Author name: Samara Van Rijswijk

Poetry as Protest art exhibition at SPAN Arts Narberth, Pembrokeshire — Resistance is Fertile, an exhibition of protest poetry presented as visual art by Narberth Poets, will open at SPAN Arts in Narberth on 6 May, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. The exhibition, which brings together poetry and accompanying artwork, will run until 4 June. Entry is free.   Visitors are also warmly invited to attend a special Welcome Wednesday event on 27 May at 10:30am, featuring live readings by the poets.   The exhibition showcases new and developed work by six poets — Bean Sawyer, Jane Campbell, Jackie Biggs, Jean Riley, Christian Donovan, and Emma Baines. Since its earlier showings at Narberth Museum last summer and at Oriel y Parc in St Davids earlier this year, the artists have expanded the collection with new pieces.   Resistance is Fertile was created as a response to political, social, and environmental injustices in the world today. Through their work, the poets aim to inspire reflection and encourage audiences to question and challenge the status quo. The exhibition highlights how collaboration and creativity can act as powerful tools for change, while sustaining a sense of hope.   Previous audiences have responded strongly to […]

Raising Her Voice: A Collective Portrait of Motherhood Pembrokeshire-based portrait & figurative artist Ella Starling presents Raising Her Voice: A Collective Portrait of Motherhood, a new body of work exploring the transition into motherhood in collaboration with mothers from across Pembrokeshire. Working predominantly in oils and charcoal, Starling creates intimate, emotionally charged portraits that make space for experiences often left unspoken. Based on in-depth interviews with three local mothers, alongside Mothers’ Circles and her own lived experience, the project offers an honest portrayal of matrescence – the profound psychological and emotional shift that accompanies becoming a mother. “I want to create honest, personal representations of motherhood that challenge the often oversimplified and limiting narratives we see in visual culture.” Through extended conversation and collective reflection, the work reveals how many women move through birth and early motherhood without space to process what they have experienced. The focus quickly shifts to the child, yet the internal transformation and even traumas of the mother are rarely acknowledged. One portrait draws on a powerful image described during the process, of a dark cave with the mother looking down at their broken body. The piece holds both strength and vulnerability in tension, acknowledging birth

The Big Plant Sale Returns to Narberth for 2026 Green thumbs and crafty hands unite as West Wales’ much-loved Big Plant Sale returns for 2026, bringing together the very best in local plants, crafts and community spirit. Taking place at Narberth CP School, this year’s event offers an expanded space filled with a vibrant mix of local plant growers, nurseries and eco-conscious makers. Known as one of the first plant sales of the season in the area, the event is a go-to destination for gardeners of all levels. Visitors can expect a wide selection of plants, from windowsill succulents and young seedlings to more unusual and specialist varieties, perfect for refreshing homes and gardens for spring. Alongside the plants, a curated craft fair will showcase a range of locally made, environmentally conscious products, including handmade soaps, textiles and wooden crafts. More than just a market, The Big Plant Sale is a family-friendly day out. Alongside the stalls, there will be locally produced food, live music and entertainment, creating a welcoming and lively atmosphere for all ages. Local growers, plant nurseries, craftspeople and makers are invited to be part of the event. SPAN Arts is currently welcoming enquiries from stallholders, particularly

Emergence: Creative Workshops Celebrating Queer Voices and Community Connection A new series of creative workshops titled Emergence is bringing people together in Pembrokeshire through art, expression and shared experience. Created by a group of LGBTQ+ individuals, Emergence offers a space to come out to the wider community and to unite queer and non-queer people through creativity. The programme invites LGBTQ+ participants and allies (aged 16+) to take part in hands-on sessions designed to build connection, confidence and solidarity. One workshop, led by multidisciplinary artist and stained-glass tutor Bean Sawyer, invites participants to create their own stained-glass lantern. In this relaxed session, attendees will learn how to cut glass and construct a three-dimensional lantern using the copper-foil and soldering technique. Participants can choose from provided patterns or develop their own design, selecting colours that reflect their personal style. No previous experience is needed, and all materials are supplied. Another workshop, led by queer artist, academic and art psychotherapist Emily Laurens, explores the symbolism of pennants — flags traditionally used by ships and the military to communicate identity and meaning. Participants will “queer” the pennant, creating fabric flags that represent their lives and identities, carrying messages of solidarity and unity. The session

Joyful Half-Term Celebration of Welsh Culture Comes to Narberth Families across Pembrokeshire are invited to celebrate Welsh culture, creativity and community at a joyful, family-friendly event taking place on Wednesday 18 February. Designed as a relaxed and welcoming half-term day out, the event offers a rich programme of hands-on workshops, storytelling, music and food,  with opportunities to drop in for a single activity or enjoy the full day of celebrations. At the heart of the day is the Dewi Sant Promenade Parade, a lively procession through Narberth featuring traditional music from Reel Rebels, alongside much-loved symbols of Welsh folklore including a dragon and the Mari Lwyd. The parade celebrates Wales’s deep cultural heritage while inviting audiences of all ages to take part in a shared moment of joy and spectacle. The wider programme showcases the breadth of Welsh creativity. Adults can take part in a calming weaving workshop with artist Daisy Buckle at SPAN Arts, while children are invited to a storytelling and craft session led by Hedydd Hughes and Luci Saunders at Narberth Scout Hut. The day concludes with a warm and sociable Family Twmpath, complete with live music, cawl and Welsh cakes, offering a true taste of Welsh

Creadigaethau Cwiar – Lansiad y Tymor Newydd Rydym yn falch iawn o gychwyn tymor newydd sbon o Greadigaethau Cwiar gyda’n digwyddiad cyntaf eleni: Ymddangosiad: Ma’s yn y Gymuned, Ddydd Mercher Chwefror 11eg Mae’r digwyddiad yn ymwneud â gweladwyedd, mynegiant, a mynd â chreadigrwydd cwiar y tu hwnt i ddrysau caeedig ac i le cyhoeddus a rennir. Gyda’n gilydd, byddwn yn cynllunio ac yn creu posteri beiddgar, deniadol a gaiff eu dosbarthu ledled y sir yn ddiweddarach ym mis Chwefror.. Bydd y posteri yn cael eu creu mewn estheteg arddull radicalaidd, gan ddefnyddio ffontiau wedi’u torri, collage, a thechnegau argraffu, meddyliwch am eu gwneud â llaw, mynegiannol, di-ymddiheuriad ac ychydig yn wrthryfelgar. Y GWEITHDAI Byddwn yn cynnal dau weithdy creadigol ar y dydd. Mae croeso i chi ymuno a’r naill neu’r llall neu’r ddau. GWEITHDY #1: GEIRIAU A DYLUNIAD 🕑 2pm – 4pm Dan arweiniad y bardd Jane Campbell a’r Ysgrifennwr/Cyfarwyddwr Anna Sherratt Mae’r sesiwn yn canolbwyntio ar iaith, negeseua a dyluniad gweledol – yn archwilio sut gall geiriau lenwi gofod, tarfu ar ddisgwyliadau a chyfleu hunaniaeth a  chymuned.   Gweithdy #2: Collage a chreu 🕔 5pm – 7pm Dan arweiniad yr artistiaid aml-gyfrwng Bean Sawyer a Daisy Buckle Sesiwn ymarferol

Unfurl: Writing in the Fungal Realms This winter, SPAN Arts invites you to Unfurl — a free 2.5-hour creative writing workshop that slips beneath the soil and into the quiet brilliance of fungi, queer ecology, and the lived experiences of BPOC trans femmes. Guided by the queer forces of nature that are fungi and BPOC trans femme writers, the workshop offers a soft, grounded space to explore identity, transformation, and the stories waiting beneath your surface. A Season Made for Slow Magic Winter is a time of retreat, introspection, and the gentle kind of creativity that emerges when the world slows down. Underground, networks of mycelium weave and expand in the dark — adaptive, resilient, and endlessly interconnected. Unfurl draws inspiration from this hidden world. Through fungi, we explore how identities shift, how ideas take root, and how we grow through the unseen work happening beneath it all. Led by cee-cee manrique Your guide for this journey is cee-cee manrique (@ceecee_manrique), a trans femme mushroom farmer (@hyphaemushrooms) and emerging writer whose practice lives at the intersection of ecology, tenderness, and queer creativity. These sessions are intentionally gentle. There’s no obligation to share your writing aloud, but a warm, supportive environment

SPAN Arts: 2025 End-of-Year Highlights As we reach the end of another vibrant year at SPAN Arts, we’re taking a moment to reflect on everything that has unfolded across our creative spaces. It has been a year defined by imagination, collaboration, and the incredible spirit of the Pembrokeshire community. We couldn’t be more grateful for the people who have walked through our doors, joined our projects, and brought their energy, curiosity, and talent to everything we do. A Year of Creative Growth From workshops and exhibitions to performances and community gatherings, 2025 has seen SPAN deliver one of its most diverse and ambitious programmes yet. Together, we have explored new ideas, nurtured emerging voices, and opened our doors to artists and audiences of all ages. Our Welcome Wednesday and Creative Connections sessions have become weekly touchstones, places where creativity and wellbeing meet, offering gentle learning, shared moments, and meaningful connection. Whether sewing seaweed, painting, playing ukulele, or meeting artists, participants have brought enthusiasm that continually fuels our work. Special projects also flourished, from community-led theatre development and Exhibitions like Trysor y Môr, with our Love Stories to Nature Commission, an immersive seaweed-based installation, highlighted the power of local stories told

Celebrate midwinter with a full day of festive making and creativity at SPAN Studio. This special Christmas Workshop Day is designed for adults and our wonderful volunteers, offering hands-on sessions in wreath making and card creation. Whether you join for one session or stay all day, you’ll enjoy a heartwarming blend of creativity, connection, and community spirit. Morning: Christmas Wreath Making 10:30am – 1:00pm Led by Hannah Darby Returning by popular demand, this workshop guides you in creating your own unique Christmas wreath using fresh winter foliage and flowers. With full instructions and all materials provided, it’s perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike. Adults (16+): Pay What You Can – £7 / £10 / £15 / £20 Afternoon: Photo Christmas Card Making with Belinda Bean 2:00pm – 4:30pm Led by Belinda Bean Join artist Belinda Bean for a creative afternoon blending photography and craft. Learn how to capture festive images of winter greenery and decorations, then print and design your own personal Christmas cards. This relaxed, hands-on session is ideal for anyone wanting to combine creativity with the joy of making something meaningful for loved ones. Adults (16+): Pay What You Can – £3 / £5 / £7 /

Join us on 7 January for a relaxed and welcoming evening at SPAN Arts, as we gather local artists, creatives, and freelancers for a chance to connect, share ideas, and spark future collaborations. Whether you’re a maker, performer, designer, writer, or simply someone passionate about the creative arts, this is your opportunity to find out what’s happening behind the scenes at SPAN – and how you can be part of it. Date: 7 January 2026 Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Location: SPAN Arts, Narberth Expect drinks, snacks, and good company as we ease into the new season together. You’ll also get a sneak peek at some of SPAN’s upcoming projects and find out how to get involved in shaping the creative year ahead. Whether you’re looking to grow your network, start something new, or just fancy an inspiring evening with likeminded folks – we’d love to see you there.

SPAN Arts and Menter Iaith Sir Benfro are proud to present the much-loved Advent Concert, returning for 2025 with an evening of festive music, Welsh culture, and community celebration. This year’s concert will feature the internationally acclaimed tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, performing once again in his home county of Pembrokeshire. Originally from Clunderwen, Llŷr Griffiths is a Welsh-speaking artist who studied Theatre, Music and Media at University of Wales Trinity Saint David before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. Celebrated for his role with the Welsh National Opera in Il trittico, Griffiths’ remarkable voice has earned him widespread recognition as one of Wales’ most exciting talents. Accompanist: Meinir Jones Parry. Also joining the line-up is the award-winning Côr Llanddarog, a choir of over fifty members established in 2002 by Meinir Richards. Over the past two decades, they have performed across Wales, taken part in national television broadcasts, and sung alongside household names such as Michael Ball on Whitesands Beach. Renowned for their success at the National Eisteddfod, Côr Llanddarog has won the mixed choir category five times, securing top placements consistently, including third place in 2024 and second in 2025. Conductor: Meinir Richards Accompanist:

SPAN is excited to introduce The Green Room Sessions – a new programme of free professional development support for creatives living and working in West Wales. Led by Bethan Morgan, an experienced performer, writer, theatre-maker, director, and producer, these sessions offer invaluable insights into the behind-the-scenes essentials of making work in the arts. With over 30 years of experience, Bethan will guide participants through practical topics such as contracting artists, event planning, and writing risk assessments. Bethan brings a wealth of expertise from her career across Wales, most recently as Sherman 5 Manager at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre. She is passionate about breaking down barriers that prevent communities from engaging with the arts, making these sessions accessible, supportive, and rooted in lived experience. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to strengthen your practice, The Green Room Sessions are a chance to learn, ask questions, and gain confidence in the practical skills that underpin creative projects.

SPAN’s First Queer Film Screening: Amplifying Queer Voices in Rural Wales This October, SPAN is proud to present its first Queer Film Screening event, a celebration of local creativity, storytelling, and community. Film is a powerful medium for visibility, and for many queer people living in rural Wales, visibility is not always easy to come by. This event is about creating a space where queer voices are not only heard, but centred, celebrated, and amplified. In Pembrokeshire and across West Wales, LGBTQ+ lives often exist quietly, outside of the cultural spotlight. Without the gathering points of larger urban centres, queer communities in rural areas can feel scattered or unseen. Yet their stories are no less rich, complex, or vital. Through film, these narratives find new ways to reach audiences, fostering connection. By sharing queer perspectives on screen, we also create opportunities for dialogue, between queer communities themselves and with the broader community around them. Sunday 12th October 2025 will be a day to highlight these stories and the people behind them. Afternoon Workshop TROVE, 36 West Street, Fishguard 2:30pm – 5:30pm The day begins with a hands-on workshop led by filmmaker Ashley Morgan, exploring how to create films using nothing

Love Stories to Nature: Deryn May’s Journey with the Sea The Love Stories environmental commission is about nurturing conversations with our environment, conversations that are rooted in creativity, care, and community. Through artist-led projects, Love Stories amplifies diverse voices across rural Wales, bringing people together to reflect on climate change and our relationship with the natural world. From films and circus shows to photography, textiles, choral performance and natural paint making, the commission has encouraged artists to respond to the brief of “the Environment” in unexpected and deeply personal ways. For Pembrokeshire-born artist Deryn, the story begins with the sea. Growing up surrounded by the dramatic coastline and open landscapes of West Wales, she has always felt a strong bond with nature, especially the ocean. That love has shaped her creative practice, which centres on exploring our connection to place through playful engagement with found and organic materials. Her work celebrates impermanence, creating objects that exist beautifully for a moment before returning gently to the earth without harm. In September last year, during a group residency on Bardsey Island, Deryn’s practice took a new turn. Each day, she walked the shoreline, gathering small “treasures”: stones, driftwood, shells, rusty metal fragments,

This September in Nevern, we invite you to join us for Cynhaeaf Cwiar, a weekend of creativity, ritual, and community to mark the turning of the year. Together we will honour the harvest, the changing seasons, and the many ways we embody becoming and belonging. On Saturday 20th September, we begin with our Mask Making Workshop. This is a space for becoming, where mask-making becomes a tool to explore identity, expression, and the different selves we hold within us. Queer identity is fluid, layered, and expansive; through this creative process we will craft masks that bring form to aspects of the self – the bold, the hidden, the playful, and the sacred. You might choose to create a mask for your inner protector, a past or future self, or for a version of you that the world has yet to see. While we will touch on myth and folklore, the focus is personal and present, using the mask as mirror, threshold, and vessel for transformation. The morning offers a full mask-making session from 10am to 1pm (limited to 12 participants, ages 12+) and an easy drop-in mask-making option from 11am to 1pm, open to all without limits. In the afternoon,

“Working with fungi has changed my life… they have taught me how beautiful it can be to change and to transform.” – Cee-Cee Manrique For anyone new to creative writing workshops, you might wonder what to expect. Cee-Cee Manrique creates a gentle and relaxed environment where there’s no pressure to share your writing, though encouragement is offered if you wish. Each session follows a loose structure with plenty of space for reflection, discussion, and sharing. Cee-Cee begins by introducing a theme—sometimes something from the natural world, like mycelium—and reads work from artists who have engaged with it. Participants then have quiet time to write, using prompts designed to spark their own exploration. These cycles of reading and writing happen three or four times per session, followed by optional sharing. You can read your writing aloud, discuss your thoughts and feelings, ask questions, or simply listen. Cee-Cee emphasizes creating a safe, open, and enjoyable space for everyone. When asked about their journey as both a mushroom farmer and writer, Cee-Cee reflects on how the two are surprisingly similar. Both practices have taught them to slow down, observe closely, and pay attention to what lies just beneath the surface. Writing came first,

SPAN Arts is proud to present Writing in the Fungal Queendom, a unique and immersive creative writing workshop that invites participants to explore identity, transformation, and interconnectedness through the intertwined lenses of queer ecology and the lived experiences of BPOC (Black and People of Colour) trans femmes. These free 2.5-hour workshops are designed for adults of all backgrounds, whether seasoned writers or complete beginners, and will take place in two accessible locations in Pembrokeshire this September. Led by cee-cee manrique, a trans femme mushroom farmer and emerging writer, the sessions draw inspiration from fungi—those hidden, resilient, and transformative forces in nature, as a metaphor and guide for personal and collective change. Fungi, like gender and identity, are fluid, adaptive, and often unseen. This workshop explores what we can learn from their quiet strength and interconnected networks, offering a fresh and poetic way to think about ourselves and the transitions we navigate in life. Alongside reflections on the natural world, participants will also engage with powerful texts from BPOC trans femmes voices too often overlooked but rich with insight, creativity, and resistance. These short readings will act as a springboard for a series of gentle writing prompts, encouraging participants to delve

Saturday 23rd August 20252:00PM – 4:00PM | The Scout Hut, Narberth | £10 / £8 concessionRecommended age: 8+ | Capacity: 25 participants What happens when the slow grace of butoh dance meets the delicate motion of a paintbrush? When creativity slows to the pace of breath, and the swirl of a body in motion becomes the subject of an afternoon’s artistic meditation? SPAN Arts’ Scout Hut Sessions invite you to experience this unique intersection of disciplines with Painting Movement — an immersive cross-artform workshop led by artist-facilitators Billy Maxwell-Taylor and Phoebe Lester. It’s an invitation to pause, observe, and respond — not with words, but with lines, colour, and intuition. Set against a backdrop of ambient music in a softly lit, welcoming space, participants are encouraged to sketch, paint, or draw what they feel as much as what they see. The live movement, a flowing fusion of spiralling acrobatics and the meditative slowness of butoh—a Japanese form of dance theatre—will unfold before you like a dream in motion. You’ll be guided gently through the process, with the chance to use provided materials or bring your own (yes, even the long-forgotten art supplies gathering dust at home). Whether you’re an experienced

This August, the town of Narberth invites families and creatives alike to step into a day filled with the wonder of Welsh myth, tradition, and summer folklore, as SPAN Arts presents Dydd Gŵyl yr Haf, a vibrant bilingual festival held across the Scout Hut and SPAN Arts buildings. Taking place on Saturday 30th August, Dydd Gŵyl yr Haf offers an enchanting mix of storytelling, hands-on workshops, and cultural celebration, all inspired by the traditions of the Tylwyth Teg, the Welsh fairy folk – and the wisdom of summer herbs and legends passed down through generations. At the Scout Hut, from 2pm to 5pm, families will be welcomed into a joyful, relaxed space brimming with imaginative activities. From craft-making inspired by local folklore to captivating storytelling and a playful treasure hunt, the afternoon is designed to delight children and adults alike. The emphasis is on connection, to each other, to nature, and to the stories that shape our sense of place. This event is open to all ages, with entry available on a Pay What You Can basis starting at just £3 per person. Meanwhile, just a short walk away at the SPAN Arts building, artist Ffion Taverner will be leading