing warm spaces, access to healthy meals or helping with welcoming newcomers. Respite, togetherness and shared imagination can go a long way in these challenging times, as the shortlisted organisations demonstrate. These organisations and initiatives are needed now more than ever and we invite you to share their stories in order to amplify their work.
 
The 2024 shortlist recognises and celebrates the achievements of family arts professionals, through sharing their diverse stories from across the arts spectrum. Their work supports communities and participants including young people struggling with mental health and wellbeing, families with no access to green spaces and elders in end-of-life care.

 
Want a sneak peek? Our 26 Stories of Family Arts include…

• Co-curating a welcoming art exhibition with and for local families in Aberystwyth

(TEULU / FAMILY Exhibition, Ceredigion)

• Creating safe spaces through stories for LGBTQ families in libraries in East Riding

(Children’s Festival of Words, Yorkshire)

• Creating mobile museum spaces to help support those with reduced mobility
  (House of Memories: On the Road, Liverpool)
• Bringing heritage to life with Knight School in Bishop Auckland

(TAP into History, County Durham)

• A new playground in a museum, co-designed together with families

(The Cove, London)

• Reconnecting older men to each other and the community

(Celebrating Age Wiltshire: Creative Conversations, Wiltshire)

• Working in partnership to curate inclusive spaces to ensure every family has access to enriching outdoor experiences (Playful Gardens Inclusive Family Play Days, Dundee)

 
“We are delighted to present the 2024 Fantastic for Families awards shortlist with a truly incredible range of activities and initiatives to improve access to creative and cultural experiences. This year’s nominees celebrate the delight and connectivity that can be found through creative participation, and recognise the dedication of those working in the arts sector to bring safe spaces and joyful experiences to those who need it most.”

• Anna Dever, Executive Director, Family Arts Campaign

The full shortlist of organisations is:
 
Best Family Arts Activity
This award celebrates high-quality family arts activities suitable for audiences and participants of all ages.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre Gallery – TEULU / FAMILY Exhibition
AsOne Theatre Company – We Came From Ukraine
Autograph – Family SEND Programme
Boo To A Goose Theatre – Storm In A Teapot
East Riding Libraries – Children’s Festival of Words
Family Choir Club – Family Friendly Concert
Jellyfish Theatre – Jellyfish Community Touring
Taking Flight Theatre – Summer Programme 2023
The Auckland Project – TAP into History
The Point Eastleigh x The House of Many Moons – Timothy The Yeti
The Together Project – Songs & Smiles
The Whitworth – PLAYTIME
Theatre Hullabaloo – Hullabaloo in the Park
Travelling Light Theatre Company – Igloo Performances & Play Sessions
 
Best Age Friendly Outreach
This category recognises outreach approaches, provided specifically for older people, such as age-friendly activities, events, creative resources, or broader forms of support and outreach.
Barnsley Libraries – Telling Stories
Create – art:links
Helix Arts – Falling On Your Feet
National Museums Liverpool – House of Memories: On the Road
Step Change Studios – Let’s Dance
Wiltshire Music Centre – Celebrating Age Wiltshire: Creative Conversations
 
Audience Impact and Innovation Award
This award recognises the achievements of creative organisations or cultural event organisers who have demonstrated innovation and adaptability to reach and make a difference to families in need.
Little Angel Theatre – The Welcome Project
National Maritime Museum – The Cove
Playful Gardens – Inclusive Family Play Days
Polka Theatre – Take Your Seats
Tangled Feet – Belongings
Travelling Light Theatre Company – Free Creative Holiday Activities and Meals
Fantastic For Families Awards are given by Family Arts Campaign, the national Investment Principles Support Organisation for arts engagement and families, funded by Arts Council England.
 
The winners of the Fantastic For Families 2024 Awards will be announced in an online ceremony on 28 November 2024. Book your free tickets here.
 
Visit the Fantastic For Families 2024 Awards page to find out more.

TRAWSNEWID/ TRANSFORM festival at Aberystwyth Arts Centre has been shortlisted in the ‘Best New Festival’ category for the UK Festival Awards 2024.

The festival, which is a collaboration between FOCUS Wales and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, is a unique audio-visual exploration that brings together a line-up of both established and up and coming bands and musicians from across Wales. The inaugural festival took place across multiple stages in the Arts Centre in February 2024, where headline acts included Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, Adwaith, Gallops, Cerys Hafana and Sage Todz, and it was a complete sell out.

Arts Centre Deputy Director Louise Amery said:

FOCUS Wales’ own festival was also shortlisted in the ‘Emerging Talent Initiative’ category, so it’s a double celebration in Wrexham. Director Andy Jones said:

Tickets are already on sale for the 2025 Trawsnewid festival which will run from 21- 22 February. Audiences can expect a weekend filled with incredible music and amazing visuals, with headliners CVC and Fat Dog, alongside a line-up that includes Adjua, Afro Cluster, Ani Glass, Das Koolies, Eye, Gillie, Ffenest, Islet, Kizzy Crawford, Mace the Great, Mari Mathias, Melin Melyn, Mellt, Pys Melyn, Red Telephone, Seazoo, Tara Bandito, guest DJs and more! Festival tickets are available now at www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

Aberystwyth Arts Centre has received a grant of £4,826 from the Theatres Trust Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, towards new digital signage/wayfinding in the venue.  The digital screens have already proved invaluable in helping signpost returning students around the venue at the start of the new autumn term, as well as helping with the 100s of audiences members visiting events in the venue as part of this year’s Aberystwyth Comedy Festival.  

Arts Centre Director, David Wilson, said:

A record 24 theatres received a share of £107,498 in the last round of the grant scheme, which supports not-for-profit theatres to be viable and thrive in the future. Welsh venues supported included Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Celynen Collieries Institute in Newbridge and The Welfare Ystradgynlais in Swansea. 

Jon Morgan, Theatres Trust Director, says

Stuart Hobley Linbury Trust says:

The winner of Aberystwyth Arts Centre Ian McKellen Award 2024 has been announced, following recent interviews.  The 2024 winner is Rhys Nutting. Rhys is one of the successful applications who will be studying a BA(Hons) in Sound Technology at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) from September 2024. He will be awarded £500 to go towards the cost of his studies as part of this special award that was set up with funds donated during Sir Ian McKellen’s visit to the Arts Centre in 2019.

Rhys said: 

Rhys attended Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Welshpool where he studied Welsh (First language), Music and Welsh Baccalaureate at A Level. He also gained work experience at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with mentorship from the late Nick Bache.

Rhys was the unanimous choice from the Award’s interview panel, who were once again bowled over by the calibre of applicants for the award, Creative Learning Coordinator Laura Oliver said:

Dame Elan Closs Stephens DBE, member of the interview panel and Arts Centre advisory board said:

The Aberystwyth Art Centre showcased one of Wales’ most celebrated artists, Mary Lloyd Jones, from the 21st of January to the 2nd of April. I was delighted to be able to explore her vibrant pieces, learn a little bit more about her story and even be given the chance to meet the artist herself. 

It is no wonder that Mary Lloyd Jones has been deemed a custodian of her cultural heritage with the artist’s bold, multi-layered work exploring the beginnings of language and a deep relationship to the land. As the artist herself has noted in a 2007 exhibition, ‘I wish to reveal the wealthy deposits of minority languages and to build a bridge between the visual, oral and written means of communication.’ Mary not only has an acute awareness of renowned Welsh literary works such as ‘ Y Gododdin’ and the ‘Mabinogi’ but also interweaves early zig-zag and spiral carvings, the Ogham and Bardic alphabets. These etchings may first appear as quick, energetic squiggles but they, in fact, reveal letters and meanings which have been lost with the passage of time. Fortunately, these have been brought into Mary’s extensive vocabulary of marks, and have found a sense of permanace in her lively compositions. 

Born in Devil’s Bridge, training at Cardiff College of Art, and later moving to Aberarth, Mary would see her bold compositions forming in and through the various landscapes she encountered, from the silver and lead mines of the Ystwyth and Rheidol valleys, the crashing waves at Cardigan Bay to the beautiful back gardens at Aberarth. Nevertheless, her work cannot be said to present a ‘true to life’ depiction of these landscapes, rather, her pieces convey the feeling of being connected to a particular place at a particular time whilst often exploring a kind of strangeness and unfamiliarity inherent in this connection. 

If one thing is for certain, Mary is an expert in the language of colour, taking us away from the trodden paths of the picturesque and guiding us toward the unruly curves and jagged outlines of the periphery. It is certainly a fascinating journey worth embarking on. 

The winner of Aberystwyth Arts Centre Ian McKellen Award 2022 has been announced, following recent interviews. The 2022 winner is Tom Mathias, first violinist in the Kuttner Quartet-in-residence at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, for the 2022-2023 season, who is studying a Solo Violin Performer Diploma at Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music. He will be awarded £500 to go towards the cost of his studies as part of this special award that was set up with funds donated during Sir Ian McKellen’s visit to the Arts Centre in 2019. 
Tom said

‘Being chosen as the recipient of the Ian McKellen Award 2022 is a great honour for me and marks a step forward in my career as a violinist. This award will help in enabling me to continue studying and living in the USA, and I am very grateful to Sir Ian McKellen and the committee for supporting me in this way.’

Tom attended Ysgol Gymraeg Aberystwyth and Penglais School, before going on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He has represented Aberystwyth in the Urdd Eisteddfod, performing in the final of the Bryn Terfel Competition in 2019, and has appeared on BBC and S4C television and radio many times, both as a soloist and an orchestral player. Tom makes every effort to prioritise his Welsh performance opportunities and to promote and represent Wales wherever he performs.

Along with pursuing chamber music and orchestral studies, Tom is aiming to become an international solo violin performer. Committing years of his life to honing his musicianship and technical abilities and is now beginning to see the fruits of his labour with increasing concert engagements and invitations to coach and teach. 

Tom was the unanimous choice from the Award’s interview panel, who were once again bowled over by the calibre of applicants for the award Creative Coordinator Laura Oliver said:

‘The standard of applications for the 2022 Award was incredibly high, the panel were blown away by the skills and passion of all the award applicants. Tom stood out as being particularly focused and passionate in his chosen career and he has a bright future ahead of him. He has achieved so much already at such a young age and Aberystwyth Arts Centre are happy to support him with this award.’

Tom follows in the footsteps of previous year’s winners. Osian Pearson (2021) who studied an MA in Editing at the prestigious National Film and Television School (NFTS), Cerys Havana Hickman (2020) who studied for a degree in Music (BMus) at Goldsmiths, University of London, and joint winners (2019) Owain Gruffydd, who studied at the University of Northampton studying for a BA Hons Degree in Acting, and Laura Baker who was working towards her BA Hons Degree in Ballet Education at the Royal Academy of Dance.

When Sir Ian McKellen came to perform at the Arts Centre in February 2019, all the money raised from ticket sales and donations during his visit was kept safe to be used for supporting the Arts Centre’s important work with young people. A special prize was established, the Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s Ian McKellen Award, open to a young person between the ages of 16 – 25 who intends to continue their vocational training in the creative arts – including, but not limited to, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. £500 is available annually to award for candidates who can demonstrate artistic promise and the passion for their artform, and who are in receipt of a place for study during the following academic year.

The Board of Musicfest Aberystwyth is delighted to announce that from 2023 onwards, our new Artistic Director will be Catrin Finch, the international superstar harpist who hails from Llanon.

David Campbell, the present Director, had expressed his wish to retire in 2022 after more than 20 years of dedicated and inspiring leadership. This was going to be a hard role to fill.

Musicfest needed a top-flight musician with a high profile, a wide range of contacts in the musical world, and thorough commitment.

With perfect timing, Catrin was planning to make some adjustments to her life after a stellar career and was pleased to be given the chance to lead and develop a prominent festival in her home county.

Harpist and composer, Catrin Finch, has delighted audiences with her performances in the UK and worldwide for several decades. Inspired to learn the harp at the age of 5, her rise to prominence started almost immediately, achieving the highest mark in the UK for her Grade Eight exam at the age of nine. In May 2004 she was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and has also received an Echo Klassik in Germany.

Catrin is the former Royal Harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales. Holding the appointment from 2000–2004, she had the honour of reviving this ancient tradition last held in 1873.

She has performed extensively throughout the US, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. She has appeared with many of the world’s top orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields at the Barbican’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the London Mozart Players, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, the Lake Charles Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony and the Manchester Camerata. She has recorded for most of the major international recording companies, including Universal Records, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and Sony Classical, both solo and with notable artists such as Bryn Terfel, Sir James Galway and Julian Lloyd Webber.

Her versatility in different musical genres is demonstrated in her many recordings, which range from solo classical recitals and concertos, through to an eclectic cross-over mix. She has received honours from the University of Wales Aberystwyth and Bangor, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and the Royal Academy of Music.
 
She said,

“I was looking for a way to give back to Ceredigion, which nurtured my musical life, and set me on my career. This was the perfect opportunity.

I am looking forward to getting down to work on the 2023 festival in the next months. I hope to be able to take Musicfest out to other parts of the county, and I look forward to seeing how we can cooperate with the County Music Service.”

The final concert of Musicfest Aberystwyth this year, on 30^th July 2022, will feature both David Campbell and Catrin Finch, and is sure to be an emotional occasion. Catrin will officially take up the role of Artistic Director from August 2022, after several months of handover meetings with David Campbell and the rest of the Musicfest board and operational team.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre has been awarded a grant of £237,920 from Arts Council Wales’ Cultural Recovery 3 fund. The fund aims to support national and local theatres and art galleries through the latest issues caused by the pandemic – particularly over the last three months when the omicron variant led to increased restrictions for venues.

Arts Centre Director Dafydd Rhys said:

‘We are very grateful to the Arts Council for their ongoing support of the Arts Centre throughout the pandemic. Throughout the Covid crisis, we have worked energetically to maintain key opportunities for public engagement because of our belief in the positive contribution made by creative and cultural activity to public confidence, and wellbeing. Since reopening last June we were so pleased to see audiences returning and enjoying being back in the building, working within Covid guidelines. Sadly omicron delayed our recovery as we saw shows cancelled again, and in particular it was so sad that the Wardens panto had to be postponed. ACW’s support helps us continue to stay open and to begin welcoming audiences back again in the months ahead – and to ensure the show will go on!’

The Arts Centre is now looking forward to the return of live events and performances. Highlights over the next few months include Torch Theatre’s production of Carwyn, Fascinating Aida, National Theatre Wales & Theatr Genedlaethol’s production of Petula, & The Shires.

---

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is Wales’ largest arts centre and is recognised as a ‘national flagship for the arts’. It has a wide-ranging artistic programme, both producing and presenting, across all art forms including drama, dance, music, visual arts, film and community arts and is known as a national centre for arts development.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is a department of Aberystwyth University and a member of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Arts Centre sits at the heart of the university’s campus, with stunning views over the town of Aberystwyth and along the coastline of Cardigan Bay.

Visit: www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

Aberystwyth Arts Centre celebrates Arts and Community in uplifting film with original music by Andrew Cusworth

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, part of Aberystwyth University, is proud to present a short film celebrating its reopening, with new music commissioned exclusively for the project from composer Andrew Cusworth with words by the poet Dafydd John Pritchard. The video is directed by filmmaker Felix Cannadam, and features local musicians and dancers from Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s Dance School.

The film was premiered on Heno, S4C, on Monday the 20th of September.

The film celebrates the re-opening of the Arts Centre following the pandemic and is both inspiring and celebratory. It is the first time in its wonderful history that the Arts Centre has commissioned music and the collaboration between Andrew Cusworth and Dafydd John Pritchard has created a remarkable uplifting piece.

It celebrates both the local and the global with Aberystwyth choir, Côr ABC, local musicians and students at the Arts Centre’s Dance School all taking part. There is also archive footage of past Arts Centre projects including the collaboration with the educational centre Dream a Dream in Bangalore, India.

The film was produced by Pete Telfer, founder of Culture Colony, and directed by a young Aberystwyth filmmaker and photographer, Felix Cannadam.

In true lockdown style, each choir member recorded the words at home on their phones and sent them in before Andrew worked his technological magic pulling all the separate recordings together into one final soundtrack.

The five musicians playing on the piece have performed at the Centre many times in the past either as members of Philomusica Aberystwyth, in the venue’s popular summer season musicals.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is proud to be the busiest Arts Centre in Wales in terms of its engagement with young people, and this was celebrated in the film with the involvement of the amazing young dancers from the Dance School.

The film is an expression of what the Arts Centre is about – being part of a strong artistic community, supporting young people to develop their skills and enjoy the arts, and creating exciting new work. It gets to the heart of what the arts means to us all after a pandemic – bringing communities and people of all ages together, sharing emotions, discovering how important the arts have become to us and how we’ve missed them.

Louise Amery, Deputy Director of the Arts Centre, says

“We started the project back in early 2021 when we were looking ahead with hope for reopening, after so long closed due to the pandemic. It’s been a really uplifting and positive project and we hope everyone enjoys it as much as we have being part of it. A huge thank you to everyone involved!”

Andrew Cusworth said,

“In ‘y Ganolfan’, I wanted to create an invocation to the arts, a warm and hopeful song of their rightful place at the heart of our lives and of our return to experiencing them together with one another. Dafydd encapsulated this wonderfully in his poem, providing the perfect foundation for the piece. Around his words, I wrote a contemplative fanfare that grows from the quiet creativity of the arts themselves to their deep impact on their audiences and communities. Commissioned and fully supported by Aberystwyth Arts Centre and its community, this has been an inspiring project to work on, both in writing and in digitally uniting the wonderful playing and singing of the instrumentalists and Côr ABC.”

Dafydd John Pritchard said,

“It was a privilege to be able to respond to Andrew’s request to work together once more following this long and difficult time for everyone, and to welcome the recovery of the arts here in Aberystwyth and beyond. I also thank the Arts Centre for the opportunity. It was also very pleasing to be part of the latest ABC Choir project which has managed to be busy ‘digitally’ throughout the whole pandemic period.”

The film was premiered exclusively on Heno, S4C, on Monday night, 20th September 2021, at 7pm.

The winner of Aberystwyth Arts Centre Ian McKellen Award 2021 has been announced, following recent interviews. The 2021 winner is Osian Pearson, a Student-BAFTA and Royal Television Student Society nominated Editor, who is studying an MA in Editing at the prestigious National Film and Television School (NFTS). He will be awarded £500 to go towards the cost of his studies as part of this special award that was set up with funds donated during Sir Ian McKellen’s visit to the Arts Centre in 2019.

Osian said:

‘I am sincerely honoured to have been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Aberystwyth Arts Centre Ian McKellen Award. Thanks to this scholarship, I am one step closer to fulfilling my 2nd year tuition fees to study MA Editing at the National Film and Television School – one of the top film schools in the world. Being part of this highly selective and world-renowned course has been a goal of mine for several years, and I am thankful that I am able to pursue this once in a lifetime opportunity to develop both my creative and technical skills amongst many of the UK’s upcoming and talented filmmakers due to this scholarship. My sincere thanks to Aberystwyth Arts Centre for supporting Welsh creatives/artists, and for the role that they play in helping develop Welsh talent across a wide range of mediums.’

Osian’s passion for editing began whilst studying media production at Coleg Ceredigion (Aberystwyth Campus), when one of his short films (about the Hafod Estate in Cwmystwyth), got him his first festival screening and an award for ‘Best Film’ at the National Eisteddfod yr Urdd in 2015. Seeing how he was able to use editing to bring disconnected images together to create meaning and craft a compelling story, and the affect this had on an audience, captivated him and set him off on his current career path.

Osian was the unanimous choice from the Award’s interview panel, who were once again bowled over by the calibre of applicants for the award.

Arts Centre Head of Creative Learning, Amanda Trubshaw, said:

‘The standard of applications for the 2021 Award was incredibly high, the panel were blown away by the skills and passion of all the award applicants. Osian stood out as being particularly focused and passionate in his chosen career and he has a bright future ahead of him. He has achieved so much already at such a young age and Aberystwyth Arts Centre are happy to support him with this award.’

Osian follows in the footsteps of previous year’s winners. Cerys Havana Hickman (2020) who studies for a degree in Music (BMus) at Goldsmiths, University of London, and joint winners (2019) Owain Gruffydd, who is at the University of Northampton studying for a BA Hons Degree in Acting, and Laura Baker who is working towards her BA Hons Degree in Ballet Education at the Royal Academy of Dance.

When Sir Ian McKellen came to perform at the Arts Centre in February 2019, all the money raised from ticket sales and donations during his visit was kept safe to be used for supporting the Arts Centre’s important work with young people. A special prize was established, the Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s Ian McKellen Award, open to a young person between the ages of 16 – 25 who intends to continue their vocational training in the creative arts – including, but not limited to, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. £500 is available annually to award for candidates who can demonstrate artistic promise and the passion for their artform, and who are in receipt of a place for study during the following academic year.