Skillshare! Roath Feast’s PICKLING – 22 July 2015, 2 – 6pm

July 17, 2015 admin 1 Comment

Our friends over at Made In Roath have got an exciting new project to announe … the Roath Feast! Here’s what they’ve got to say about it…

Welcome to Roath Feast, a new project from madeinroath. We’ll be working until the 20 June next year (the Summer Solstice) on a series of skill sharing events, based around food. Think baking, pickling, canning, juicing! Whatever the produce and people of Roath want to throw at us.

There will be 10 monthly skill sharing events, where we learn from each other about creating and sharing food, as well as creating the crockery, linens, and decorations. At the end of the year we’ll have a big communal meal, to celebrate the community and creativity of Roath. With each skill share we will build a larder for the feast, and a bank of skills in the community.

Our next event is PICKLING, and will be held at g39 gallery, which is behind the Earnest Willows pub, just off city road, on the 22 July, 2 – 6pm. We are looking forward to learning from local pickler Julie, but we’re also hoping to find some more local pickle fanatics who will come and share a recipe! Do you have a knack for pickling eggs? Could you teach us how to preserve a lemon? Get in touch and let us know!

The skill sharing events are free and open to all. If you have some jars and any specialist ingredients that would be welcome! Otherwise just drop in and learn a new skill.

Email us at roathfeast@gmail.com with any questions! And check out the blog for recent happenings.

Also, if you were lucky enough to get a free plant at Made in Spring, send us your pictures so we can see how they are doing! And start weighing those potatoes, we’re sitting on some great prizes for you…

Check the Roath Feast – Pickling Facebook event

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The City

Cardiff on camera … watch ‘Tiger Bay and the Rainbow Club’ (1960) #BritainOnFilm

July 10, 2015 admin 2 Comments

Who doesn’t LOVE seeing archive footage of the city? The British Film Institute (BFI) have recently released a load of films from their archives, including a number based here in Cardiff.

The first one is ‘Tiger Bay and the Rainbow Club’

This film offers a great portrait of the communities in the city in the mid-60s. It was made by Malcolm Capener who was both Chair and Secretary of “South Wales Films”, a film-making club for amateurs. He shot footage of Tiger Bay, recording both the activities of The Rainbow Club – set up to encourage the children of the docks area to participate in the performing arts – and the varied range of cultural festivities and events that took place there over a period of years. Tiger Bay was home to people whose origins spanned the globe and who had established a successful, integrated society – very few films from black, Arab and Asian families living in the UK at this time have made their way into our collections, so this is a particularly important find.

Malcolm Capener, Roath-based proprietor of the Welsh Travel Company, Bute Street, Cardiff, was chair and secretary of South Wales Films, a filmmaking club for amateurs. He shot footage of Tiger Bay (part of Butetown), recording both the activities of The Rainbow Club and the wide range of cultural festivities and events that took place there over a period of years. Tiger Bay was renowned as an ethnically diverse area of the docks, home to people from across the globe who had established a successful, integrated society in Wales’ capital city.

National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.

From Britain on Film available at BFI Player

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The Arts

W is for the Wales Millennium Centre

July 9, 2015 Katie Witcher Hamer Leave a comment

Katie Hamer continues her A–Z exploration of Cardiff with an excursion to the capital’s flagship arts building. Here’s what she discovered…

Who in Wales wouldn’t instantly recognize this show-stopping landmark? Surrounded as it is in Cardiff Bay by other iconic buildings, it still holds its own as a bold design statement. Yet could such a well-known building still yield secrets? This is what I set out to explore.

Like many others, I have queued up to watch performances on the Centre’s main Donald Gordon stage. I’ve seen everything Carmen the opera to Cats the musical on tour. I’ve seen the stage transform from an ornate palace to a desolate litter-blighted street scene and wondered if it could even be the same theatre.

Every time I visit I’ve been impressed by how smoothly they run the scene and costume changes and how efficiently they process visitors through the building. But I knew hardly anything about the place that has brought pleasure to so many people both nationally and internationally. So I jumped at the chance to go on a guided tour of the Centre, tours of which take place twice daily nearly every day of the year.

I won’t reveal all the secrets I uncovered, but I will let you know a few things which should be common knowledge, but surprisingly, they’re not.

For instance, I’ve often looked up at the copper-coloured exterior of the main building perplexed at the split between the Welsh language on the left and the English language on the right. Could they be a literal translation? Wrong as it turns out. The Welsh means something entirely different.

The English, In These Stones Horizons Sing acts as a conversational response to the Welsh rather than an echo. The Welsh, Creu Gwir fel gwydr o ffwrnais awen actually translates as Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration. This is particularly apt, as the glass that makes up this eye-catching calligraphy comes straight from the furnaces of Swansea Institute. Indeed, much of the construction material has been sourced within Wales, making the Centre truly routed within its heritage.

And did you know that they used different shades of glass throughout this installation? Neither did I. So I was fascinated, upon this discovery, to see how the various colours change in intensity depending on the time of day and weather conditions.

Sitting in the main theatre and seeing the backstage areas including one of the main dressing rooms is another perk of the tour, although photography in these areas strictly prohibited for copyright reasons. I stood in the backstage surrounded by the easily three-storey tall walls and heard the orchestra rehearsal reverberating around the whole space. Then I realized that it wasn’t the whole orchestra, but just a few musicians, making it even more incredible. That’s the advantage of a purpose-built theatre designed to create the best acoustic technology around.

The Wales Millennium Centre isn’t just a great place for theatrical and musical performances. It is also the home of arts organizations such as Literature Wales, The BBC National Orchestra for Wales, the Arts Council for Wales, and the Welsh National Opera, among others.

There are bars and restaurants, and huge areas of the ground and first floor are open for the public to roam. Throughout the year, various artists use the public areas to show off their latest inspirations. For instance, upon my visit, I witnessed the Relics exhibition by Matt Wright, which runs from 20 June to 23 August. Relics is:

‘a multifaceted contemporary art project based around a series of short term, publicly accessible, site-specific art installations featuring a newly developed photographic medium known as the photosphere.’

These photospheres capture images of other iconic buildings and places within Wales such as Tintern Abbey. Seeing these crumbling buildings and coastlines floating like air balloons within the altogether more modern and neutral environment of the Centre does lend to them a surreal quality that is worth exploring if you happen to be passing by. It’s great to see how many different ways the building can be utilised.

And there are also free performances on occasion, on the ground floor Glanfa stage, around the building and outside, details of which can be found on the Centre’s website. Quite often these coincide with the main performances in the Donald Gordon Theatre and show how the Centre is always giving back most generously to it’s many visitors.

You can find more information on What’s On at the Millennium Centre here:

Wales Millennium Centre Website

Thanks for reading. See you next time.

The Arts, Whats on

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World – portraits by Lorna Cabble

June 30, 2015 admin 1 Comment

The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition takes place every two years in Cardiff, when 20 of the finest classical singers at the start of their careers come to the capital of Wales, hoping to win this prestigious singing competition.

You can find more information about the competition here: BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.

We sent photographer Lorna Cabble along to take some portraits of the contestants …

Amartuvshin Enkhbat - Mongolia — Amartuvshin Enkhbat – Mongolia

Anaïs Constans - France — Anaïs Constans – France

Aviva Fortunata - Canada — Aviva Fortunata – Canada

Bass Sebastian Pilgrim - Germany — Bass Sebastian Pilgrim – Germany

Blaise Malaba - Congo — Blaise Malaba – Congo

Céline Forrest - Wales — Céline Forrest – Wales

Ilker Arcayürek - Turkey — Ilker Arcayürek – Turkey

Ingeborg Gillebo - Norway — Ingeborg Gillebo – Norway

Insu Huang - South Korea — Insu Huang – South Korea

J'nai Bridges - America — J’nai Bridges – America

Jaeyoon Jung - South Korea — Jaeyoon Jung – South Korea

Jongmin Park - South Korea — Jongmin Park – South Korea

Kelebogile Besong - South Africa — Kelebogile Besong – South Africa

Lauren Michelle - America — Lauren Michelle – America

Marina Pinchuk - Belarus — Marina Pinchuk – Belarus

Nadine Koutcher - Belarus — Nadine Koutcher – Belarus

Nico Darmanin - Malta — Nico Darmanin – Malta

Regula Mühlemann - Switzerland — Regula Mühlemann – Switzerland

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The Arts, Whats on

Cardiff! Confess to the Invisible Ink Theatre Company!

June 29, 2015 admin 1 Comment

The Invisible Ink Theatre Company are carrying out research in Cardiff for The Terrible Things I’ve Done, a new drama production.

Now’s the time to unburden yourself, completely anonymously. Have you done a terrible thing? Or had a terrible thing done to you? Terrible things can be big or small. This is your chance to get ‘that thing’ off your chest.

Invisible Ink Theatre Company is in the process of developing a new theatre production called The Terrible Things I’ve Done, and they need your help!

Company members Alan and Sita are collecting stories that will form the inspiration for this new show.

To collect these, the company will be setting up private confessional ‘shops’ at different locations across Cardiff between 6 – 9 July 2015, and they want to invite you to join them and share your secrets.

Alternatively, you can email terrible@invisibleinktheatre.co.uk and you will be sent the questions and can take part that way. No names will be taken, and no blame will be given.

And remember, confession is good for the soul…

Confessors can find the confession booths in the following places:
Monday 6th July – NoFit State Circus 1pm – 6pm
Wednesday 8th July – Little Man Coffee Shop 10am – 3pm
Wednesday 8th July – The Other Room at Porters Bar 4pm – 8pm
Thursday 9th July St Fagans National History Museum 11am – 4pm

The ‘Confessional Shop is a private room. If anything is used it will be altered and only recognisable by you. Confidentiality guaranteed!

Invisible Ink is a company that makes contemporary theatre and is a collaboration between Alan Harris (writer) and Sita Calvert – Ennals (director).
www.sitace.com
Follow them on twitter, @invisbleink15

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The City

Cardiff’s first bike-powered veg delivery service launches!

June 28, 2015 admin 1 Comment

Penylan Pantry is taking orders for the first pedal-powered, vegetable box delivery service in Cardiff!

The personalised, affordable vegetable boxes will be delivered by bicycle for residents within the Cardiff area. The boxes will be full of organic seasonal vegetables sourced from as many local producers possible including; Riverside Market Garden, Blaencamel, and The Organic Fresh Food Company, occasionally we have some produce from local allotments.

Pantry co-owner Mel says: “We feel passionate about creating personalised veg boxes because we hate food waste. So our thinking is that if you order what you like then you will waste less food. We encourage you to text us on a Monday, as to inform us of anything you have left over from the week before. We will then not include this in your veg box, so you don’t end up with a glut, which in turn you end up wasting. We are delivering by bicycle to try and cut our C02 emissions and because we love cycling too.”

Veg boxes will be personalised to tastes and requirements. All you have to do is fill in the form and email it over to vegbox@penylanpantry.com

The list changes with the season, but there are some staples that will be included all year round. Typically there are seven to nine items in a £13 box, and twelve to fourteen items in a £18 box.

All the fruit and veg will be priced competitively with the organic produce in the big supermarkets, plus there is no contract: you can have a weekly veg box, a fortnightly one, or just a one off. Veg boxes will cost between £10 and £30 depending on what, and how much fruit and veg you have.

You will find a free weekly seasonal recipe in your veg box. Keep them in a folder and create your own Penylan Pantry cookbook at home.

This service is available in and around Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. Deliveries will take place between 4 – 7.30pm every Wednesday, and you pay for your veg box on delivery, cash only. You can also collect your veg box from Penylan Pantry between 5 – 6pm every Wednesday or all day Thursday 10 – 6pm.

Penylan Pantry have enlisted two bike couriers to help with deliveries across the city.

“Cycling is something I’m passionate about,” says Mel. “I don’t own a car and I try to cycle everywhere. It’s partly supporting our environment and reducing our C02 emissions, partly supporting local suppliers and it saves the business having to buy a van and find a driver!”

Cardiff veg lovers: sign up to the scheme by joining the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/386619368198337/

or by emailing your completed form, address and specifying your preferred delivery time to: vegbox@penylanpantry.com or pop into the shop to discuss your needs.

Penylan Pantry: 72 Kimberley Road, Penylan, Cardiff, CF23 5DN

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Whats on

British Street Food Awards Wales and West – review by Ellie Philpotts

June 28, 2015 Ellie Philpotts Leave a comment

Our roving reporter Ellie Phillpots headed to the British Street Food Awards Wales and West a few weeks back, to sample the cream of local talent!

I’m a foodie. My favourite way to spend a summer weekend or evening has to be revelling in the atmosphere, concoction of smells, and myriad of tastes that food so considerately provides. Food culture is growing even bigger in the modern age. Sure, for centuries people have enjoyed its experiences – culturally, eating is a social event, one to be savoured with others. At the recent Street Food Awards, this relationship expanded to not just the people we choose to eat with, but also the vendors and chefs, each charming in their individual way.

Since moving to Cardiff, where I find everything so easy to photograph anyway, I’ve noticed my camera-roll and subsequently Instagram seeming to incorporate more food than ever before. It’s fair to say food writing; food photography, and of course, food eating, are becoming slight hobbies of mine, and Cardiff is the perfect location to indulge in this. So of course I was eager to attend when it was Wales’ turn to host the awards last weekend, after already loving sampling the Street Food Circus that is neatly nestled on John Street during every May and June weekend.

Even before I made it through the pearly gates of Heaven (otherwise known as the gates bearing a massive glittery burger and a sign reminding us it’s ‘British St Food Annual Awards – The Independent on Sunday’, the atmosphere was bubbling and merry. In I went, and was soon confronted with a bustling variety of street food stalls. From rustic pizzas to good old British mushy peas; Indian mango spiced lassi to mojitos; mini crème brulees and even vindaloo shepherd’s pie, there’s no way anyone could leave hungry or thirsty. The only hunger to be experienced upon finally exiting would be non-literal – hunger to stay for even more! But there were definitely plenty of cuisines to choose from.

Deliberating took up a big chunk of the day. I browsed between The Purple Poppadom; Ships; Patagonia; Slow Pig; Dirty Bird Fried Chicken; The Smallest Pizzeria in the World; Chucks; Cheeky Indian; the bar; Nelly’s Barn; Bristol Chai Guy and Wild Fig Farm, before eventually settling on the battered halloumi bites somewhat drowning in an array of sauces, from Dirty Bird Fried Chicken. As well as this stall’s delights, it did live up to the event’s promise of transforming a corner of Cardiff into Brooklyn. Must be the chicken, as I know that’s a popular food over in the Big Apple! And I wasn’t alone in thinking they were sublime – because DFC won Runner-Up in the overall category of the Welsh and South West leg of the awards. Very well deserved!

The actual winners, however, were Patagonia, whose head chef Jamie O’Leary enticingly describes their produce as ‘strictly beef, all Welsh, all local, with some Argentinean flair.’ You can say that again! I can confirm their classic steak sandwich was pretty sweet. (Literally savoury, of course. But a very sweet, good thing to experience. )

As well as Cardiff specifically, on a wider level the UK is gaining an even more positive name for food in recent years. Gone are the days when merely roast dinners and fish and chips spoke for the land’s eating habits – although nothing against them! Now, we’re home to the flavour of the world – and British Street Food Awards accurately embodied this. Which is why it also made sense for the Awards to tour the whole nation – stopping in Oxford; Cardiff; Scotland and Cornwall before the exciting Big Final in London from 25 – 27 September.

Food in this country is so good that Blighty now boasts even more Michelin Stars than Italy – once arguably deemed the universal food capital. To honour this, The Smallest Pizzeria in the World was a Cardiff sell-out! But from my time browsing the selection on offer in the Sunday sun, I can conclude food festivals and specifically the British Street Food Awards made this feat seem believable. Each vendor gave a fantastic effort – so much so, my consumption wasn’t restricted to the site itself! Of course I had to nab an iced Earl Grey (which contained so many mint leaves that security mistook it for alcohol) and 5 adorable tiny cupcakes from Bristol Chai Guy, who are so good they hopped across the border for the event, to keep me going during my walk home!

I couldn’t fault the day – a mantra clearly seconded by the crowds, whose enthusiasm showed no sign of relenting – and am looking forward to seeing the overall winners of categories such as Best Burger and Best Vegetarian in a few months’ time. Well done to all involved, and I’ll definitely be back – once my food baby subsides!

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Ellie Philpotts is in her first year at Cardiff University studying English Literature, Journalism and Media. Follow her blog or Instagram.

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Whats on

It’s the finale of Street Food Circus this weekend!

June 26, 2015 admin Leave a comment

It’s the Finale Weekend … the last supper … it’s time for them to roll out of town…

The show’s over, folks! This weekend is your FINAL CHANCE to come down and sample the Pop-Up night-time food market that is Street Food Circus, on John Street in Cardiff. So if you haven’t done it yet, now’s your last chance!!

The Line Up:
Hang Fire Smokehouse
Chucks – Hot Dogs & Stacked Fries
Dirty Fried Chicken
Patagonia
Jols Food Co
El Salsa
The Hemp Hut
Doughboys
Mr Churro
Meat & Greek
Dixies Vintage Ices
Burger & Lobster
Big Fish Little Fish
Science Ice Cream
The Spaniard Gourmet

Street Food Circus is open in Old Stable Yard, John Street (behind the NoFit State HQ) THIS WEEKEND ONLY:
Friday 5pm – 11pm
Saturday 5pm – 11pm
Sunday 2pm – 10pm

Street Food Circus – Finale Weekend Facebook group

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The Arts

CARDIFF A–Z V IS FOR VINTAGE: PART TWO

June 25, 2015 Katie Witcher Hamer 1 Comment

Katie Hamer continues her A–Z series with further discoveries about vintage Cardiff. This time she visits The Castle Emporium, previously the Fashion Quarter until it’s relaunch on St. David’s Day of this year…

I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived outside The Castle Emporium. The building undeniably has one of the most recognizable locations. Positioned as it is, close to the Bute (clock) Tower to Cardiff Castle, I had no trouble finding it.

From the outside it’s very plain, with cream-coloured walls that lack any decoration. It would be easy to walk by it without batting an eyelid, as I’m sure Cardiff commuters do every day. All I can say is thank goodness I didn’t.

Once inside, there’s just this amazing artisan feel. It’s more akin to the pop-up shops that enable small businesses to become established, than the traditional market place. I really got a sense of creative minds, from varying paths, all working together to create this vibrant space.

My only regret is that I chose a quiet time of the week to visit and not all the businesses were open for trading. The upside, however, was that it did make it peaceful to browse. Of the merchandise I did see, the following made the biggest impression:

Eagle Eye Vintage

Previously located at Jacobs Emporium, Eagle Eye Vintage got me excited about tie-dyed t-shirts in a way that I hadn’t been by the ones on sale at Hobo’s. They have an interesting range of accessories as well, with some odd looking watches. The giant Eagle Eye logo made this outlet very easy to locate. The wall decorations and the giant Persian rug lend to this space an otherworldly feel, almost like stepping on to a theatrical stage rather than a shop.

You can find more information about them here:

Facebook

Twitter

Rock-Ola

Their slogan ‘Vintage Clothes, Modern Style’ sums this place up. Here clothing and other things from another era are given a new lease of life. There are the Snoopies and Gordon the Gopher as well as retro shoes and denim. Colourful boxed shelves fill the back wall and lend the whole space a Pop Art dimension. Particularly eye-catching for me were a display of cup cakes which sadly turned out not to be edible.

You can find more information on Rock-Ola here:

Their website

Facebook

Twitter

Minotaur Books

Secondhand books with a decidedly vintage feel, overlooked by the head of a giant Minotaur head (mythical half-man, half-beast creature of Greek origins). Books, like vinyl, have taken on an almost mythical status since the advent of digital downloads. Despite the convenience of digital downloads, there’s still nothing quite like owning a physical copy, is there? And here the books, which seem to be in good condition, have a chance of a second or perhaps even third loving home.

I couldn’t find a website for them, although confusingly they share their name with a New York publishing firm.

Rough Neck Candles

Candles in vintage tins. A candle with a difference – once the candle’s gone, you still have the tin. A neat idea and they make for an attractive display.

Jones the Barber

A traditional barber with a shop resembling something you’d expect to find in a museum exhibit from a bygone era. Just perfect for a hair cut or for giving your beard a trim (not mine, you understand!)

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey

A specialist in Doctor Who artifacts, they weren’t open when I visited, although I did find a flyer promising me a free film cell key ring with any purchase. So perhaps I will return (after some time travel).

Other places to visit, though not strictly vintage:

An open art exhibition space currently displaying bold paintings from Pembroke artists. There are coastal paintings in highly-charged colours which spring to life when viewed through 3-D glasses (provided). Well worth a visit.

Places I would be curious to see on a return visit, but which weren’t open on a quiet Monday morning:

Simply – Cardiff’s 100% Vegan Store

Musique Al’s Boutique – Super smart menswear, accessories, collectibles and vintage ideas for the man about town and country

Amaras – Fair Trade, Incense, Hats, Gloves, Gifts and much more

Camilleri Photography – Who are all about the photos which purportedly sell themselves, and they do a fine line in portraiture/wedding photography.

So, if you’re into supporting small local business then you couldn’t choose a better place to visit.

Look here for more information on The Castle Emporium:

Facebook

Twitter

Late Night Opening

Watch out for announcements for late night ‘Summer Nights’ openings, the first of which took place last week, future dates yet to be confirmed.

Thanks again for reading. See you next time!

Whats on

NoFit State Circus’ Bianco returns to Cardiff, 12-27 June – get a sneak peek!

June 12, 2015 admin 1 Comment

If you’ve been wondering what gives with that giant silver spaceship-like structure on John Street, next to the Street Food Circus, then educate yourself: NoFit State, the UK’s leading contemporary circus, is performing their internationally celebrated show BIANCO in Cardiff from 12 – 27 June. Cardiff will be the only performance in the UK, before the company departs for a European tour.

Yes yes!

The show has visited Cardiff twice before, BUT this time three-quarters of the cast are NEW. That means fresh talent, new skills, and more beautiful (and terrifying) circus performances.

Photographer Lorna Cabble went along to the preview to get these snaps of the performers, hard at work in rehearsal…

Where:
NoFit State’s iconic silver spaceship Big Top. John Street, Cardiff, CF10 5PE

When:
12-27 June, 2015

BIANCO TICKETS

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Whats on

Shelley Gardens Community Food Festival, Cardiff – 21 June 2015

June 11, 2015 admin 1 Comment

Get thee along to the next Food Festival in Shelley Gardens, on 21 June 2015!

The BEST Local food stalls, including:

Lia’s Kitchen Pie shop
Nata & Co Portuguese pastries
Mezza Luna Lebanese platters
Frankie’s Italian pizza & Calzones
MADE veggie burgers & juice shots
Penylan pantry beautiful, ethically sourced Welsh produce
Inner City Pickle locally made chutneys, preserves and treats
and more TBC…and teas, coffees in the gorgeous community garden of course.

All our food stalls will be selling cheap taster portions of their dishes (under £2!) so they are super affordable, and if you are greedy like me you can try a little something from everyone!

ENTERTAINMENT

Live music from local youth acts, Cardiff Ukeleles, Stainless Steve, plus special guests
Circus workshops and performance
Hula hoop demo & flash mob
Belly dancing
Spit & Sawdust skate ramps
Pedal powered fun
Meet the chickens

WORKSHOPS & DEMOS

Money & food saving tips from Love Food Hate waste
The art (& science!) of home composting with Helen Reardon
Dolma wrapping demo with Lia’s Kitchen
Understanding bees, their threats & value with Pollen8
and more TBC

WHEN?

Saturday 21 June 2015
12 – 4 pm Shelley Gardens Plasnewydd ~ City road
behind The Poets corner pub

#shelleygardensfoodfest
contact: foodfest@greencityevents.co.uk

Stondinau bwyd lleol blasus

Gweithdai bwyd a demo
Cerddoriaeth fyw ~ hwyl syrcas a gemau
peintio wynebau ~ yr emporiwm pedal ~ a mwy

12 – 4yp Gerddi Shelley Plasnewydd ~ Heol City
y tu ôl i dafarn Poet’s Corner

Shelley Gardens Facebook event

Green City Events

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The Arts

Project Profile: Sleep / Walk / Listen

June 9, 2015 admin Leave a comment

Recently I caught up with Matthew Evans, who we’ve featured on the blog before. He told me about a new project he was involved with, so I sent him a load of questions on it so he could tell you all about it.

Recently you’ve started up a new business. Can you describe it for us?

Sleep / Walk / Listen is a project that is designed to create stronger connections between electronic music and visual arts. We want to explore the way that these two art forms work together and create new experiences through our output.
Each month we curate a partnership that highlights the work of music, visual and video artists. These collaborations can be experienced in full at the Sleep / Walk / Listen website – www.sleepwalklisten.com.

As well as supporting these experiences digitally through our website, we also want to lend focus to the importance of tangible arts experiences. You can own each Sleep / Walk / Listen partnership artwork in the form of high quality limited edition screen prints, available to buy from the store on our website.

What makes it different from other artists working with musicians?

From the outset of a partnership we enable the music and visual artist to discuss and develop their work closely together. We find that this gets each partner thinking differently about their output.

We also encourage freedom of expression from both music and visual artist partners, and want the end product to be inherent of this artistic freedom. These objectives have been compounded by the discussions that we are having with the artists that we work with and the way that they are approaching their work with us.

The focus on artist freedom and the co-development of each project with the artists we are working with have already led to some exciting plans for our forthcoming partnerships.

https://soundcloud.com/sleepwalklisten/swl002/s-zjXLH

What inspired you to set it up?

The initial idea for Sleep / Walk / Listen was born out of a collaborative arts project called Sleep/Walk Art Collective.

Sleep/Walk Art Collective is a project that I founded with Jack Hardwicke (visual artist partner for SWL001 and SWL002). Sleep/Walk Art Collective has grown into my collaborative visual arts studio.

Sleep / Walk / Listen formed from this initial idea, but has grown into a separate entity that allows us to celebrate our passions for music and visual arts and how they work in conjunction.

Who’s involved in it with you?

Since the birth of the concept I have worked closely with the other Sleep / Walk / Listen team members, Tom Nield and Dan Butler, to make Sleep / Walk / Listen into what it is today.

We have also been really fortunate to work with Seb Feehan and Josh Bamford of Next Door Films. They have enabled us to realise captivating video pieces in support of each partnership.

Outside of that I have to give special mentions to Dan Walters, who ensures that everything looks as it should online, and Jonny and Charlotte Akers who have helped us take our artworks from digital artwork to physical screen prints.

Which artists are you working with, coming up in the future?

We are really proud to have been able to work with Japanese house and techno legend Hiroshi Watanabe for the launch of the Sleep / Walk / Listen partnership series. Our second partnership, SWL002, saw Berlin based DJ and producer, Chymera take the reins. We are really pleased that our work at these early stages have given the project an international identity.

Jack Hardwicke has featured as the partner visual artist for these first two partnerships, his work giving us an exciting and rich visual basis to work from. His passions for electronic music have been instrumental in launching this project in the exact way we wanted to.

The Next Door Films guys and myself worked together to provide the video element of these partnerships.

Our plans for the future see us thinking in broader terms about how electronic music and visual arts can work together. Plans for our monthly partnerships are already beginning to develop in a different direction from SWL001 and SWL002, and this excites us.

What do you hope to achieve from it?

Longer term we have plans to run our own events that have an emphasis on the visual element of a club night, release our own music releases through a record label style format and even create a series of art installations in cities around the world.

As quality of output and experience are our main drivers we don’t want to rush the development of these other formats, but let them form when we know the time is right.

What are your next steps?

Having recently launched SWL002, we are still enjoying the reaction this is receiving. Beyond this, we are working towards getting everything together for SWL003, this will go live towards the end of this month.

We can’t give too much away at this stage, but we are excited about taking the project in a new direction and working with the partner artists we have in place. Keep an eye on our social pages and website to see what we have going on.

Sleep / Walk / Listen Facebook page
Sleep / Walk / Listen website
Read Matthew Evans’ previous article for We Are Cardiff

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	Anonymous on The Gower Pub, Cardiff 1895…
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	A powell on The history of Tyndall Street…
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	Anonymous on Shahina was intimidated by mai…

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