Mission Gallery will host an Artist Residence with renowned Welsh ceramicist Lowri Davies, during which visitors will be able to preview selected pieces in development for her Merched ar Lestri’ project which celebrates significant Welsh women. Lowri’s ceramics work takes inspiration from Welsh dressers, souvenir collections, and vibrant illustrations using watercolours and ink. Lowri will also lead ‘make-along’ ceramics workshops, with sessions suitable for families.
Micki Schloessingk of Bridge Pottery, Gower, will also lead an adult workshop focusing on hand building techniques, and Katherine Silvera-Sunley will run an adult workshop exploring the role of ceramics as wearable pieces. No experience is needed, and attendees will be guided through the process in a fun, relaxed environment.
Alongside Lowri’s work, items created by Chinese in Wales Association members, who have worked with Lowri in investigating the cultural heritage links between the Welsh iconography which fascinates Lowri and the Chinese Year of the Dragon, will be shown.
Date: 4th – 6th Oct
Workshops and events:
If you love interactive and immersive art, Volcano Theatre’s ‘Ffiesta Am Byth’ exhibition is for you.
The theatre will transform their High Street galleries into an indoor fiesta space, creating a walk-through art experience with cocktails, pinatas, arts and crafts and photography. You can even learn the basic steps to the Argentine Tango. The fiesta will include family-friendly activities and interactive exhibitions, taking its inspiration from Latin American artists and streetscapes created by Wilfredo Davila, Klaes Oldenburg, and Hieronymus Bosch.
There will also be photography on Saturday 5th October, where high quality portraits of visitors will be captured as part of the experience. A must-see for those looking for family-friendly entertainment and things to do in Swansea, and for Latin art lovers.
Date: 4th – 6th Oct
Workshops & events:
During Swansea Arts Weekend, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery will showcase their new exhibition by renowned skate photographer Skin Phillips, an international artist and photographer originally from Swansea.
Phillips’ exhibition will feature a series of photographs which capture the skateboard scene in the city. The new commission highlights the vibrancy and diversity of Swansea’s skateboarding scene, emphasising the cultural significance of the sport for the city’s communities.
The new photos will be showcased alongside a retrospective of Phillips’ photography of iconic skate communities in New York, California, and Swansea, spanning the last 40 years and capturing the adrenaline and artistry of skateboarding throughout generations. The exhibition will also feature a curated programme of skate films.
The Heather Phillipson Out of This World exhibition, supported by the Imperial War Museum 1418 NOW Legacy Fund, will also be available to visit during the Arts Weekend.
For an immersive experience, the Glynn Vivian is showcasing an interactive arts piece by Swansea artists Jason and Becky: Eavesdropper.
Eavesdropper was created in response to Heather Phillipson’s Out of this World, a commission in partnership with IWM 1418 Now Legacy Fund, and with research into Margam Watts Hughes’ 1887 invention of the Eidophone – a device created to visualise the human voice.
Exploring ideas of conflict and communication through interactivity, sound and visuals, Eavesdropper will be a dual-site installation in Swansea city centre and Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Visitors will be able to take on an active role in the art, visualising sound.
Workshop and events:
Date: 4th – 6th Oct
Have you heard of the infamous Night of the Triangles? Sci-fi fans are in for a treat at Galerie Simpson.
1983. Swansea’s Kilvey Hill.
Now renowned in Swansea folklore, the Night of the Triangles saw Swansea locals witness triangular shaped UFOs grace the city skies.
In an interactive, immersive performance and screening, local artist Kathryn Ashill will transport you on a cosmic journey which celebrates this unique event in local history. Investigating who our extraterrestrial visitors may have been and examining the iconic alien scenes in public and popular culture, the event will also feature local performers and GS Artists.
Witness a unique performance which delves into themes of other-worldly sightings and intergalactic connection.
What’s more, within the gallery throughout the weekend, the triangle will become a prominent symbol featured in costumes, imagery and set design. Visitors will be welcome to get involved in performance art, with access to Kathryn Ashill’s unique performance masks.
About the artist: Kathryn Ashill’s performance, video and installation work presents their personal experiences of lived working class identity, exploring the culture clash between their background and artistic practice. Ashill pursued the theatricality in the everyday, while sharing fragments of autobiography, observations on people, history, and location.
Date: 4th – 6th Oct
Performance times for Night of the Triangles by Kathryn Ashill:
Please note the performances have a max capacity of 35 people.
Photography lovers will not want to miss the Elysium’s new exhibitions, launching in time for the Swansea Arts Weekend.
Also tying in with Diffusion Festival, Swansea’s Elysium exhibition opens on 5th Oct and highlights the work of two female/non-binary artists from the Foto Féminas collective, which aims to increase the visibility of Latin American and Caribbean female/non-binary photographers. Brazilian artist Luiza Possama Cons, and Argentine artists Julietta Anaud and Lorenna Marchetti will exhibit their photography and artwork.
What’s more, the gallery will also feature ‘Rough Edges’, a new exhibition by local photographer and artist Kaylee Francis. Rough Edges, is an on-going documentation of a council estate in Swansea.
“I was born and brought up in the area and still have strong connections and relationships to the community. I have been drawn to photograph the places and people I know here, in a way that is true to my experience, and which I hope contributes a counter-narrative towards negative media representations typical of such communities.”
As a Documentary photographer, Francis is interested in exploring issues relating to the representation and misrepresentation of lower socio-economic communities. Her work considers the possibilities of using photography and activism for agency and social change.
For those hoping to try their hand at photography techniques, the Elysium photography dark room will also be open to the public over the weekend. Local artist Daniel Staveley will conduct a series of photo development workshops using sustainable materials.
Artists Lucy Donald, Jenny Chisolm, and Karen Hopkins invite participants to a weekend of painting at Paint Club. This workshop offers an opportunity for individuals to create their own framed masterpieces, which will be displayed in the “We Are All Art-ists” gallery space. The event is open to artists of all ages and abilities, with the requirement that children be accompanied by an adult.
Dates: 5th – 6th Oct
Workshops:
Sustainable photography darkroom workshops:
All information was correct at the time of publication. Please check before booking or travelling.
Elysium Gallery
GS Artists
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Mission Gallery
Volcano Theatre
Elysium Gallery
GS Artists
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Exist Skatepark
Mission Gallery
Volcano Theatre
Elysium Gallery
GS Artists
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Mission Gallery
Volcano Theatre
We Are All Artists is supported by the Cultural Tourism Anchor at Swansea Council and funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
