Immersed Festival 2025: Cardiff’s month-long celebration of creativity and sustainability
By Tamana Ahmad
A celebration of music, film, art and sustainability is the promise from the seventh edition of Cardiff’s Immersed Festival, which has its main event at Tramshed TONIGHT (Saturday 22 March 2025).
The night’s main attraction is Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn, a rap and production pair making their Wales debut. Electronic DJ/producer Douvelle19 and Manchester electro-pop group Porij are two more noteworthy performers. The festival’s dedication to presenting new and varied talent is demonstrated by the lineup, which features a blend of rock, rap, punk, hyperpop, grime, and dance.
The month-long student-led festival, organized by over 500 students from the University of South Wales (USW), runs until April 3. The festival’s main event, which features over 30 acts on four themed stages, will take place at Tramshed Cardiff from 3pm to 11pm on Saturday (March 22).
The Festival is more than just music
Immersed Festival provides a varied cultural programme all through March in addition to live acts. Film screenings, art exhibits, and fringe performances are available to attendees. The festival is more than just a music gathering thanks to these activities, which foster artistic exploration and teamwork.
“Immersed has grown into a major event in the UK music calendar and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at USW and the students.” Lewis Jamieson, Music Declares Emergency, the industry’s campaigning climate change charity.
Education and Industry Networking
Immersed Festival also acts as a centre for education and professional growth. Digital storytelling, lighting design, and sustainability in the music industry are just a few of the subjects that will be covered in a series of free seminars taught by masters in the field. More than 40 exhibitors will be present at the Creative Industries Careers & Network Fair on Thursday March 20, offering networking possibilities to professionals and students wishing to enter the field.
“Immersed 2025 is a powerful testament to the creativity, innovation and commitment of our students to address the biggest challenge of our time. Thorough the lens of Regeneration, this year festival is not just a celebration of music, art, and fashion – it’s a call to action.” Adam Williams: Dean of the faculty of business & creative industries at the University of South Wales.
At the heart of sustainability
Immersed Festival is distinguished by its dedication to environmental stewardship. Through its partnership with Music Declares Emergency, the event encourages the creative sectors to adopt sustainable practices. A commitment to reconsidering, repairing, and reconstructing for a more environmentally friendly future is shown in the concept of “Regeneration.”
A success story driven by students
Immersed Festival is a stellar example of experiential learning and creativity. It gives students a chance to contribute to Cardiff’s cultural landscape while gaining practical experience.
Get involved
Tickets for the March 22 event at Tramshed are available on the festival’s official website. For the full schedule and updates, visit immersedfestival.co.uk.
Cardiff friends! Our exploration of Cardiff’s cultural scene continues today with a peek inside CULTVR. Genuinely one of my favourite venues in the city, CULTVR is one of the only spaces of its kind IN EUROPE (never mind Wales / the UK), and it celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. Big thanks to the team at CULTVR for taking time to chat with us about their amazing venue.
Q. For those who have never heard of CULTVR Lab, can you describe it to us please?
We are a test bed to research and develop immersive art projects and XR live performances. We deliver our activities through three platforms, with CULTVR Lab bringing together producers, technologists, film, theatre makers, artists, academics and performers to explore the limitless potential of immersive storytelling through the digital arts. Our educational platform CULTVR Academy facilitates workshops, lectures and curriculum based activity to advance the knowledge of emerging technologies and skill transfer. And finally, we have created CULTVR Portal, an immersive digital archive for future generations capturing the creativity of Wales and showcasing the best of contemporary Welsh culture in a free for all online platform.
We never anticipated that we would be the first immersive arts lab to open in Europe focused on fulldome cinema, XR live performances and digital arts. We were hosting live immersive events four years before the Sphere in Las Vegas opened its doors! And we did this totally independently of public funds and corporate investors, which is incredible. We have the largest screen in Wales with 225 sq mt of surface area, which makes our arts centre quite unique.
💎Cardiff’s hidden gem💎
We've realised that so many locals still don’t know about us! So here's a quick 30-second video to give you a glimpse into who we are and what we do in one of the most unique venues in Cardiff!
We have been creating immersive films for the last 10 years and making XR live performances since 2017. We had to travel to the other side of the pond to create and present our work, as simply we could not showcase it anywhere in the UK as the infrastructure was not in place yet. Additionally, we had experience touring portable domes across Wales and internationally so we decided to create CULTVR to be able to showcase our own XR projects and also to facilitate the presentation of immersive art creations from fellow artists working in this medium.
Without experiencing the transformative power of immersive spaces it’s difficult to be inspired enough to commit to the hurdles needed to be overcome to produce for the medium. It’s even harder, if when you are hooked you have no way of testing out and learning as you create. Domes and immersive rooms need to be more accessible and greater in number, and luckily the overall excitement towards immersive technologies is helping significantly in lowering the price of entry into this arena. So for us to be able to produce content, we soon realised that we also needed to create the physical infrastructure to be able to R&D and present immersive work to audiences.
Please introduce us to your team!
Our team consists of six talented artists, designers, producers, engineers, and creators at the forefront of technology. We believe in cross-disciplinary practice and collaborate with a team of specialised freelancers for specific projects when we need to expand the team in a certain direction.
Our directors, Matt Wright and Janire Najera focus on the creative and artistic aspects of CULTVR while working with organisations, artists, and technical teams to produce immersive experiences. Lauren manages CULTVR’s daily operations, ensuring the smooth functioning and alignment with our mission. Mauricio Martin leads the creative aspects of our XR programs, while Rhys Davies oversees immersive filming and live event activations. Jamie Wilson specialises in 3D design and animation supporting the delivery of digital art experiences.
Exciting News! Three of our immersive productions are on tour! 🌍✨
Polydomous – House of Digital Art 📍 Mauritius From the Shadow of the Stone – RAM Festival 📍 Italy The Voyage of Arka Kinari – Astra Film Festival 📍 Romania#fulldome#immersivefilmpic.twitter.com/z5KBzsQh9I
Since we opened our doors, we have presented film screenings, dance, theatre, live music performances and have hosted conferences, networking events, training sessions and brand activations to name a few!
We delivered the first programme of immersive art residencies in Wales back in 2021, supporting 12 artists to create their own XR (Extended Reality) projects. And we continuously receive visits from schools, college and university students from Wales and beyond to get an introduction to immersive media and learn about the opportunities and the skills needed to produce for this medium.
We have also established international partnerships with other immersive centres presenting the work of international artists at the Lab and have hosted international festivals that attract delegates from around the world. We also regularly host visiting Delegations of International visitors (from Norway to Quebec and the Basque Country to Hong Kong) to showcase the space as a best in class European facility that helps to drive forward a creative medium by lowering the barriers of entry to all.
🚨 DJ Yoda is BACK at CULTVR to present the XR live performance: 50 Years of Hip-Hop! 🚨 DJ Yoda will feature some of the genre’s most iconic tracks under our immersive dome.
Often people tell us when they come that it feels like they have travelled to Berlin, which we take as a great compliment.
You have had a bit of a bumpy journey opening just before the covid pandemic started – can you talk a bit about that, and how it’s affected what your vision was for the venue?
We never anticipated that we would have to close our doors a few months after opening our arts centre. Although we could not bring audiences together under the physical space of the dome, during the pandemic we expanded our team as many organisations all of a sudden realised the value of interactive and immersive experiences as a way to engage with their audiences. We came together during this period and the team concentrated on expanding our spaces and creating new areas within the Lab for when we reopened. It was an incredibly rocky and challenging first few months and we couldn’t quite believe our luck, but eventually we rose above the challenges and ironically ended up being one of our most productive periods. Needless to say we haven’t looked back since and continue to slowly grow however we won’t lie, the current post pandemic climate and general cost of living places huge pressures on the smaller independent grassroots venues.
Are there any frustrations or difficulties you face running the venue?
A colleague once mentioned that being a pioneer often means struggling to get the support you need at crucial moments, as you need to wait for the sector to catch up. It was very hard to explain to funders and other organisations the potential of immersive arts as it is an ‘experiential’ medium (you need to be in the space to fully get it) so we created the space in the hope it would be easier to showcase what we had envisioned. In other cities we’ve worked in, projects like this are embraced from the start, as they recognise the value for the local community and the international exposure it brings. However, here in Wales, it has been challenging to navigate the existing frameworks that primarily support established organisations, as we’ve emerged as a new arts venue with a different vision. It is in our DNA to embrace multidisciplinary practice and operate across sectors, so we fall through the funding gaps as we are a cinema, a theatre, a live music venue, a research centre, a gallery and an immersive arts lab at the same time.
Are there any events coming up over the next 12 months that you’re really excited about?
We are incredibly proud to be hosting FDUK for the second year in a row. Fulldome UK is the UK’s longest running immersive arts festival and fulldome artists and filmmakers from around the world will be descending on Cardiff to experience a curated programme of the world’s best fulldome films alongside a packed schedule of talks, presentations and immersive live performances.
In addition, to celebrate our 5th anniversary, we are presenting a new collaboration we have been making with the incredible Slowly Rolling Camera (performance at the Lab on 6 December 2024) . SRC was the first live XR performance we programmed at the Lab in 2019 when we made an immersive visual score for their album ‘Juniper’, and we are very much looking forward to this show. 4Pi are creating the visuals in house and can not wait to present the outcomes live on the 6th of December. It’s sure to be an amazing night and those lucky enough to get hold of a ticket (which are selling fast) will no doubt have a night they won’t forget.
Next March, we are hosting the Best of Earth Awards Ceremony, a coalition of some of the most prestigious and respected fulldome film festivals from around the world, including FullDome Festival in Jena, (Germany), Dome Fest West in Los Angeles, (USA), Dome Under Festival in Melbourne, (Australia), SAT Fest in Montréal, (Canada), and Brno Fulldome Festival (Czech Republic) and FDUK. Audiences in Cardiff would be the only ones that would have access to watch all of the selected immersive films.
We will continue to throw all of our efforts and resources to support the wider Welsh community in embracing and engaging with the transformative possibilities of cultural immersion and we are always on the lookout for collaborations that facilitate this. Our aim is to create a permanent facility with one of the world’s first LED domes in Cardiff, so currently we are looking at various opportunities that can facilitate this.
Also, finally, HOW DO WE PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME! Is it Cult – VR, or “culture” … or is it up to us to decide? 🙂
It is a play on the word culture and what we do at the Lab, shared virtual reality experiences. Both pronunciations work well and we enjoy having a playful name that can be interpreted by audiences. Ultimately, we promote cultural immersion so hopefully our name transmits this connection.
Pink Floyd’s iconic album ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’, originally released in March 1973, turns 50, and what more fitting a place to celebrate it and experience it than in a 360º cinema, through the music set to visuals. With the help of modern technology, the idea of a show combining breathtaking views of the solar system and beyond, played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon in surround sound, has been embraced by the band. NSC Creative have led the visual production efforts, working closely with Pink Floyd’s long time creative collaborator Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis.
Mesmerica is a visual music journey presenting music of Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist James Hood together with visually-hypnotic, 3D animated art curated from artists around the world.
FDUK 2024 will take place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th of October and will feature the work of leading fulldome artists and producers from the UK and around the world. The event is a great opportunity to experience fulldome creativity in all its diversity, and to meet and learn from fellow immersive creatives.
Prepare for a night like no other, with the multi-talented Beardyman and the captivating Teddy Hunter, alongside DJs and VJs sets featuring João Saramago and Andrew Wagstaff. Presented by Cardiff Music City Festival.
Immersive documentary film about the extraordinary journey aboard the 70-ton sailing ship, Arka Kinari, ingeniously transformed into a cultural platform to amplify the urgent call for action on the climate crisis. Delve into the inspiring voyage across oceans of musicians Filastine & Nova, connecting distant shores through the unifying language of music and art to raise awareness about climate resilience on a global scale.
Devil’s Flower by Black Mantis is a new project from South Wales based producer Deri Roberts. His latest album Devil’s Flower sees him delve into his darker electronic side fusing together his love for sound sculpture, electronica, and jazz, resulting in an ever changing world of sound with a visual score produced by the award winning immersive studio 4Pi.
Join us for a special live performance with Slowly Rolling Camera celebrating 10 years since their first album. With their sixth studio album ‘Silver Shadow’ being released this summer this performance will envelop audiences in the dynamic interplay of magnetic melodies and cinematic visuals. Accompanied by an immersive visual score created by award winning studio 4Pi Productions, this XR performance pushes the possibilities of storytelling within shared immersive spaces inspired by the visual and musical interplay found in moving images.
DJ Yoda returns to CULTVR to present the XR live performance: 50 Years of Hip-Hop. This event is not just any club night; it’s an immersive experience that combines the best of hip-hop music with 360º visuals. DJ Yoda will feature some of the genre’s most iconic tracks presenting for the first time a fully immersive AV set dedicated to hip-hop in the UK.
If We Disappear is an immersive acoustic-visual journey crafted by Berlin multimedia artist and sound designer, Emika. Set against the backdrop of her latest album, Falling In Love With Sadness, this unique live show is designed for the planetarium, combining Emika’s distinctive voice, piano melodies, and hypnotic beats with 360º visuals. The performance delves into themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in chaotic times, inviting the audience to reflect on where love goes when everything else is falling apart.
HUGE THANKS TO THE CULTVR TEAM! If you want to follow and support, here are all the links you need
A fun, free, family-friendly weekend celebrating all things print! Making its debut last summer, PRINTED FESTIVAL landed in Cardiff with a bang. Dreamed up by seasoned printers, Tom Whitehead (The Printhaus, Ed & Flo) and Aidan Saunders (Print Wagon, Prints of Hay), their mission is simple: to build on the existing print culture in South Wales, and make the art-form accessible to the masses.
With this solid foundation to build from, as well as the myriad of members who constitute The Printhaus community, PRINTED FESTIVAL couldn’t be more perfectly placed. It’s all hands on deck to make the festival the success that it is!
“We were blown away by all the positive comments from last year’s event, it was quite humbling! We begged, stole, and borrowed from everyone involved, who threw themselves into it with boundless passion! This year we want to expand and connect with more creatives and create an even better experience for visitors.” Tom – The Printhaus
PRINTED FESTIVAL 2, with the brilliant tagline – ‘Print Harder!’ – promises much of the same that made last year so good; stalls, activities, games, talks and community workshops.
Also being introduced to the line-up, will be an exciting panel discussion from print professionals, and an exclusive publication dubbed the HOLY GRAIL OF PRINTED FESTIVAL intel!
“Printed Festival went far better than I could have ever dreamed! After years of planning with Tom and Jude, we succeeded in creating an inclusive, interactive print festival that educated and inspired people to participate in creative practices. As soon as it was over, we realised Printed was but the foundation of a larger project, and we were inspired, compelled (!) to think of new and innovative ways in which we could engage the Welsh public and get them excited about printmaking. So this year we are going bigger and bolder, with more of what went well last year and some new and interesting tricks up our sleeves for this year. You can’t miss it.” Aidan – Print Wagon
A joyous celebration of print for creatives and the wider community alike, PRINTED FESTIVAL is not one to miss!
If you haven’t been down to Cardiff Bay in the last few days, you won’t have seen the mesmerising new sculpture that’s currently visiting the Senedd. The ‘Weeping Window’ installation was originally at the Tower of London, where 888,246 poppies were displayed- one for every British or Colonial life lost at the Front during the First World War. Now you can see the whole piece up close on your doorstep, and there are loads of events surrounding it to suit all ages!
Photo credit : Geoff Caddick/PA Wire
The display forms part of Wales’ programme of events marking the centenary of the First World War, which are taking place across the country. The display of Weeping Window will coincide with the centenary of Battle of Passchendaele, which took the lives of many Welshmen, including the celebrated poet Hedd Wyn.
For the first time visitors will be able to view the sculpture from all sides, including behind, through the Senedd’s floor to ceiling windows.
Younger visitors will be able to explore a free Senedd Trail or try their hands at making a poppy. For those a little older, there will be free half-hour tours on the hour to illustrate why democracy at the Senedd is important to ensuring peace in society.
In addition, on Thursday evenings in August, the Senedd will be open until 20.00 for visitors to see the sculpture as the light changes, and the Senedd café will be open for longer to accommodate this.
Alongside Weeping Window the National Assembly for Wales will also host an exhibition titled Women, War and Peace. Renowned photojournalist Lee Karen Stow brings her world-famous exhibition to Wales, featuring the addition of specially commissioned portraits telling the story of Welsh women affected by war.
You can see Weeping Window until 24 September – trust us, don’t miss it.
We spotted these gorgeous illustrations of Cardiff a few months back and decided to investigate who was behind them and their accompanying poetry: meet Efa Lois and Morgan Owen!
Gwelsom ni’r darluniadau hyfryd hyn hyn o Gaerdydd rhai misoedd yn ôl a phenderfynu ymchwilio i bwy oedd wedi’u creu yn ogystal â’r barddoniaeth sy’n cydfynd â hwy. Dyma gyflwyno Efa Lois a Morgan Owen!
Rhithganfyddiad is a collaborative project between Morgan Owen, a young poet and MA student at Cardiff University, and Efa Lois, an illustrator and Architectural Assistant currently based in Cardiff. They told us:
“We started Rhithganfyddiad because we wanted to document the city as it currently is. Cities are constantly evolving, especially Cardiff, and we hoped to capture what the city is currently like, whilst reflecting on its past.
The end result is a poem and an illustration – a chronicle of each place.”
Mae Rhithganfyddiad yn brosiect ar y cyd rhwng Morgan Owen, bardd ifanc a myfyriwr MA ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ac Efa Lois, sy’n arlunydd ac yn Gynorthwyydd Pensaernïol. Dywedodd Morgan ac Efa wrthom:
“Dechreuodd Rhithganfyddiad am ein bod am adlewyrchu’r ddinas fel y mae hi ar hyn o bryd. Mae dinasoedd yn datblygu drwy’r amser, yn enwedig Caerdydd, ac rydym am ddal naws y ddinas fel ag y mae hi, tra’n ystyried ei gorffennol. Cynnyrch ein hymwneud â’r gwahanol ardaloedd yr ydym yn ymweld â nhw yw cerdd a darlun.”
They are gradually filling in their map of Cardiff with their gorgeous work – we can’t wait to see the full set!
Maent yn raddol yn llenwi eu map o Gaerdydd gyda’u gwaith hyfryd – ‘da ni’n methu ag aros i weld y casgliad yn ei gyfanrwydd!
Dyma ddetholiad o’u darluniadau a’u barddoniaeth – gallwch weld mwy o’u gwaith ar eu gwefan, neu yn siop Cant a Mil Vintage ar Heol yr Eglwys Newydd. Gallwch hefyd brynu printiau arlein.
Heol y Gadeirlan | Cathedral Road
Mae’r hewl hon yn bont annisgwyl
o’r canol i’r cyrion,
un stryd sy’n rhychwantu
dinas benbwygilydd.
O unpen i’r llall mae bywyd
yn arafu a’r ddinas
yn ymbentrefoli
nes dy fod mewn byr o dro
yn bell bell o’r dwndwr
heb ymgydnabod â’r rhyngdir.
Plasnewydd
Cydgymysgwn – nid goddef
ond parchu gwead
ein cydblethiad;
ymhyfrydwn yn y cymhlethdod
cain lle gwêl
y culion ddryswch.
Treganna | CantonMewn dinas o’r iawn ryw mae’r
strydoedd yn gyfrodedd
heb arwain at unlle’n benodol.
Dryswch dymunol yw ei nod amgen,
ei chyfiawnhad a’i gogoniant.
Mae’r hewlydd oll yn rhan o’r cyfanwaith,
a phob un, eto i gyd, yn torsythu
yn ei hannibyniaeth.
Y daith ei hun yw’r unig resymeg.
Wrth hyntio’n ymwybodol o’r cymysgedd
awn i wledydd dirifedi
heb adael am eiliad ein dinas ni.
Cathays
Ni fu realiti erioed mor hurt â tharfu ar y cyfeddach a’r delfrydu, ac amheuthun yw tario yn y tir neb rhwng rhyddid a chyfrifoldeb.
Dychweli’n ddoethach
yn ddieithryn. Fe weli,
a thithau’n lwcus, fod bellach
sylwedd am yr hen haniaethau
a’r breuddwydion liw dydd.
Fe weli, a thithau’n eithriad, nad ildiaist i’r sadrwydd mae’r lle hwn yn brotest yn ei erbyn.
Heol y Fuwch Goch | Womanby St
Fin nos yn feddw nadredda gwyntoedd ffrwythlonder a phydredd i gyfeiliant diotwyr a gwylanod. Yn ddeuparth bywyd ac unparth marwolaeth, cerdda ffantasmagoria y strydoedd sydd bob un yn arwain at ruddin y gân a’r golau. Annedd frwysg rhwng gwyll a gwawr yw’r noswaith lân sy’n darfod yn yr oriau mân.
Llandaf | Llandaff
Yng ngogysgod y ddinas mae hendref greiriog sy’n edliw i’r concrit ei lesgedd.
Ar ei ynys grebachlyd mae’n mesur y llanw di-drai sy’n difa gwreiddiau.
Lle cedwid gynt rin rhyw genedl a gwagle i freuddwydio ceir heddiw grawcwellt yn ymborth.
Eilbeth yw iaith a llên a myfyrdodau lle mae arian yn llywio meddyliau.
Deled y byd i weld tomen o garegos pan nad yw llwydni Llanbobman yn ddigon.
Y Sblot | Splott
Dur yw iaith absenoldeb;
dur sy’n rhydu yn y dociau dof
yw pont dwy genhedlaeth;
dur sy’n fy nghludo i gartref
na ddychwelaf iddo eto.
Dau le a unwyd gan un enw
a dynghedwyd i gyd-ddioddef –
dau le sy’n gorwedd
dan lwch hen luniau
sy’n stwyrian wedi sôn am Ddowlais.
Dowlais yw enw colled
yn y blaendir a’r ddinas
fel ei gilydd lle mae’r dur
yn rhydu o hyd.
Mynydd Bychan | The Heath
Nid angof fydd y fan hon
sydd rhwng dau le o hyd –
tramwyfa aml daith,
ond cyrchfan anfynych.
Pan fo’r cyrion yn crwydro a’r ddinas
yn glastwreiddio’i chalon,
rhinwedd yw rhyngedd
y lle sy’n aros yn yr unfan.
Illustrations/Darluniadau: Efa Loi, poetry/barddoniaeth: Morgan Owen
Private art collections can sometimes appear artistically polarising and disjointed. An art collector’s personal taste is not always uniform and cohesive, so when private art collections hang on the walls of carefully curated museums they can appear somewhat out of place. For ‘Bacon to Doig: Modern Masterpieces from a Private Collection’ this thankfully isn’t the case. From Ian and Mercedes Stoutzker, this collection is simultaneously varied, cohesive and personal. Situated in the National Museum Cardiff, Bacon to Doig offers museum-goers an intimate interpretation of modern art. From the delicate sketches of Henri Matisse to the mind-bending pottery of Grayson Perry you are transported to not just a playground of different artistic mediums, but an interesting historiography of modern art itself.
Firstly, credit must be given to the National Museum for their excellent use of space and composition in their presentation of the collection. The difficulties of moving a collection only enjoyed in a domestic setting to that of a museum was a challenge, but they have succeeded. The National Museum can somewhat go under the radar when people discuss Cardiff, but this collection will hopefully galvinise people’s interest in the museum itself. The museum, relative to other British museums, has always outdone itself in regards to the quality of its exhibitions and the professionalism it always operates under, so National Museum – big up yourself.
In terms of the collection, there’s plenty of room to take each piece in, marvel at it, scratch your head, mutter under your breath “Is THIS really art?”, etc even on busy days. The art is curated in a way that is sensible with each room having a really tangible sense of style and place. The exhibition is pretty low on photography, excluding one room of especially profound art and the collection of paper drawings. Photography is barred there and this also happens to be where all my favourite pieces were, so if you want to check them out you’re going to have to go yourself.
Thematically, the collection covers a lot of the major sub-sects of “modern art” from expressionistic canvases to post-impressionism (all these fancy words mean is that it’s all modern and varied). The art collection never becomes too highbrow and can be enjoyed by everyone, there isn’t a sense that you need a strong knowledge of art history or criticism to really appreciate the collection as a whole. Interestingly, a lot of this art was collected by the Stoutzkers was purchased when the artists were in the early stages of their career, so each piece has a sense of appealing innocence to them – there is a sense of each artist still struggling to find their own identity in a lot of the pieces, yet not in a way that it detracts from the pieces themselves. Instead, the sense of artistic innocence imbues a lot of the pieces with a certain playfulness; the collection appears wholly original by not just curating quality artists, but by curating them when they were all at a similar level of creative maturity.
It goes without saying that the art in the collection is of stellar quality, but this isn’t exactly where the appeal lies. The appeal of the collection is how original, yet similar, each piece feels. The zeitgeist of the modern artistic period is captured here in a visceral way. Particular highlights included Lucian Freud’s Girl With Closed Eyes, Francis Bacon’s pieces, the Matisse sketch hidden away in the filing cabinet Nude Model, Resting, and Grayson Perry’s Turner-prize winning vases which were, to me, the absolute highlight of the collection. At fear of spoiling too much, I’ll keep discussion of the actual pieces to that. The collection is best enjoyed without expectation, that way it’ll truly hit you at how important and visually stimulating the collection really is.
The collection will be at National Museum Wales until the 31st January 2018, so please be sure to pop down time and time again before it leaves. It really is one of the most important private collections of modern art in the world and it’s in Cardiff, it’s free, it’s on your doorstep, so get going!
Culture vulture Catrin Greaves rounds up Cardiff’s art gallery highlights for February. Take it away, Catrin!
Nature’s Song, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
The museum hosts a stunning display of traditional Chinese bird and flower paintings, the first time this collection has been seen in the UK. Nature’s Song traces the development of this art form from the late Ming dynasty (late 16th century) to contemporary interpretations from recent decades. Bird and flower paintings showcase the talents of poets and calligraphers, as well as painters, and the exhibition emphasises the symbolic and spiritual meaning of bird and flower motifs.In the exhibition, you can learn about different techniques used by painters and calligraphers to create these stunning artworks. This is an exciting opportunity to sustain links between Wales and China: the exhibition has been created in collaboration with China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing. On until 23 April.
Anna Noel is inspired by how animals accompany humans throughout our lives. Based in the Gower, Anna takes inspiration from the animals she grew up with: From fairy-tale figures and imaginary friends to trusty companions and beloved pets. Noel creates charming ceramic figures, set to populate the Craft in the Bay from 21. January 2017 – Sun, 5. March.
The artist group X-10 present the outcome of two years of collaboration, where they examined the closure and decommissioning of Wylfa on Anglesey, the last nuclear power station in Wales.Through video, photography, sound, sculpture, and installation, the artists respond to this event and question the future of nuclear power and attached environmental concerns. Merging art, science and technology, the show adds new questions and thoughts to the nuclear debate. On from 18 Feb – 17 March 2017.
Participating artists include, – Ant Dickinson, Bridget Kennedy, Jessica Lloyd-Jones, Chris Oakley, Teresa Paiva, Tim Skinner, Robin Tarbet, Alana Tyson, Annie Grove-White, Helen Grove-White.
Don’t miss the Artes Mundi exhibition at the National Museum of Wales and at Chapter, which finishes on February 26. Cardiff-based organisation Artes Mundi is best known for its biannual exhibition and prize, and emphasises how art reflects what it means to be human in contemporary society – it is the largest cash prize awarded for the arts in the UK and one of the most significant in the world.
This year’s exhibition brings together the work of shortlisted artists from Lebanon, Angola, Algeria, the USA, Ghana and Wales. It showcases work in a variety of media, including film, installation and performance art. Pop into the galleries for a free guided tour (2pm daily at the museum, and on request at Chapter), and keep an eye out for free family drop-in activities over February half term, which will examine themes inspired by the artists’ work, including costume, storytelling and gardens.
Catrin Greaves works as a tour guide and workshop facilitator at the National Museum of Wales. She moved to Cardiff after studying Anthropology in Belfast, and enjoys singing ina choir and doing embroidery
We accidentally went to four Christmas craft fairs yesterday, so here are some lovely, local independent artists and businesses where you can find super special Christmas pressies this year. We’ll keep adding to this post as we find new stuff! Leave us a comment if you have an idea!
Claire Hill jewellery – a favourite of ours. Claire makes beautiful, lightweight jewellery in her studio in Canton and sells it for incredibly reasonable prices!
The Power of Greyskull – another one of our faves. Quality Cardiff-made leggings that DON’T FALL DOWN, even during aerial circus acts (certified by us).
Emily England designs – papercut prints, cute cards and beautiful books- the wonderful Emily has got you covered.
Penylan Pantry’s Christmas hampers – whether your weakness is cheese, chocolate, coffee or quite simply, damn good food, the Pantry girls have it covered in the different ranges available.
Fluidity Freerun Academy and Splatch care coming together to explode the idea of cabaret, with fierce challenges, audience games and contemporary circus. The event is being run to raise money for the wonderful organisation Performers Without Borders, which teaches performing arts to vulnerable children in countries of high child poverty.
Here’s Esther from Splatch to tell us more…
We’re celebrating the nostalgic Gladiator TV show using the newly opened freerun academy as a platform to create a high adrenaline night with circus spills and thrills, extreme athletic challenges and classic games. Bring your comfy shoes ready to move around and dance your tootsies off after. It runs 8pm until late with a DJ and drinks.
And it’s all in aid of a charity that’s close to our hearts …..
Two Nofit State performers, Sam Goodburn and Esther Fuge will be sharing, teaching and creating the life changing experience and skills of circus with vulnerable and poverty stricken children in Nicaragua. They will be joining a team of 8 performers for a three month tour around schools and community groups to build confidence, develop empowerment and overcome social barriers.
As part of Cardiff Contemporary 2016, visual artists and makers across the city will be opening their studios over the month of August.
Around 100 artists will be taking part and to plan your visits a calendar, maps and guides are available online on the Open Studios website and print/flyers through your local gallery and Library.
A series of FREE events over the month of August, it is a chance to explore the places in Cardiff where artists work and discover more about how artists and makers work today.
Below is a list of all the events taking place in August.
LACED is all about bringing together people with a shared love for the ‘sneaker game’ and all that it represents. This Sunday, the Boiler House graffiti project plays host to the second of these special very special events, from 12pm until late.
Whether you’re into trainers or not, get down there and check out the amazing line up of music, shops and food.
Expect sneaker stalls, competitions, clothing, live graffiti, breakdancing and music.
There will also be:
a pop-up barbers shop from Sleep When You’re Dead offering fresh cuts to all for a discounted price, and Captain Cats beard oil helping tame the wildest of facial fuzz;
the cool guys at Punk Bikes, who will be bringing along a range of their wares, and also running a sprints competition for anyone to try;
silent film screening of ‘Style Wars’ by OnerSigns;
tasty grub will be coming from Pieminister, Dirty South BBQ and Bake my Day cake specialists and vegan fare; and
an on site bar selling Pipes ales, Red Stripe, processo by the bottle, shorts and soft drinks for children.
As well as all of that, Cardiff Geek Party will be bringing a load of old Sega and Nintendo consoles, and they’ll be running competitions and bringing back a whole load of nostalgia through the day. So dust off your freshest kicks, rock that Kangol hat, bring along the kids and join LACED events for the coolest Sunday ever!
A group of artists are holding an exhibition at the Abacus on Saturday to call on the Welsh Government to improve the Well-Being of Future Generations Bill. They think the current proposals do not go far enough, and want to create a truly strong and effective sustainable development law for Wales.
The Art for Future Generations exhibition will run from the 21 to 27 February 2015.
The exhibition will kick off with an opening party on Saturday at 7pm, featuring a number of celebrated poets, performers and musicians. These include Mab Jones, the poet in residence for the Botanical Garden of Wales, folk singer-songwriter Maddie Jones, and rock bands Third Party and Art Bandini.
Exhibition organiser Gareth Sims said:
“All the art work on display is inspired by our natural environment, the recognition that she is being destroyed at unprecedented rates and that we must act urgently to enhance and protect her.
We are also lucky to have some wonderful performers for the opening night who share a passion to make Wales a sustainable nation – so it should be quite a party!”
The exhibition is supporting the Sustainable Development Alliance’s campaign for a stronger law. Gareth said:
“We are calling on the Welsh Government to pass a law with a clear definition of sustainable development and a strong duty on public bodies to actually achieve sustainable development.
To do this it must also properly address key issues such as climate change, our global responsibilities, and living within environmental limits.”
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