Arts Alive: Creative Opportunities for All Ages

Lanterns, Wildlife and Wackiness

Following the popular sessions last year we will be having fun making lanterns and exploring local wildlife again this February half term, a licence for imaginative thinking and colourful creation. Followed by a celebration lantern evening at Talgarth Mill on Friday 23rd March.

Thursday 16th, Friday 17th and Saturday 18th February

10.30am – 3.30pm (Please bring a packed lunch)

Talgarth Youth Club and Talgarth Mill (meet at the Youth Club at 10.30am)

To book email info@artsalivewales.org.uk or call 01873 811 579 / 07951 315 821

All ages welcome – spaces are limited. Children aged 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Celebrate the festive season with Arts Alive Wales at our annual Winter Gathering on Friday 9th December, 3-9pm. The free event will host a craft fayre and art sale including original framed art work, printed cards and handmade crafts, as well as festive cakes and refreshments.

 The event features local artists and makers selling a wide range of affordable pieces, from ceramics and watercolours to natural textiles and willow baskets. Enjoy a glass of mulled wine, soak up the atmosphere and discover unique gifts for friends and family.

Tessa Waite http://www.tessawaite.co.uk/

Pip Woolf http://woollenline.wordpress.com/

Llynfi Textiles http://www.llynfitextiles.co.uk/

Kay Leverton http://www.artfromthesoul.co.uk

And many more…

The lucky winner of the Blanced Hiraeth, our stunning, hand-knitted Welsh wool blanket, created and designed by volunteers, will be announced at 7pm. You can buy raffle tickets on the day to be in with a chance of winning! All ticket sales support Arts Alive’s community projects and workshops.

(Additional parking will be available in the grounds of Crickhowell Primary School from 4:30pm)

(Cash and cheques are accepted – plus BACS payments for art work)

The completed Blanced Hiraeth, a beautiful, organic Welsh Wool blanket, designed and hand-knitted by Arts Alive volunteers with the support of yarn expert Ginevra Croft is going to be displayed at Made by Hand at Tredegar House, Newport. This is another opportunity to see the stunning blanket and also to buy a raffle ticket to be in with a chance of winning it! The blanket is absolutely unique, each individual square has a story to tell and will surely be treasured for many years to come. Warm cwtches in winter are guaranteed!

Made by Hand is a contemporary craft fair at Tredegar House, Newport with 150 designer maker stands including Lowri Davies, byKirsty, Mandy Nash, Emma Kate-Francis, Virginia Graham and Melin Tregwynt. http://www.madebyhand-wales.co.uk/

 2-4 December 2011

Friday 11am-5pm

Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 10am-5pm

Information on how to purchase entry tickets can be found on the website.

Click here for directions to the event.

If you would like to volunteer at our stand, please contact us by email: info@artsalivewales.org.uk.

Ecology of Place

Drawing threads of connection 

A weekend workshop with Pip Woolf and Lin Charlston. Pip and Lin will explore interconnections in the natural world and uncover the relationships of things to one another and to ourselves. Join them for a challenging and thoughtful interlude observing, walking, drawing, stitching and creating art at Cae’r Hendre Studio in the beautiful Brecon Beacons.

29^th and 39^th October 2011, 10am – 4.30pm

£115, lunch and materials included

Details and booking:

Email: gilpip@googlemail.com / lincharlston@btinternet.com

Telephone: 01874 730995 / 01584 878337

This October Arts Alive Wales is pleased to be taking part in Powys Arts Month!

The county of Powys is not only a treasure-house of natural beauty, it is equally rich in the arts. Painters, poets and performers, sculptors and silversmiths, musicians and media artists, and many more and varied arts practitioners, all live and work here, and the Arts Month brings them together in a celebration of what the arts in Powys have to offer.  http://www.powysartsmonth.org.uk

Join Arts Alive Wales for a new performance of:

MEETING MR ELIOT

Join Sue Harries, trustee of Arts Alive and former secretary to T.S. Eliot, as she reminisces on that time. With poetry readings by professional local actor John Lovat. A charming and insightful second performance developed from the Spring Season rehearsal.

 Friday 28th October, 7:30 – 9pm

£6 including a glass of wine

Help create Abergavenny’s biggest art installation!

The Abergavenny Food Festival’s market hall decorations are always a huge hit. They are eagerly anticipated and give real pleasure to thousands of people – visitors and locals alike – for a whole year. Here’s your chance to get your creative work centre-stage at one of the UK’s top foodie events.

Last year’s ‘bees and flowers’ are fading fast, and now it’s all systems go as Arts Alive Wales gears up to produce the 2011 food-themed offering. Volunteers are needed. If you like turning great ideas into a visual feast then you’ll definitely want to get involved with this exciting new project.

Designer Bettina Reeves has used her kitchen as inspiration for the current themes. Kitchen utensils and beautiful jugs, along with colourful fish, will grace the rafters of the town’s superb Victorian market hall. All will be revealed on the evening of Thursday 15 September at the Festival’s annual Fanfare Supper.

Bettina and textile designer Susan McComb would love to have a lively and committed team to work with. They can offer the fun and satisfaction of creating large scale art for a public space, with good company – and excellent lunches too!

If you have textile/stitching/painting skills, can spare a few days and would like to take part, the Food Festival workshops will be held at the Arts Alive studio in Crickhowell on the following dates:

Tuesday 23rd , Wednesday 24th, Tuesday 30th, Wednesday 31st August and Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd, Monday 5th, Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th, Friday 9th, Saturday 10th, Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th September.

Workshops run from 10am – 5pm and we ask all volunteers to bring something delicious to share for lunch!

To register your interest, and for more information, please contact Arts Alive:

Email: info@artsalivewales.org.uk

Tel: 01873 811579

Yes, this is your chance to win the completed Blanced Hiraeth, a beautiful, organic Welsh Wool blanket, designed and  hand-knitted by Arts Alive volunteers with the support of yarn expert Ginevra Croft. The blanket attracted attention during its first outing at the Crickhowell Summer Fayre and will be on proud display in the window of Ginevra’s brand new shop, The Wool Croft, Cross Street, Abergavenny. The blanket is absolutely unique, each individual square has a story to tell and will surely be treasured for many years to come. Warm cwtches in winter are guaranteed!

1ST PRIZE: ‘Blanced Hiraeth’, a double bed sized patchwork blanket

2ND PRIZE: Large patchwork cushion

3RD PRIZE: £25 voucher for The Wool Croft, 9 Cross Street, Abergavenny

TICKETS £1  – from the Arts Alive office and from The Wool Croft.

The lucky winner will be announced on Friday 9th December 2011, 7pm at our Winter Gathering event.

All money raised will support Arts Alive Wales to continue providing arts activities for all ages and abilities in the local area.

Please give your name and contact telephone number when buying a ticket. THANK YOU!

Greenfire Talgarth

Arts Alive has been working for the first time in Talgarth, using new collaborations between artists, wildlife educators and craftspeople to bring the different parts of the community together and to build stronger awareness of its unique and precious natural resources.

• Tree Dressing
• Lanterns Procession
• Stone Carving

Talgarth has been highlighted in the local and national nation news this year with the renovation of the Talgarth Mill Project as an innovative model for community enterprise and a springboard for local regeneration.

Arts Alive has been supporting the Mill Project working with families and  Talgarth Youth Club engaging them in traditional crafts, celebratory arts projects and practical ways in which especially the young people can bring their input into this new venture.

Tree Dressing celebration 5th December 2010

A revival of an ancient custom this first event was held in the town hall, with Alexa Farley from the wildlife trust leading tree knowledge games and Lynette Margerison leading natural crafts workshops to make decorations for the fabulous giant oak tree “the lion tree” that stands along the school playing field.

Lantern Making and wildlife workshops:

24th 25th and 26th of Feb

We have been using a new approach to arts workshops by combining wildlife walks, river dipping, drama games and arts activities over a period of three days. We were working in Talgarth youth club making processional lanterns bringing families and younger children into the youth club space over the spring half term to create new connections between the age groups.  News spread quickly and the workshops were crammed full over the last couple of sessions.

Ben’s comment “Thank you for the lantern and wildlife workshops, i just passed my biology exam because i could show them that I had learnt all that extra stuff in the holidays.”

Tamikas comment “please can we go on some more of those walks I love going out and learning about all that stuff!”

Lantern Procession Saturday 19th March

We had a great turn out for the lantern procession and a great evening with a full moon and balmy weather for March. It was a magical event with a trio of musicians leading the way playing upbeat traditional tunes as we processed in the twilight through the town and out towards a lovely spot natural spot by the river lent by one of the families, where we had refreshments and more music by a campfire.

This year’s event follows a very successful inaugural Summer Fayre at Porthmawr Country House in 2010, where over 1,000 people attended, in addition to the many stall-holders and participants.

Join Arts Alive at Porthmawr on Sunday 24th July from 12pm – 6pm. Geoff and Linda Powell, the organisers of the fayre and owners of Porthmawr, are kindly donating funds raised to Arts Alive. Like so many voluntary organsiations, we can not survive on love alone and financial support is needed to continue the provision of vibrant arts acticivties for all ages and abilities in our local area.

This year the event will host 30 local producers plus event performances in the marquee to include cookery and chocolate demonstrations, musical performances, zumba extravaganza, children’s face-painting and much more.

Come and enjoy all the fun of the fayre in this lovely setting in the heart of Crickhowell. Feast yourself at the BBQ, or with fresh tea and scones and sit back with a bottle of wine or beer from the bar marquee.

PLUS – lively children’s arts and crafts activites throughout the day, bought to you by Arts Alive!

Admission is only £1 to this worthy cause.

SEE YOU THERE!

http://www.porthmawr.co.uk/

The Trail is an annual celebration of art and craft in and around the Crickhowell area with 22 artists opening their studios and workshops during the spring bank holiday weekend. Details of the event can be found by clicking on the CRiC link or calling 01873 811970.

As part of the Trail, Arts Alive are pleased to present a special Studio Weekend. This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in painting and drawing under the supportive direction of our two established tutors, Michael and Thomasin Toohie. Follow the Studio Weekend link for more info.

The Arts Alive Market Hall decorations are a focal point of the Abergavenny Food Festival and each year the new theme is eagerly awaited. Last year’s sheep decorations have now been put out to pasture and there’s a real buzz in the air.

Bettina Reeves’ vision for this year’s decorations is Honey Bees and ‘A flying carpet of flowers’ (Ted Hughes). Bees and honey also feature in the opening event of the festival – a poetry reading to be given by Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke on Thursday 16 September.

The swarm will be lovingly brought to life by Arts Alive and a team of gifted volunteers.  Would you like to join them?

The workshops will take place at Arts Alive, Old School, Brecon Road, Crickhowell between 9.30am and 5.30pm from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 August and Tuesday 31 August to Wednesday 15 September. There will be no workshops on Thursdays and Sundays. Please bring lunch to share.

Textile and sculptural skills will be used to create a swarm of big beautiful bees and a brilliant rainbow of flowers. Paper sculpture, silk painting, stitching and soft sculpture are some of the techniques that will be employed.

The intense three weeks are always hard work and incredible fun, with the opportunity to meet new people and to learn or refresh skills. If you are over sixteen and can devote some time to the project – anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, then do come along and join in

Abergavenny’s Food Festival decorations are eagerly awaited by visitors from near and far. For the makers there is a great sense of acheivement and it is joy to see this unique piece of Public Art adorning the beautiful market hall for the best part of a year. For more information please call Arts Alive on 01873 811579 / 07852 388970.

Arts Alive are pleased to announce that we are supporting Adult Learners Week from 15th – 21st May 2010 and we’d like to invite you to come along and take part in the diverse programme of free taster sessions being offered including Introduction to Art classes in Landscape, Life Drawing, Clay, Stone Carving & Print Making. We are also offering free taster sessions of Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Street Dance, Singing, Music for Parents and Tots & a Recycled FashionWorkshop.

For more information and to book your places call 01873 811579 or email info@artsalivewales.org.uk

Green Fire Uplands is delighted to share with you a poem by Paul Blockley.  The Poem features Maen Du & Pen Y Crug.  We hope that this poem inspires you to visit the site and maybe even write a poem of your own!

The Path by Maen Du Well

Upon the hill by Maen Du well

There is a path which I can tell,

Leads on up to the Celtic fort

Where one can be alone with thought,

Where from the ring of ramparts green

The whole of Brecon can be seen,

St. John’s cathedral down below,

Passing by the Usk’s waters flow,

These sleeping slopes remember when

This hill was climbed by ancient men,

And dug with earth and sweat and stone

Before men came from mighty Rome,

Before the town itself was there

St Mary’s church and Bethel Square,

Before the castle’s towers stood

And Norman lords arrived in flood.

Maendu Well - Photo taken by Paul Blockley

At this years Maendu Well Spring Festival, a selection of children from all the schools in the area entered the ‘Green Fire Uplands’ Welsh Words Quiz.  We had entries from Brecon High School, Cradoc, Llanfaes, Mount Street Juniors and Infants, Priory, St Josephs and Ysgol y Bannau.  We are pleased to announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

1st place was awarded to Emily Davies age 10 of Priory Primary School.  Emily translated all her welsh words and submitted a beautiful drawing of the Well.  Congratulations Emily!

1st Prize - Emily Davies age 10 from Priory Primary School

2nd place is awarded to Lauren Porter age 7 of St Josephs Primary School.  Lauren highlighted her concerns of littering at the Well Site by submitting  her picture of a sign for ‘no litter’.  Well Done Lauren!

2nd Prize - Lauren Porter age 7 from St Josephs

3rd place is awarded to Lucy Morgan age 5 of Ysgol y Bannau.  Lucy translated all the well related welsh words and submitted a beautiful picture of a magical fairy that visits the Well site!  Well Done Lucy!

A big Thank You to all of you who entered the quiz.  We were very impressed with your translations, beautiful pictures and stories about the well.

Uplands ‘Springs’ into life at the Maendu Well

The Maendu Well Spring Festival took place on Sunday 21st March. The event was organised by Maendu Well Conservation Group in collaboration with Arts Alive and Take pART. The festival was a huge success with over 200 people turning out and enjoying the arts and crafts on offer. Arts Alive created stunning wishing well banners, Cobbles Café were on hand for some beautiful face painting, Take pART offered a printing workshop and Pilgrims supplied the yummy food!

Katie Hall – Arts Alive Project Manager said: ‘It has been a fantastic day and we are pleased with the response to the festival. Arts Alive is delighted to be working with Maendu Well Conservation Group and we are excited about the future of the site. With the success of today we look forward to launching Arts Alive’s new arts project for the area ‘Green Fire Uplands’ which will include a variety of events at this site including a Summer Festival.’

Maendu Well Conservation Group only formed earlier this year. In such as short space of time the group are making great headway with the site. Their aim is to create awareness and to develop the area as a community space for everyone to enjoy.

The Spring Festival was a great opportunity for the conservation team to gather local responses to the site, all of which was extremely positive. Over 100 ideas were put forward in the form of a ‘wish slip’. The conservation group later enjoyed surveying the ideas.

For more information about Maendu Well Conservation Group please contact us at maenduwell@yahoo.co.uk

For more information about Green Fire Uplands please contact Katie Hall on 07725 982 171 or at katie@artsalivewales.org.uk