Six reasons why Cardiff is the best city in the UK

October 20, 2014 admin Leave a comment

‘One! She prefers the night to day….’ – anyone remember that song? I always thought the first line was ‘she prefers the night to die’, but actually looking up the lyrics, it makes a lot more sense…*

Anyway, I digress, massively, just for a change …

THIS WEEK we stepped up to bat off other British cities claiming to be the best in the UK. Helia put together SIX REASONS WHY CARDIFF IS THE BEST CITY IN THE UK for THE METRO! And yes, they’re owned by DMG who also publish the Daily Fail, but you’ve got to take these chances to mouth off while you can, right?

My six reasons:
1 – location
2 – (our small) size is everything
3 – arts and culture
4 – the low cost of living
5 – sportz
6 – we’re a capital city!

Go read the article here: Six reasons why Cardiff is the best city in the UK

Do you agree with me? Disagree? What else should I have included, eh?? Let me know in the comments below.

I have to give big thanks to everyone who responded to a post on Facebook when I asked what you guys thought should go in the list – also to the ever reliable source of awesomeness, Neil Cocker, for sharing his notes about Cardiff from a talk he gave at Bloomberg in London recently.

* are you wondering what I’m on about? If you were alive / conscious during the Britpop era, then maybe you’ll remember these guys and this song.

** Want more of this crap straight to your mailbox? Sign up for the weekly We Are Cardiff newsletter

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Empty Walls Festival 2014: the murals so far… photo blog by David Allen

October 19, 2014 admin 5 Comments

So, we’re about halfway through the Empty Walls festival … and so we sent photographer David Allen out and about in Cardiff to track the progress of the murals newly adorning our streets. Read on for his experiences, and also to see his ace pics.

Artist: JOY

The experience of following the Empty Walls project across the city was very exciting, as I had no idea what to expect from each mural. Walking from one side of the city to the other was worth finding these amazing pieces of art. It was made even better trying to pin point exactly where the art was, looking left and right, then turning a corner to find this giant piece of amazing art so different from the last.

Artist: DAN GREEN

Artist: KERA1

Artist: LE SUPER DEMON

Artist: PHLEGM

I was born in Cardiff. When I was three my family moved to Dubai, and moved back to Cardiff when I was eight, lived here ever since. Didn’t get into photography until I was eighteen, having just finished college and not knowing where I wanted my future to be, I picked up a camera and started taking photos. It started as a hobby, I spent a year teaching myself how to work a camera and started getting better and better.

Artist: PHIL MORGAN

Artist: ZED

After teaching myself to use a camera, I was determined that my future was in photography, because I thought why not make a living in what you love doing. So then I took a course in Foundation Art and Design focusing on photography at the University of South Wales Treforest campus. After receiving a merit for that course I’ve started my first year in photojournalism at University of South Wales Cardiff campus, so I can learn everything there is to know about being a photographer. So far I am loving every moment of it!

Artist: RUSS

Dale Grimshaw and Ekstraterneks’ works are not completed yet, so I got a progress shot of each. David de la Mano’s work was completed but there were road works in the way and I couldn’t get a clear shot of it. All the other artists have yet to start their work. Keep your eyes on We Are Cardiff for when the festival has completed…

Artist: EKSTRATERNEK

Artist: DAVID DE LA MANO

Artist: DALE GRIMSHAW

Visit David Allen’s blog or catch him on Twitter @Dai_PhotoJ_USW
Empty Walls Project website

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Poor Queen by Mab Jones

October 18, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Writer Mab Jones stops by to tell us about her new book, Poor Queen! Mab will be launching Poor Queen at Waterloo Tea Rooms in Roath, Cardiff on 21 October 2014, from 6-7.30pm. Why not go along and support her! More information about Mab’s Book Tour here

Poor Queen is my first collection, an accumulation of satirical, scurrilous, and sometimes even scatological verse, mostly written in the first few years after I began writing poetry, from 2007-2010.

Really, this is a book that should have been published back then, but the right publisher for it simply did not exist. Now, they do: they are called Burning Eye Books, they are based in Bristol, and they are run by a guy called Clive Birnie who loves performance poetry, is a fine poet himself, and is now the publisher of many well-known modern perf poets such as Salena Godden, Rob Auton, Monkey Poet, Anna Freeman, Lucy Lepchani – and myself.

It’s great to be amongst such luminaries of the spoken word scene, and we all owe a lot to Clive’s passion, hard work, and vision. I’m also indebted to ‘outsider artist’ Norris Nuvo who designed the amazing cover image – a punk-ish meld of me and the queen set as a sort of postage stamp. I think Norris is a true talent and some limited edition postcards, prints and poems are also available and will be up for sale soon on my website.

The poems in this are similarly punk in style… Mostly rhyming, funny, political, angry, raw, and rude. There are lots of pieces about love going wrong, about need and greed, about social injustice. It is very un-PC. My style is a lot different now – especially since becoming Resident Poet in the National Botanic Garden of Wales in 2012 – but these are the poems which ‘made my name’, as it were, and it’s great to have them all collected together in one place.

They are, indeed, “witty verse telling of lively working-class scenarios”, and they are a fun, rollicking read (even if I do say so myself!). You can buy the book signed, from me, with a limited edition postcard, for £10; or from Burning Eye Books for £8.99.

As far as Cardiff goes, I am of course an Ely girl, and the humour is very definitely of our city. Some of the poems are written in a Keeerdiff dialect. I hope my fellow Diffians enjoy it.

Mab Jones is a ‘daring wordsmith’ from Cardiff. Find out more at http://www.mabjones.com

http://www.mabjones.com/purchase

http://burningeyebooks.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nuvoforever

Whats on

Matthew Bourne’s Lord of The Flies in Cardiff: local male dancers, and changing perceptions of dance

October 17, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Ballet. It’s for girls from stuffy top ballet schools, right? Matthew Bourne’s latest production of Lord of the Flies is here to CHALLENGE ALL YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT DANCE!

What actually happened when casting the show? Well, rather than having a full cast of dancers that toured the performance around the country, instead free workshops were held across South Wales to introduce boys aged 10 – 25 to a unique form of dance devised by Bourne to appeal specifically to males and help change their perceptions of dance.

After the workshops auditions were then held, and 24 boys from south Wales and surrounding areas were selected to perform in the cast of the New Adventures and Re:Bourne production of Lord of the Flies at Wales Millennium Centre, running from 22-25 Oct 2014.

Buzz put together this great little documentary following three boys taking part in the performance:

The local cast will be performing alongside professional dancers from Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures company in this dance adaptation of William Golding’s celebrated novel.

The workshops were led by the Wales-based Lord of the Flies Dance Ambassadors, Siân Rowlands and James Morgan, who have been responsible for building interest in the Lord of the Flies project amongst local boys and for scouting out potential candidates to perform in the show.

Over 400 workshop participants – not necessarily those with the most experience, but those who showed the best aptitude for the distinctive dance style – were invited to auditions where the final cast was chosen.

Graeme Farrow, artistic director at Wales Millennium Centre, said: ‘Inspiring young people to get involved in the arts is a primary focus of our tenth anniversary programme, so I’m thrilled that Lord of the Flies provides the newly chosen young cast with the opportunity to perform on our main stage. Our relationship with Matthew Bourne was formed when the Centre opened and we’re continually delighted by the response Welsh audiences give to his work. I’ve no doubt that Lord of the Flies, will delight and enthral audiences and leave them in awe of the incredible talent of our local cast.’

Commenting on the Lord of the Flies tour, Matthew Bourne said: “Lord of the Flies is a project never before mounted on the large-scale. This unique collaboration between my production company, New Adventures, and charity, Re:Bourne will enable thousands of young people and their families across the country to experience dance at close hand, and for many, for the very first time. I look forward to an exciting, and for some, life-changing year ahead.”

For this adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the action is transferred from the deserted island of William Golding’s classic novel to a deserted theatre, where a group of schoolboys find themselves abandoned.

With no adults around they start to make their own rules and create their own civilisation, before order breaks down and the story builds to an electrifying climax. Golding’s legendary characters Ralph, Piggy, Jack and the boys will be brought to life with raw energy and emotional intensity.

Sounds good, hey? Lord of the Flies will be at the Wales Millennium Centre from 22-25 October 2014.
Tickets range from £17.50- £30.50: Book tickets here or call 02920 63 6464.

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Made In Roath 2014 – festival picks!

October 16, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Okay, so ARGH, it’s already mid October, and it’s ALREADY MADE IN ROATH WEEKEND!

In a nutshell … Made In Roath is an arts festival that takes over the Roath neighbourhood, bringing together tens of events, exhibitions, happenings, be-ins, participatory events, workshops … basically, anything that’s art-related? They’ve probably got it going on.

I’ve been so busy I’ve not had a chance to give the festival a proper blog yet, and seeing as it’s already started (eep!) I thought I’d just outline a couple of things going on this weekend you might want to visit. But really, there are a trillion things on, and actually you’ll have a brilliant time if you just turn up in Roath Saturday morning, grab a Made In Roath pamphlet from somewhere (or download it from here), stick your finger on any of the events and just go marching around to see what’s happening.

Get yourselves to Roath this weekend! And let us know what you get up to…

Made In Roath website

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HAPPENING – Brent Morgan – TXT U DA LOCATION #roathrave
Fri 17th Oct 7pm – 9pm approx
Location revealed when booking…

There is a secret party tonight and we will text you the location of where you need to go. You might need to pick some supplies up on the way. That’s if you can even find the venue at all. Part treasure hunt, part knees up, 100% memorable. Pre-booking essential: txtuda@gmail.com

I graduated from Performing arts and theatre studies – Swansea Met in 2009. Since then I have been making experimental theatre, performance art and pervasive games. Showing work at Edinburgh Forest Fringe, Bristol Old Vic, Wales Millennium Centre and London Roundhouse. I have worked with companies like National Theatre Wales, Give It A Name (Cardiff), Volcano Theatre company (Swansea) as well as international companies Peer GrouP (Netherlands) and Surprise Performance (Canada. I have also run a scratch theatre night called Scratch That Itch for the last 4 years with support from NTW TEAM.

The main focus of my practice is how I can combine techniques from different disciplines to create exciting experience for audiences to engage with. At the heart of all the work is honesty and truth, with the pieces being created from performers personal experiences and passions. I aim to create memorable theatrical experiences that make a direct impact on the audience opposed to giving them a passive experience. I have worked on a variety of shows from a SKA musical to a zombie chase game.

Facebook event

Mark Blayney – Octopoet
Fri 17th Oct, 7.30pm – 11pm
The Coffi House, Wellfield Road, CF24 3NZ

Octopoet returns! Enjoy an evening of spoken word with 8 leading writers and performers, who will entertain you with funny, serious and thought-provoking verse. Expect dazzling wordplay and a lively, positive vibe, all in a friendly café setting with a bar. Come and see the best poetry around, for free!

Dai Smith, Professor Chris Williams, Professor Meic Stephens – new under the sun: The Man from the Rhondda
Fri 17th Oct, 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Cameo Club, CF11 9HQ

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun…

Fancy reading something Slovakian this autumn? The nights may be drawing in but, before you decide which books to hibernate with, why not join us for a pop-up international literary festival in Cardiff this October and discover new playwrights, novelists, works in translation and more? Will you find your new favourite drama king or queen or meet new local and global talents? Is anything new under the sun possible as ‘a generation goes, and a generation comes’ and the books they write may or may not remain forever?

To launch the 39th title in our Library of Wales series novelist and Chair of the Library of Wales, Dai Smith will be in conversation with Professor Chris Williams and winner of the Non-Fiction Award at this year’s Wales Book of the Year, the biographer of Rhys Davies, Professor Meic Stephens.

Free entry. Sponsored by the Rhys Davies Trust. A Hand of Roath event as part of madeinroath.com and Parthian’s literary pop-up festival new under the sun (@nutscardiff).

www.facebook.com/newcardiff
http://nutscardiff.wordpress.com/

Green City Events & Cynefin Cardiff – Exchange in Roath Workshops: EXCHANGE IN ROATH Giant Swap Shop
Sat 18 Oct, 11.30am-3.30pm
The Gate Arts Centre, CF24 3JW

Exchange in Roath is essentially a giant swap shop event run in partnership with Green City Events, Cynefin Cardiff, Made in Roath, YMCA and Cardiff Council. It is funded by the Big Lottery.

The event is split into two main parts: the GIVE element and the TAKE event.

People can bring their unwanted (but still usable) stuff to a large drop off container which will be situated next to the Gate Arts Centre on Keppoch Street. It will be open Monday 13th – Friday 17th October between 5 – 7pm. People who bring stuff will be able to collect points (to exchange for items at the event) and might even get a piece of cake (bring and cake!).

Come and take stuff on Saturday 18th October between 11:30 – 3:30pm inside the Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath. Join up-cycling & re-use workshops, print new designs on old clothes, see installation artists in action & help out with some pedal powered disco.

This event is free and you don’t need to give in order to take. Please DON’T bring ‘white goods’, VHS tapes, broken items or rubbish.

The types of things you can bring are: Books, CDs/DVDs, Clothes, Toys, Tools, Garden Items, Plants, Small Electrical Items, Kitchenware, Small Furniture and Bikes.

For more information and opportunities to volunteer contact Exchange@Greencityevents.co.uk

Reuse – Recycle – Relove

HAPPENING: Roath Road block – the Made In Roath Street Festival!
Plasnewydd Road
Sat 18th October, 11am – 5pm

The ‘made in roath’ Street Festival.
people + art + music + food

We’ll have loads of free stuff happening, live music, street theatre, art workshops, food/refreshments, art making and lots of fun activities for all ages.
Roving Performances, Kitsch Kitchen Tea n Cakes, Art Workshops, Young Talent Showcase, World Street Food from Commune, Kids activities, M.A.D.E. Juice and Chai bar, Art on show, DJ’s and more.

And to add to the excitement, the area will be a Arts, Food and Entertainment destination, as there will also be:
Inverness Groove in Inverness Place – Baked in Roath
Tea in SHO gallery with Art exhibition
Dj workshop in The Record Shop.
Exchange in Roath – a giant swop shop at The Gate.
Plasnewydd Community Garden is Open.
The Crofts Pub – Eclectic Eccentrics Oxjam Art & Music
The Andrew Buchan Pub – Oxjam Art & music all day/eve.
The Macintosh Centre- Roath Farmers Market is open for longer especially on the Saturday till 3pm
And in the evening, the ROAD BLOCK after party in the evening. 19 – midnight.

OPEN HOUSE ARTIST STUDIOS – Lost & found memories ‘Heimat’ – Dagmar Bechhaus, and Dorothy and Helen Clifford
13 Boverton St CF24
Sat 18th – Sun 19th Oct, 1pm – 5pm [Change from brochure]

Wales in Germany is also known as the land of story telling. Dagmar will read the experience of a holiday in the east of Germany, the former GDR, her mother’s homeland and “Heimat” and show illustrating work. Dagmar Bechhaus will be reading a diary narrative on “Heimat”, 18th & 19th Oct at 4pm. On the 19th Oct at 4pm writer James Rourke will read a personal short story about “Home”.

Helen Clifford explores memories through a dialogue with her mother, Dorothy, of childhood homes and the impact of growing up during and after the second world war. Dorothy has created a series of paintings in response.

OPEN HOUSE ARTIST STUDIOS – Esyllt George, Claire Prosser and others
Lane between Mafeking Road and Ladysmith Road CF23 5DQ
Sat 18th Oct to end of festival

Creative Lane Space will involve a response from a range of artists to this unnoticed quiet lane in Penylan. Work will involve wall art, installations and pop up creative movement workshops run by Claire Prosser. For workshop times contact Esyllt: e.george20@ntlworld.com

EXHIBITION: ‘Traces: of Roath’ – Doreen Barnaville and Jan Lewis
Penylan Pantry, 72 Kimberley Road, CF23 5DN
Tues 7th – Sun 26th Oct (except Mon)
Tues – Sat 10am – 6pm
Sun 10am – 4pm

‘Traces: of Roath’ is a small exhibition of work recording the life in Roath – from the birdlife in illustrator and printmaker Jan Lewis’s collographs, to the buildings, parks and plants in Doreen Barnaville’s cyanotype prints on muslin.
(‘Traces: of the Ridgeway’ – prints by Jan and Doreen can be seen at Colchester Avenue – see Open Houses entry)

Jan Lewis, illustrator and printmaker, and Doreen Barnaville, textiles, photography and print, have joined forces in this small exhibition, ‘Traces: of Roath’, to illustrate the area – from the birdlife in Jan’s collographic prints to the buildings, parks and plants recorded in Doreen’s cyanotype prints on muslin.

This work follows on from a group exhibition held at Wantage museum earlier this year – ‘Traces: of the Ridgeway’ – which can now be seen at Colchester Avenue on the 18th & 19th October – see the Open Houses entry.

Whats on

Cardiff Alms – re-inventing the blue plaques writing workshop, Sunday 19 October 2014

October 16, 2014 admin 2 Comments

A few months back, Jodie Ashdown wrote a piece for We Are Cardiff about some forgotten Cardiff places that she used to frequent. She picked out The Cabin, The Monaco, The Bandstand and Rhiwbina Infants as parts of Cardiff that contained personal pieces of history for her.

Read that piece here: Jodie Ashdown – Cardiff Alms

jodie_ashdown_1_web

This Sunday as part of Made In Roath festival, Jodie will be running a free creative writing workshop at the Poet’s Corner Pub on City Road, where you’re invited along to encourage you to think about lost city landmarks in a new way. Remember a pub which you used to frequent but is now a bank? Your childhood home knocked down for flats? Here is the place to put pen to paper and pay homage to Cardiff past. See you there, right?

Cardiff Alms Facebook event

Whats on

Final line-up announced for DimSwn 18 October 2014 – last tickets now on sale

October 16, 2014 admin Leave a comment

You heard. The final line-up for this year’s mini Swn (or DimSwn – which means ‘No Swn’ for the Welsh learners in the crowd)(actually technically it means No Sound, but anyway) has been announced, and is below.

Horizons / Gorwelion will be showcasing their 12 bands at DimSwn this year.

Horizons is a scheme delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Arts Council Wales to develop new, independent contemporary music in Wales. Its aim is to support and promote emerging Welsh music talent to new and wider audiences.

Horizons / Gorwelion artists performing at DimSwn are: Baby Queens, Candelas,Chris Jones, Climbing Trees, Gabrielle Murphy, Houdini Dax, Kizzy Crawford,Plu, Seazoo, Swnami, The People The Poet.

You can see the full line up on the Swn website here: DIMSWN LINEUP

Buy tickets for Swn here: SWN TICKETS

See you on the dancefloor!

The Arts, The City

Cardiff A-Z: J is for St. John the Baptist Church

October 14, 2014 Katie Witcher Hamer 1 Comment

Katie Hamer continues her quest to write the ultimate Cardiff A-Z! Today, she’s visiting St John the Baptist Church in town. Read on to find out what she discovered!

With still three months to go, we’re already getting the early signs that the festive season is on its way. I’ve seen Christmas cards since August, and supermarkets are bombarding us with gift packs, toys, food hampers, etc.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got enough to think about, what with work, bills, family commitments, and social media distractions. Everyone wants to sell us something, with the pretence that our lives will be better. It can feel like life is getting ever more frantic, frenetic, and it’s hard to measure up to productivity targets, whether self- inflicted (as in the case of the creative writer) or work-related.

I felt a temporary reprieve from all this craziness, when I took a look inside St. John’s Church last week. Although placed on the Hayes, in the midst of the bustling shopping centre of Europe’s newest capital city, the church provides an oasis of calm. It’s a place to go and reflect upon the central message of Christianity, which is to reach out to the whole community and to:

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ and also to ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39

The longest established church in Cardiff, St John’s has been serving the community within the city for 800 years. Originally built in the 1100’s, it fell into disuse in early 1400’s following an uprising against Kind Henry IV of England, led by Owain Glyndŵr. Little remains of the earlier construction; the current church was built c.1490. Its most recognisable landmark, the clock tower containing a peel of ten bells, is from this era.

St. John’s reminds us that religion isn’t just for Sundays, not just a once-a-week performance of wearing the right clothes and saying the right things. Their doors are open to the community during the week as well. It’s a refuge for Cardiffians during their lunch hour, where you can pop in, light a tea light (there’s a small donation of 20p required), and have a quiet moment.

As their website states:

‘The community that gathers at St John’s Church believes itself called to share in God’s mission by welcoming people of all ages cultures and traditions to worship, witnessing to Christian faith, knowing God and making God known by serving Christ in both our visitors and our neighbours.’

A thousand people visit the church every week. They’re also involved in local and international events, and supporting charities. Recently, they held a service of readings and prayers in order to promote peace, in the run-up to the NATO summit.

As well as services, such as the Eucharist, there is a daily slot at 10am: a Prayer for the City. On Tuesdays, at lunchtime, they organise a half-hour of ‘Stress busting’: an introduction to Christian mindfulness and meditation. The Chaplain is available during the day on Thursdays (from 12:30 until 2:00pm) for anyone seeking advice or guidance, or just a listening ear.

I decided to attend one of the ‘stress busting’ sessions, to see how I could benefit from a quiet half hour of meditation.

I arrived at the church early for the service. I’d forgotten how big the building is; the pictures on the web don’t do it justice, as it really is a huge church. But then I grew up attending a Methodist chapel that was, and is, only the size of an average family home. I stood outside it, in the crisp autumn air, with direct sunlight above me, and marvelled at its stone carvings.

Entering the church from the South entrance I saw adverts for the Tea sPot, so I decided to make this my first destination. There’s a small staircase that leads up to them, and also a lift. They offer a menu of simple food, cakes and hot drinks, and service with a smile. You cannot look out at the city while you’re in there, probably a blessing, but the room is filled with the rainbow light from two stained glass windows. I had the most generous serving of carrot and coriander soup you could ever imagine, and really, I never thought I’d get to the bottom of it.

I then had a look around the church itself, taking photos, before I joined the mindfulness session, which took place in a side-chapel. I joined about ten others. We sat in a circle, on wooden chairs. The Vicar, Rev’d Canon Dr. Sarah Rowland Jones, was present, but didn’t lead the session.

We each had a leaflet, to guide us through the various stages. There were prayers and a Bible reading, but for the most part, we sat in silence. I had my eyes closed, and attempted to empty my mind of all it’s daily clutter, anxieties, and trivia.

The Bible reading, from the New Testament related to Jesus’ miracle of walking on water. For me, this passage relates to self-belief: do I have the strength to conquer barriers, or will I drown in self-doubt.

During the session, I did find my mind fill with light, a reminder that, in the beginning was the Word, but also light. I visualised the rotating beam of a lighthouse beckoning me home.

We all need light in our lives, especially at this time of year, and even more so, if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, as I do. I left the session feeling more at peace. As I left, the Reverend smiled at me, and said she hoped I would visit again. I smiled back, and said I would. It’s these personal touches that mean so much, and people often overlook these days.

I hope you enjoyed reading my article. You can find out more about St. John’s here:
https://sites.google.com/site/stjohnscityparishcardiff/about-st-john-s

Also on Twitter: @stjohnscardiff

And St John’s Facebook page

I hope you also enjoy having a look at my photo gallery:

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Whats on

Empty Walls exhibition at the Abacus – photo review

October 13, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Although there’s a couple of weeks until the Empty Walls festival is finished, its exhibition at the Abacus has now been taken down. We sent photographer Benjamin Blyth along to take some snaps of the exhibits, showcasing work from some of the artists involved as well as some amazing local talents.

The show featured Andy Fung, Gar Jon Day and Tom Kitchen, creating site specific murals within the gallery as well as hosting a collection of paintings drawings and prints from the likes of Dale Grimshaw, Rae, Elinor Evans, David De La Mano, Ekstraternek and more.

Ben Blyth is a first year photojournalism student studying at the University of South Wales. Previously he lived in Newark On Trent near Nottingham before making the move last month to Cardiff. In the last year, he’s been mainly been working for Notts County Ladies FC as their official photographer and have also been working for The Newark Advertiser and The Nottingham Evening Post. He’s excited about working on live briefs whilst studying in Cardiff and getting to know the area whilst gaining experience as a photojournalist. Find him online: Twitter @PhotoJ_BenBlyth and
blog.

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Cardiff neighbourhood survey 2014 – fill it in!

October 13, 2014 admin Leave a comment

A reminder if you haven’t done so already to fill in our CARDIFF NEIGHBOURHOOD SURVEY! Go on, it’ll only take a few seconds!

Please take a few minutes to fill in the form below (if you’d like a direct link to the survey, click here: We Are Cardiff Neighbourhood Survey 2014), and please send it to ALL YOUR FRIENDS / CO-WORKERS / FAMILY here in Cardiff. We want as many responses from as many parts of the city as possible!

We look forward to hearing from you

Helia x

The Arts

Crashmat Collective present – FACADE, Autumn Tour 2014

October 10, 2014 admin Leave a comment

One of the best performances I saw last year was the Crashmat Collective’s Facade, which I went along to at the Newport Riverfront Centre. Facade is about to set off on an Autumn Tour, which includes a show at the Weston Studio in the Millennium Centre on the 17 October 2014 (book tickets here). If you haven’t seen it, you should TOTALLY GO!

If you haven’t seen Facade already, I strongly recommend it – it’s a night of entertainment set in a cabaret style club, where you get served a three course meal, and the waiters are also performers.

Here’s the blurb:

The Crashmat Collective crew are back on the road this Autumn for a another stuffing (sorry!) of Façade after a sell out run in Spring 2013.

Façade; an intimate and theatrical three course meal, during which, stories unfold in thrilling and touching ways, encircling you as you dine.

Prepare for a feast for the senses, as well as the appetite.

Become enthralled as the Crashmat performers spin, swing and serve at your table. beautiful, funny and always unpredictable, FAÇADE offers a circus-theatre experience that blurs the boundaries between performer and audience.

Your ticket will include a three-course meal. Please specify any dietary requirements while booking.

(Scroll to the bottom for show dates in the Autumn Tour)

Here’s a lovely interview with Anna Sandreuter, the co-director of Facade, which includes some great rehearsal footage.

Some photos from their rehearsals this time…

FACADE – AUTUMN TOUR DATES

The Riverfront, Newport
10-11 Oct
Tickets – 01633 656757 newport.gov.uk/theriverfront

Aberystwyth arts Centre, Aberystwyth
14-15 Oct
Tickets – 01970 62 32 32 aber.ac.uk/artscentre

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
17-18 Oct
Tickets- 029 2063 64 64 wmc.org.uk

Ffwrnes, Llanelli
30-31 Oct
Tickets- 0845 226 3510 theatrausirgar.co.uk

The Albany, London
13-14 Nov
Tickets – 020 8692 4446 thealbany.org.uk

Arts Depot, London
20-22 Nov
Tickets- 020 8369 5454 artsdepot.co.uk

The Hafren, Newtown
26-27 Nov
Tickets – 01686 614555 thehafren.co.uk

LINKY DINKS

Facade Autumn Tour Facebook page

Crashmat Collective Facebook page

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The City

Stop the planning madness! Object to the proposed development at Hamadryad Hospital

October 8, 2014 admin Leave a comment

There comes a time in every active citizen’s life when you live in a place you quite like, and then someone comes along and wants to build on some lovely green space near your house, vomiting up 70 new identikit flats, because everyone knows that what Cardiff Bay REALLY needs is MORE FLATS.

Okay, I’m a little biased – this proposed development is happening within a couple of hundred metres of my house, but still. If you’ve been to the old docks area within the past ten years, you’ll probably agree that the last thing this part of Cardiff needs is more flats, amirite?

Planning application 14/02077/DCI is proposing 75 new dwellings on an area that’s currently populated with trees that have preservation orders on them, and also would destroy an area currently used as foraging for the local bat population. The space is also an extra green belt between the A4232 and the local residential area.

STOP THE PLANNING MADNESS!

If you, like me, are getting to the end of their patience with applications like this, please support this cause!

Things you can do:

1. Write a letter saying you object to Planning Application 14/02077/DCI.

2. State in it WHY you object to the development: you could say any number of things, including the following:

(a) Development is out of scale with local area in terms of design and size
(b) Development would affect residential amenity of surrounding area including Hamadryad Park
(c) Development would have adverse affect on residents in terms of parking
(d) Development would entail felling of trees with a preservation order (and for more information about why urban trees in Wales are so important, read this article)
(e) Development would remove important foraging and commute area for local bat population
(f) The proposal is not supported by a current Ecological Survey
(g) The development does not make adequate provision for bicycle storage
(h) There was a development of 20 new flats only very recently completed on nearby Pomeroy Street and Clarence Road

3. Email it to developmentcontrol@cardiff.gov.uk

4. OR you can post it to:

Planning Development
Cardiff Council
County Hall
Atlantic Wharf
Cardiff CF10 4UW

The closing date for applications is THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER, so GET YOUR OBJECTIONS IN (please). It’s really important that AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE write in to the council to object to this proposal – without the voice of the community, this horrendous scheme could go ahead.

For any active citizens in the Butetown / Grangetown area (or even further away – please help your neighbours!) you can join the South Docks Facebook group, which has been set up to help fight this planning application.

There was a residents meeting last night, which was attended by Media Wales and BBC journalists, as well as local councillor Ali Ahmed and National Assembly for Wales Member Eluned Parrott (who pledged her support to the objection).

From the BBC: Residents unhappy at flats plan

From Wales Online: Angry residents pack into church hall to oppose controversial plan for 75 new homes

SUPPORT THE CAUSE! SEND IN YOUR OBJECTIONS BY OCTOBER 16! It only needs to be an email. COME ON FOLKS!

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We Are Cardiff

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Six reasons why Cardiff is the best city in the UK

Empty Walls Festival 2014: the murals so far… photo blog by David Allen

Poor Queen by Mab Jones

Matthew Bourne’s Lord of The Flies in Cardiff: local male dancers, and changing perceptions of dance

Made In Roath 2014 – festival picks!

Cardiff Alms – re-inventing the blue plaques writing workshop, Sunday 19 October 2014

Final line-up announced for DimSwn 18 October 2014 – last tickets now on sale

Cardiff A-Z: J is for St. John the Baptist Church

Empty Walls exhibition at the Abacus – photo review

Cardiff neighbourhood survey 2014 – fill it in!

Crashmat Collective present – FACADE, Autumn Tour 2014

FACADE – AUTUMN TOUR DATES

Stop the planning madness! Object to the proposed development at Hamadryad Hospital

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FACADE – AUTUMN TOUR DATES

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A blog about Cardiff, its people, and the alternative arts and cultural scene!