News Archive

Rhagfyr 7fed, Celfyddydau Span, Waun y Dref, Arberth 10.00 am-4pm Bydd Map Digi Penfro , prosiect ‘mapio dwfn’ Sir Benfro yn dychwelyd am ddiwrnod arall o fapio cymunedol ar Ragfyr 7fed  yn Arberth. Dyma gyfle i rannu straeon a gwybodaeth am Arberth gyda’r bwriad o gofnodi gwybodaeth ar fap arlein er mwyn creu ‘map dwfn’ o’r dref a’r cyffiniau. https://deep-map.azurewebsites.net/ Mae’r term ’map dwfn’ yn cyfeirio at arfer sydd â pherthnasedd arbennig i Sir Benfro. Yn ystod gwanwyn 2002 cerddodd yr artist a chyfarwyddwr theatr Cliff McLucas (1945-2002) Llwybr Arfordir  Sir Benfro ar ei hyd gyda’r bwriad o greu Map Dwfn, yn cyfuno tirluniau gyda chyfryngau eraill yn cynnwys testun, dyddiadur, recordiadau sain a delweddau symudol ar fap aml-haen. Anogir pawb sy’n mynychu’r diwrnod yn Arberth i ddod ag eitemau megis dogfennau, ffotograffau a gwrthrychau sydd, efallai, yn cynnwys gwybodaeth am Arberth ar hyd yr oesoedd, yn ogystal â nhw eu hunain a straeon sydd ganddynt i’w hadrodd. Mewn paratoad ar gyfer y diwrnod mae Span Digidol wedi sicrhau cymorth aelodau eu Clwb Digi sydd wedi’u hyfforddi mewn technegau recordio digidol, ffotograffiaeth a sut i lwytho deunyddiau i fyny i’r map. Yn ôl maniffesto mapio McLucas “Bydd mapiau dwfn yn

The Haverfordwest lantern parade tonight!   The parade will go ahead in light rain.   However, due to poor weather we are moving the pedal powered cinema from the Castle to Haverhub so you will have a pleasant indoor cycling and viewing experience. Collect your lantern and take part from 6pm at Haverhub.   The parade will then start at 7pm from Castle Square led by Samba Doc and proceed up the castle, which will be lit.   After the parade,  we are inviting you to make your way back into the dry at Haverhub where the pedal powered cinema will still be going – as long as you are there to pedal it – so come and pedal whatever the weather and enjoy some short films inspired by the moon.   At 7pm, if there is torrential rain, we will have to cancel the parade. BUT there is still lots to do at Haverhub. And you still need to pick up your lanterns…   Remember to wear water proofs! Here is the route. This year’s parade is a bit shorter and on harder ground:  

The Haverfordwest Lantern Parade is back!  The Over the Moon Lantern and Light Parade celebrates space and the night sky, marking 50 years since the first moon landing. Several small steps through Haverfordwest, one giant parade for Pembrokeshire. 7pm. 31 October 2019 Span Arts are over the moon to announce the return of the spectacular and much-loved Haverfordwest Lantern Parade. This fantastic event brings together thousands of people from all communities across the county to celebrate life with a procession filled with light. The 2019 Lantern Parade has a new route, new lanterns, a new destination and its new theme helps to mark the 50th Anniversary of the first moon landing. The Over the Moon Lantern and Light Parade will start at Castle Square at 7pm and weave its way through the streets of the county town to Haverfordwest Castle.  The night sky will then come alive with lights from the castle reaching out into space. The event will also feature a bicycle-powered cinema, featuring short films to celebrate the moon, that stars and the Autumnal dark sky. This event is free and open to all. People wanting to taking part in the Parade are also invited to come and

Throughout this spring and summer Span Arts delivered the second community arts project embedded in the Ein Cymdogaeth Werin project.  The Preseli Poetry Slam | Slam Barddoniaeth y Preseli was a community poetry writing and performance project set in the heart of the Preseli region lead by artist Nia Lewis.  We commissioned exceptional Welsh language poet Karen Owen as the Preseli Poet who was in residence in the county for three periods in May, June and July. During her residency Karen set about inspiring the people of Pembrokeshire to pick up their pens and write about their lives in the area; their thoughts and feelings about the landscape and the people.  The resulting poems are personal, sensitive and thought-provoking reflections on Preseli life from a variety of perspectives. The project was genuinely bilingual and gave a creative platform for people to engage with the language no matter what their level of competence, it was passion and enthusiasm which came to the fore.  As Karen remarked, ‘these are all Welsh poems, no matter what language they have been written in’. ‘ Prosiect anhygoel o dda!  Really enjoyed the workshop and surprised myself by writing in Welsh for the first time in years. 

In the lead up to the gig-theatre production by Rachel Taylor-Beales we invite her to give a little insight into the back-story behind Stone’s Throw, Lament Of the Selkie. Having been a full time singer songwriter and touring artist over the last 20 years, this is my first venture into the world of theatre and I am thrilled to have received support of Arts Council Wales in order to make the piece. The idea of a collaborative storytelling piece focusing on a retelling of selkie mythology first occurred way back in 2011, when composer Gillian Stevens introduced me to the folklore tales of these shape-shifting seal folk. But this initial project was to be short lived as a few months later I was immobile and house bound, having sustained injuries to my hip and back after falling from stage while on tour in rural Italy. The fall was traumatic in itself, but what compounded it all was the fact that I was also 24 weeks pregnant when this happened. My tour colleague Dylan Fowler, told me that he’ll never forget the sound my body made as it smacked the ground- stone-marble flooring…I felt pins and needles up and down my

The ever-popular Festival Players Theatre Company, whose Patron is now Dame Judi Dench, return to the captivating outdoor setting of Lampeter House. The all-male company will perform this delicious comedy, popular for over 400 years, about misunderstandings, love and deception. “The course of true love never did run smooth”, but the sparring antics of Shakespeare’s erstwhile lovers, Beatrice and Benedick, provide great hilarity for the other members of the household who plot to reunite them. Against this background, another romance is almost derailed by the machinations of a jealous Duke until the local constabulary bumble upon his plans. Don’t miss this Summer treat; fun for all the family! Tremendous entertainment for a Summer evening! “I was thrilled by the crystal-clear and captivating performance by the Festival Players Company,  and am delighted to commend this talented troupe.”   –    Patron,Dame Judi Dench Arrive early to enjoy the stunning gardens with a drink from 6pm. There will be refreshing G&T’s with a selection of mixers on arrival. Veggie Nachos or tasty soup will be on offer, alongside tea/coffee/cake to purchase and enjoy. Taking place in the beautifully relaxed grounds of Lampeter House, the estate has hosted events for almost 15 years.    Friday 23rd August 

What are your views on better access to quality arts and culture for everyone in Pembrokeshire? Can arts organisations and groups in the county work more closely together? And how can we raise the profile of arts and celebrate Pembrokeshire’s diverse bilingual cultural offer? These are just some of the questions that the Inspiring Pembrokeshire Cultural Project is aiming to answer over the next few months. The project aims to deliver better access to quality arts and culture for everyone in the county. In order to improve this we need you to tell us your views! The project aims to encourage all arts organisations and groups operating in Pembrokeshire to work more closely together including theatres, community arts, museums and galleries, artists and craftspeople to join up and create a strong vibrant arts scene across the county. Working with partners including: health professionals, schools, colleges, parish councils and community groups the arts sector needs to meet the needs of all the people of Pembrokeshire for the future to improve quality of life for all. We want to ensure no matter what your circumstances, language preferences, age or financial situation that nothing is a barrier to enjoying access to fun, engaging,

This summer Span Arts and PLANED have been hosting a unique bilingual writing project.   The Preseli Poetry Slam Project is now in the closing phase and we’d like to invite you to take part.  Welsh poet Karen Owen has been commissioned as our Poet in Residence, spending time in the county over May, June and finally in July.  During this time she has been inspiring the people of Pembrokeshire to pick up their pens to write about life in the region.  She has worked in schools, pubs, village halls and even in people’s homes, the feedback from all has been so positive and the poems so varied.  We’ve had serious poems, funny poems, poems about village life as well as many words about the striking landscape.  Poems have been created through the medium of Welsh, English and bilingually by fluent speakers, learners and absolute novices.  There’s still a couple of chances to get involved!  We are holding a final public workshop in Brynberian Vestry from 1-3pm on Tuesday 16th July, come along and have a chat to Karen, get warmed up and let the words flow.  And finally, the project culminates in The Preseli Poetry Slam, a celebration of the project which will be held at Newport Memorial Hall on Friday 19th July from 7-9pm.  This will

Clwb Digi is one of our pilot digital projects for Span Digidol. We launched the programme in February this year and have so far run monthly sessions on digital film and animation, app making, robotics, making contact microphones and sound manipulation. We’ve had great feedback from our participants and will be continuing to deliver this service at least until Easter 2020. Here’s what kids and their parents said: “It was awesome!” “I loved it and please do more!” “Thank you – lovely to see the kids engaged and inspired” One thing we’ve learnt is that teenagers have different digital needs from slightly younger children, so from September, we are planning a two-tiered Clwb Digi, our regular session will continue monthly for ages 8-13. We will also be running Clwb Digi Uwch, sessions for ages 12-16 exploring more advanced digital skills. If your child falls into both age groups they are welcome to attend both sessions. Clwb Digi Uwch will be led by our digital volunteer Alan Cameron-Wills, former Microsoft programmer, and John Ewart, Planed’s DATRIS co-ordinator and former CIT teacher. Sessions will revolve around creative IT problem solving and will allow each participant to develop at a pace that’s appropriate for them. Further details and dates will be