Month: April 2023

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Archive News Pilgrimage

Mini Creative Caminos in Pembrokeshire

NEWS

Mini Creative Caminos in Pembrokeshire

Saturday 20th May and 10th June

Two bite sized artistic dives into the essence of pilgrimage along the Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way with Ailsa Richardson and Suzi MacGregor

 

Saturday 20th May
(based at St Nicholas Village Hall)

landing your (wild)feet with Ailsa

paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and an open heart
(Robin Wall Kimmerer)

Ailsa will offer simple practices from her wildfeet toolkit to enhance presence, mindfulness and imagination. These practices draw attention to the many voices and multitudes of wisdom available to us in the environment/living world, and can be ‘taken home’ to enhance your own experience of walking and pilgrimage. This often means putting some of our habitual ways of responding aside to allow our kinship with nature and each other to arise more fully. We will playfully and seriously explore walking and writing, including different ways of paying attention, and including Ailsa’s particular approach to ‘walking with a question’.

Contact Ailsa ailsajr@btinternet.com

 

Saturday 10th June
(based at Llanrhian Village Hall)

Vocal Discovery and Song with Suzi

“Your voice is the soul, the self personified. We can manipulate it at will: soft whispers, seductive croaks, piercing, loud, demanding, loving, sweet, singing. But…the voice can become like a false smile: stuck and uncomfortable. So slowly, surely, stretch and challenge and explore your voice – it has the potential to encompass every expression.”

Using her vocal training, musicality and improvisation experience, Suzi invites you to begin an intimate enquiry into ‘voice’ – in response to our land and the essence of pilgrimage/camino. Camino translates as “the path” or “the way”, and Suzi has often found that the voice, and singing particularly, has been a path or a way to discover and deepen a relationship with yourself, with others, and your surroundings. This is a fun and inclusive workshop, for ALL voices. You can expect embodied vocal exercises, imaginative explorations of vocal texture and tone, sharing circles, some fun improvisation games, and singing heart-warming harmonies together in the wild! 

Contact Suzi suzinaomi@gmail.com

Cost – payment is on a sliding scale for each day £45-£90
or both workshops £80-£170, and please still contact us if the cost is unaffordable for you.
Categories
Archive News Pilgrimage

Ffair Pererinion / Pilgrim Fayre at Bishop’s Palace St Davids

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Ffair Pererinion / Pilgrim Fayre at The Bishops Palace, St Davids

Monday 29th May – Pilgrim Fayre The Bishop’s Palace, St Davids 

FREE and a warm welcome to all!
 
The Pilgrim Fayre promises to be a special occasion on 29 May in the Bishop’s Palace, St Davids from 11am-6pm with a programme of performance, song, guided walks, a medieval marketplace, traditional skills demos and film screenings. It marks the achievements of the Ancient Connections project in Wales and the launch of Wexford Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way, with a celebration of communities past and present and the historic and future links between North Wexford and North Pembrokeshire.
 
The Pilgrim Fayre day begins with St Davids Cathedral and Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way joining forces to lead a guided walk linking Saint Aidan and Saint David. The group starts with a musical send off by Côr Pawb and the Pererin Wyf / I am a pilgrim project, continuing along a path to the coast path and visiting St Non’s holy well. If you miss the morning walk, there will be chances to join micro pilgrimages around St Davids Cathedral throughout the day. Book your place on a walk
 
Span Arts’ choir Côr Pawb invites you to Y Canu Mawr / The Big Sing, a short programme of pilgrimage-related song performed in St Davids Cathedral. The event is part of the Pererin Wyf / Is Oilithreach Mé / I am a Pilgrim project and will culminate in a massed A Capella singing of the hymn ‘Pererin Wyf’ by William Williams, Pantycelyn. The concert will be live-streamed by the Cathedral. For more information about how to join in please click here
 
Small World Theatre is delighted to return with the giant puppet of Saint David and a new 6m-long sea monster in a procession with musicians and pupils from Ysgol Penrhyn. Join the merriment at 2pm in a Pilgrim Parade from the Cross Square into the grounds of St Davids Cathedral. Saint David will visit the giant bee skeps ‘Do the Little Things’ artwork by Bedwyr Williams, on his way to the festivities at the Fayre. Find out more about the skeps here 
 
A lively medieval marketplace hosts an array of exciting stalls showcasing some of the finest wares the area has to offer. There’ll be stalls selling delicious, award-winning food and drink too, made from locally sourced ingredients. There’ll be mischief makers, meandering minstrels and holy relic sellers and surprise pop-up performances. Details about the medieval marketplace and what’s on offer coming soon.
 
Experience traditional crafts and skills used to build the Bishop’s Palace and St Davids Cathedral. Join Tywi Centre crafts people in their marque as they share their knowledge of historic buildings and demonstrate decorative plasterwork, carving stone, thatching, traditional window making amongst other things. Find out more here tywicentre.org.uk
 
Enjoy the impact of the Ancient Connections project through a programme of films screened in the vaults of the Palace. The films feature artists’ and community commissions from Wales and Ireland. A list of film screenings and film makers coming soon.
 
Finally, gather round for open-air concerts with ancient music from Wales and the Celtic nations performed by renowned folk musicians Julie Murphy, Ceri Rhys Matthews and Jess Ward. A perfect musical accompaniment to a magnificent celebration in the impressive, historic setting of the ruined Palace.
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Archive News

Ferns Public Art Launch – Do the Little Things – everyone welcome!

NEWS

Ferns Public Art Launch - Do the Little Things - everyone welcome!

Saturday 15th April 12-3 pm St Edan’s Cathedral Ferns

Do the Little Things is a new public artwork designed for two locations: Ferns, Wexford and St Davids, Pembrokeshire commissioned by Ancient Connections. Bedwyr Williams’ distinctive proposal was selected from a shortlist and has been realised with the support of Contemporary Art Society Consultancy.

Do the Little Things connects the two communities of Ferns and St Davids through the practice of beekeeping, which was practiced at monasteries during the early Christian period.

Three oversized skeps (traditional beekeeper’s hives) made from cedar wood are being installed in both locations. These living sculptures will contain bee colonies that are being cared for by local beekeepers and community groups, who will be harvesting and selling honey in labelled jars designed by the artist and local school children.

Bedwyr says: “I’m interested in objects that invite communities to become active participants to make the artwork whole. St David’s last words were “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” or “Do the little things.” This ethos has guided the development of my proposal, which is founded on the story of St David and St Aidan and steeped in the magic and history of these two intertwined locations.”

Sited in the grounds of St Edan’s Cathedral Church heritage graveyard, the work opens to the public on Saturday 15th April, from 12 pm. The launch event will bring community groups to the site for a Q&A with the Artist and local beekeeper from ‘Ferns Honey’, Joe Kelly; folklore and storytelling, and a performance of music and song by Melanie O’Reilly, David Creevy and the ‘Chord On Blues’ Ferns Community Choir, led by Mary Moulds.

The event is free and all are welcome.  Please book via Eventbrite (see link at bottom)

The launch of the Ferns’ twin bee skeps at St. Davids Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, took place last November, providing an opportunity to celebrate this extraordinary artwork for visitors to both locations, and an legacy link between Ferns and St. Davids.

Do The Little Things will also mark the beginning and end of the new pilgrim route between St Edan’s Cathedral in Ferns and St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire – another legacy of the Ancient Connections project. Managed by The British Pilgrimage Trust, the Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way will encourage low impact tourism in both regions and will open to the public in 2023. Similarly, sustainability and a respect for the environment are at the heart of the artwork, which is endorsed and supported by the local authorities of Wexford County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council, in partnership with the ERDF Ireland-Wales Programme, local organisations and community groups.

Bedwyr Williams is an internationally regarded artist who lives and works in Wales. Williams’ work often focuses on the stories of ordinary people and the intersections between their lived experiences and ancient mythologies. The artist is concerned with creating spaces for meaningful connections between communities and art and making.

Please book via Eventbrite 

Register through eventbrite - FREE