Ö÷²¥´óÐã

I can hardly believe that it's Hay Festival time again. The annual bash is now in its 23rd year and I'm proud to say that I haven't missed one so far! The Arts Show will come live from the festival site on Thursday 3 June, and on Sunday 6 June I'll be talking to Radio Wales' very own national treasure, Roy Noble, in a festival session about his autobiography.

I'd be able to tick off my 23rd year of attendance by simply working but there are so many festival events that I want to go to anyway this year that it would have been hard to keep me away.

I was thinking back over the years of Hay festivals and remembering that it actually began as a bank holiday weekend event - three days of talks with writers held in various buildings in the town itself. Over more than two decades, it's grown to be a 10 day marathon on its own site just on the outskirts of Hay.

This year's programme is as eclectic as ever and this is the real joy of the festival. It sounds like a cliche to say it offers something for everyone, but, in this case, it's true. I'm especially looking forward to hearing Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel talking about her brilliant historical novel Wolf Hall, and would love to see the comedian Tim Minchin if I can get a ticket, but there will be other sessions that will be just as entertaining and fascinating.

It's a rare privilege to be so close to writers and performers and it's not just the headline grabbers that stick in my mind from past years. Of course there's something special about seeing Bill Clinton or Goldie Hawn or Desmond Tutu speaking in a large tent in a field. But I've been equally impressed by crime writers such as Patricia Cornwell and Ian Rankin, great wits and raconteurs such as John Mortimer and Tony Benn.

If I wanted to list my top ten of Hay festival favourites it would be hard to know where to start, and harder still to stop. It would definitely include Salman Rushdie's first public appearance (unheralded till he walked onto the stage) after the fatwa declared as a result of his novel The Satanic Verses.

There'd be a cracking performance by Macy Gray in a very sweaty tent, a fascinating insight into Tudor history from Dr David Starkey, ex-Pythons Michael Palin and Terry Jones, and the awesome Maya Angelou.

Now I've just remembered the chance I had to interview Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall at Hay; and holding Tanni Grey Thompson's Olympic gold medals and her handing them round the audience - yes, really - and they were all returned!

Oh, I could go on but let's just look forward to this week's festival and hope that the weather is kind to us all!

A writers' day is being held next month at the in Swansea in which students and the wider community can engage in workshops, discussions and readings, and meet with key figures in the publishing industry.

The event is being organised by and , in conjunction with the .

Photograph of Fflur Dafydd © Chris Reynolds

Representatives from Welsh publishers will be present as well as staff of the creative writing departments of both universities, including Professor Stevie Davies, Dr Jeni Williams, Dr Fflur Dafydd and Nigel Jenkins. Plus, poet and singer-songwriter Paul Henry is set to read some of his poetry and discuss his experiences of publishing.

This is a free event to be held on Thursday 17 June. To secure a place contact the , or visit the for further information.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Tenor Rhys Meirion told me on this week's Radio Wales Arts Show about the tight schedule he's got for himself on the last weekend in June.

Rhys is the artistic director of Gwyl Gobaith - a three-day festival of music at Deeside College in Northop from 25-27 June. He's singing in the final concert along with Shan Cothi and David Kempster but needs to be there for the opening night's assembled choirs concert too.

However, Rhys is also scheduled to be at Wales Millennium Centre on Saturday 26 June for a performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger with Welsh National Opera. So he's going to be a turbocharged tenor travelling from North to South and back again to sing at both ends of Wales two nights running!

Rhys said he was just as excited about both commitments - the Wagner opera is a marathon which he's enjoying rehearsals for at the moment and Gwyl Gobaith will raise funds for Hope House children's hospices in North Wales.

There are full details of the three concerts on the festival website and, if you go to any of them, spare a thought for poor Rhys on the road in between!

The author of Watership Down has teamed up with two north Wales based writers to raise money for a wildlife conservation charity.

Richard Adams, now in his late 80s, was inspired by Debz Hobbs-Wyatt to write a short story for the collection Gentle Footprints. Debz is the marketing manager for publishers and the charity book was her brainchild.

She has also penned a story for the book along with Anglesey-based writer Phil Thomas. The short story collection, which will raise money for the , is set to officially launch at the next week.

.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

has recently unveiled plans for a new £35m Arts and Innovation Centre that will include a theatre, cinema space and an outdoor amphitheatre, plus social facilities such as bars, dining and family friendly park areas.

An artist's impression of the Pontio project at Bangor University.

It is hoped that the will establish a world-class centre for innovation in science, technology and the creative industries, and the public performance spaces will become a major focus for Welsh culture.

To celebrate the unveiling of the plans for the centre in Bangor, Welsh contemporary circus performers will be giving street theatre performances, including acrobatic routines and juggling acts, on Bangor High Street from 11am until 3pm.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Are you stumped for ideas for things to do this spring bank holiday weekend? Or racking your brains for ways to keep the children entertained over their half term holiday next week? Here are a few arts-inspired suggestions to keep everyone happy over the holidays.

Photograph of Powis Castle © NTPL - David Levenson, as featured on the Doctor Who in Wales locations map.

Read the rest of this entry

The beautiful 'book town' of Hay-on-Wye plays host to one of the world's largest festivals of literature and arts, with events beginning on Thursday.

The Hay Festival of Literature and Arts was described by former US President Bill Clinton as 'the Woodstock of the mind' when he attended in 2001. This year's festival promises the eclectic variety of authors, musicians, comedians, political figures and international guests that the thousands of annual attendees have come to expect.

Photograph of the 2009 Hay Festival site © Finn Beales

Read the rest of this entry

A painting featuring Dylan Thomas is to go on display in Wales before leaving for America, more than half a century after the Welsh poet died in the United States.

The painting, by Welsh artist Jeff Williams, is based on a photograph that features Thomas alongside other Kardomah Boys during a broadcast for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã in 1949. and .

Read the rest of this entry

This year marks the 25th and a wide range of events have been scheduled to celebrate the quarter century event, including poetry recitals, guest speakers, comedy acts, musical recitals and an orchestral concert.

Comedian Jo Caulfield, Ysgol Glanaethwy - the runners-up from Ö÷²¥´óÐã One show Last Choir Standing - and the closing night concert featuring Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans and the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, are all set to be highlights.

The festival runs from Thursday 27 May, opening with an organ recital by American organist Edward Landin, until Wednesday 2 June.

, and find out more about Beaumaris on the site.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Cymru Wales collected 11 trophies at the in a ceremony held at the in Cardiff last night.

Successes include programmes from a range of genres including drama, factual, news and current affairs, sport and interactive.

Torchwood stars John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd.

Read the rest of this entry

Welsh comedian Rob Brydon will be honoured at Sunday evening's Bafta Cymru Film, Television and Interactive Media Awards ceremony with the Siân Phillips award.

The prestigious prize, named in honour of Welsh actor Siân Phillips, is awarded for outstanding achievements in network television and film. It has previously been won by Welsh stars Ruth Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Sheen, Russell T Davies and Rhys Ifans.

Read more on the story on the , and read our previous blog on the 2010 Bafta Cymru nominations.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

The Eisteddfod is a festival of music, performance, arts and literature. Traditionally this was a time to bring together great poets and musicians from around Wales. And that is still true today, even if it has evolved to have a large pink tent being the focal point of the Eisteddfod where all the events take place.

There seems to be a lack of understanding around the UK, and even here in Wales, of the Eisteddfod festivals held every year, and the differences between them.

Read the rest of this entry

Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones has landed a prestigious role in West End favourite , directed by Cameron Mackintosh.

The star from Pentyrch, Cardiff, who came to prominence on the hit ITV programme, has already started rehearsals for the long-running show.

Lucie will play the part of Cosette, having previously auditioned for the role of Eponine. Her role comes as part of a large cast change after some performers left the show last week.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Seven of Wales' most eye-catching buildings have received top design accolades from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

93 buildings across the UK are winners in the 2010 RIBA Awards for architectural excellence, seven of which are in Wales - which is impressive considering that just two Welsh buildings gained recognition last year.

Photograph of Hafod Eryri (Snowdon summit) by Ray Hole Architects © Aneurin Phillips.

Read the rest of this entry

Israel-born artist Yael Bartana has been awarded the 2010 Artes Mundi prize, the biggest contemporary arts prize in the UK.

Now dividing her time between her homeland and Amsterdam, Bartana creates complex visualizations with photography, film, video, sound and installation - often focusing upon Israel and the Israeli situation.

Artist Yael Bartana

Bartana will collect the £40,000 prize for her work, which the judges said had 'consistently stimulated thinking about the human condition and added to our understanding of humanity'.

Read the rest of this entry

This week's Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Wales Arts Show takes a sneaky peak at the newly redeveloped and rebranded (formerly Oriel Mostyn Gallery) in Llandudno, following its three-year, £5.1m refit and expansion.

Mostyn reopens officially to the public on Saturday 22 May 2010 but, ahead of the grand unveiling, Arts Show presenter Nicola Heywood Thomas was let in early to have a look round.

Nicola Heywood Thomas inside Mostyn in Llandudno.

Read the rest of this entry

Children of all ages have the opportunity to get arty this half term holiday as the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea is staging .

Activities on offer for children aged from five to 16 include script writing and performing, teepee making, sculpture making and textiles workshops.

Photograph of young people at previous arts workshops at the Glynn Vivian Gallery © Ken Dickinson 2010.

Read the rest of this entry

An exhibition featuring the work of North Wales-based artist Karel Lek is set to go display at , Llangefni at the end of the month.

Karel Lek MBE, was born in Antwerp in 1929. Aged just 11, he and his Jewish parents were forced to flee Belgium during World War Two. They settled in North Wales as refugees, and Karel has lived there ever since.

The main subject of his work is people and landscapes; people in ordinary day to day situations and surroundings all of which convey honesty and compassion.

The exhibition at runs from 29 May to 4 July 2010, and will also feature works by Karel's late father Hendrik Lek.

Watch a video in which Karel speaks about his life, the move to the UK from his homeland and the prejudice he faced, on the Your Video section on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales Arts website.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Work has begun on the refurbishment of following the fire that largely destroyed the community arts centre in 2007.

Holder Mathias Architects are responsbile for the renovation, which is set to include a 400-seat state of the art community theatre, 70-seat cinema, studio, new cafe and entrance area. The project is due to be completed in the autumn of 2012.

An impression of the £7m renovation of Gwyn Hall. Photograph © Holder Mathias Architects.

Doctor Who is set to regenerate this autumn into a live action arena tour featuring Daleks, Cybermen and many more terrifying creatures from the hit Ö÷²¥´óÐã sci-fi show.

Though stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will not appear at the events, which will take place in nine cities across the UK including Cardiff, they are to film special scenes.

Writer Steven Moffatt said he wanted to recreate the excitment for the stage: "This is everything I ever wanted since I was 11... A live show, with all the coolest Doctor Who monsters, a proper story, and brand new screen material for Matt Smith's Doctor."

, visit the Doctor Who website and browse our Doctor Who in Wales locations guide on the Wales Arts website.

Welsh hopeful Sophie Evans has made it to the series finale of Ö÷²¥´óÐã One entertainment show Over The Rainbow.

The leading lady for Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of The Wizard Of Oz will be found this coming weekend in the dramatic climax. The three Dorothys will face the public vote in Saturday's show as viewers alone decide who takes on the coveted role.

Tune in to Ö÷²¥´óÐã One Wales on Saturday 22 May from 7pm for the grand final, and find out more about musical theatre on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales Arts website.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones is set to star in a new one-off drama on the private life of comedy actor Hattie Jacques.

The drama, set to be screened later in 2010 on Ö÷²¥´óÐã4, will examine the complicated love life of the Carry On legend, which saw Jacques embark on an affair with a younger man while married to Dad's Army star John Le Mesurier.

Jones said of Jacques: "She was an incredibly talented and fascinating woman both on and off screen and so much more than just the 'funny fat lady'."

Read more about Ruth Jones on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales arts website, and find out more on the story on .

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Michael Sheen is to take the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Young Vic theatre in London next year.

The actor has been acclaimed for his past portrayals of David Frost, Tony Blair and Brian Clough. The Young Vic staging of Hamlet will be directed by Ian Rickson.

Read the rest of this entry

As the new Doctor continues his adventures with companion Amy Pond, discover some of the wonderfully Welsh locations used in filming the iconic Ö÷²¥´óÐã sci-fi series.

We recently launched a Doctor Who in Wales locations map on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales Arts site, where you can discover locations and places right across Wales that have been used to create Doctor Who, from the 1960s right up to the present day.

Matt Smith in Doctor Who: The Eleventh Hour, partly filmed in Llandaff village in Cardiff © Ö÷²¥´óÐã/Adrian Rogers.

Read the rest of this entry

Over 1,000 fans of Ö÷²¥´óÐã One show Over The Rainbow took part in a sing-along event at Cardiff's St David's Hall on Sunday.

Some fans queued from as early as 8am to take part in the musical masterclass alongside ex-Dorothys from the show and I'd Do Anything winner, Jodie Prenger.

Participants at the Over The Rainbow event in St David's Hall, Cardiff.

Read the rest of this entry

Russell Crowe plays in Ridley Scott's epic blockbuster about the legendary hero, which is released in UK cinemas this week and also opens the on Wednesday.

And though the star-studded cast includes Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow and Brit actors William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy and Matthew Macfadyen, there's another star of this film that Welsh cinema-goers will be keen to spot.

Behind the scenes photo of actors on Freshwater West beach © Scotty

Read the rest of this entry

Successful Welsh artist is to open his own studio in Swansea that will showcase the work of both established and emerging artists in south west Wales.

Holly is best known for his depictions of traditional life and landscapes in Swansea, his work having drawn comparisons to artists such as LS Lowry.

The gallery, located in the heart of the Exchange Building in Swansea's Maritime Quarter, will offer gallery space for live working artists throughout the year - meaning visitors to the studio will be able to see artists at work.

The officially opens on Saturday 10 May.

A controversial new play set in the living room of notorious serial killers, Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, is set to open at Newport's .

16 Wardle Brook Avenue is the brainchild of director Mark Hickman, who is currently in the third year of a performing arts course at the .

Mark Hickman directs performing arts students Tara Hobbs and Josef Summers in a scene from 16 Wardle Brook Avenue © Phil Mansell

Read the rest of this entry

As part of their 70th birthday celebrations, publishers has revealed their 70 top children's books list, and Welsh author Roald Dahl has his own dedicated section of must-reads.

The books are separated into different categories on the list, and in an homage to Dahl's unique literary style, four of his works are in the brilliantly-named group The Best Phizzbangers. They include The BFG, Matilda, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr Fox.

My personal favourite from childhood, The Twits, falls under another category of books - The Best Mayhem and Mischief. And it's little wonder so many of Dahl's titles make Puffin's list: sales of his books jumped by 35% in 2009, showing he remains a firm favourite with both children and adults alike.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

The historian Professor Prys Morgan will give the second annual Sir Kyffin Williams lecture this evening, focusing on the life and works of artist and autobiographer Thomas Jones, traditionally known as Thomas Jones, Pencerrig.

Like Kyffin, Thomas Jones was a landscape artist and was the first artist to produce oil landscapes in the open air as finished paintings.

Organised by the Sir Kyffin Williams Trust, the lecture will take place at in Llangefni - home to - at 7.30pm tonight.

Items from RS Thomas' time at St Mary Magdalene Church are to go under the hammer next week. The poet was the curate at Tallarn Green in Hanmer, Flintshire between the war years of 1940 and 1942.

The brass eagle lectern from St Mary Magdalene Church. Courtesy of Bonhams.

Thomas made little attempt to disguise his unhappiness while living in this Anglicised village near the Welsh-English border, and is still remembered for his gloomy sermons during his time at the parish. It is thought that he began writing poetry while living in Flintshire.

Items from the church, which was closed in 2007 due to the dwindling congregration, going under the hammer on Monday 10 May at Bonhams in Chester include a brass eagle lectern, alter table and clergy stall. They are expected to fetch around £750.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

Sir Anthony Hopkins and his wife Stella are to be honoured for their work with a homeless charity, having become involved with the Midnight Mission eight years ago.

They will receive the accolades at the the 10th annual Golden Heart Awards, at a ceremony hosted in Los Angeles on Monday.

The couple got involved with the charity as many of the homeless people on Los Angeles' 'skid-row' have drink problems. Hopkins, having successfully overcome his battle with alcoholism, gives regular acting classes to the homeless in Los Angeles, and serves food and hands out presents at Christmas time.

.

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

With an Olivier Award-winning actor in the lead role of a recently discovered 'lost' play by John Osborne, ' third production of 2010 promises to be an exciting affair.

The Devil Inside Him stars Iwan Rheon, who recently won the Olivier Award for best supporting performance in a musical for his role as Moritz in Spring Awakening.

Iwan Rheon in rehearsal for The Devil Inside Him. Photo courtesy of National Theatre Wales.

Other cast members include Jamie Ballard, John Cording, Stephen Elliott, Helen Griffin, Derek Hutchinson, Rachel Lumberg and Catrin Stewart. Elen Bowman will direct the play, which is being staged at the in Cardiff from 6 May until 15 May.

Read the rest of this entry

Catherine Zeta Jones has received a Tony Award nomination for best performance by a leading actress in a musical, for her role in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.

Zeta Jones played Desiree Armfeldt and starred alongside Alexander Hanson and Angela Lansbury in the Broadway production. She will contest the prestigious award with Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Sherie Rene Scott (Everyday Rapture), Montego Glover (Memphis) and Christiane Noll (Ragtime).

Read more on the story on the .

Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog, you will need to sign in to your Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account. If you don't have a Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD account, you can - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of Ö÷²¥´óÐã sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? , or get some .

, in conjunction with the Rhys Davies Trust, have launched a set of 16 limited edition postcards that celebrate some of Wales' most prolific writers. And what's more, they're giving away sets free of charge.

Browse a gallery of photographs of some of the postcards in the collection (kindly provided by Academi), which feature poets, literary critics, short story writers and novelists including Rhys Davies, Brenda Chamberlain, Glyn Jones, RS Thomas, John Tripp, Harri Webb, Emyr Humphreys, John Ormond, Alun Richards and more.

To find out how to receive your own set of postcards, .