Casgliad 2018 will be held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, between the 28th and 29th of April. The weekend of dynamic and interactive workshops will return for the third time to welcome youth arts practitioners, students and organisations from across Wales to talk ideas and cut their teeth on new skills. Run by Youth Arts Network Cymru (YANC), tickets for the event are available as day or weekend passes, inviting YANC members and non-YANC members to pick their areas of interest from a rich selection of masterclasses, discussions and networking opportunities.
The two-day agenda includes sessions from Wales-based youth arts companies such as Operasonic and site-specific theatre Common Wealth, as well as masterclasses from Manchester and Liverpool-based facilitators Young Identity (spoken word) and 20 Stories High (innovative performance work with young people from excluded communities). Sessions will run from 10-19:30, with an optional evening social.
Casgliad 2018 brings together an unprecedented wealth of talent, backgrounds and skills – in a practical way. The hands-on sessions will hone in on issues such as inclusion, engagement, mental health and diversity in the youth arts scene in Wales, and invite the participants to put theory into action.
Miranda Ballin, YANC secretary and Artistic Director of ArtWorks, Valleys Kids, said: “People don’t just want a talking shop. They want to be in a situation where they are doing things physically. That’s what our youth arts workers have told us they love to do – to think about things by doing.
“With this year’s Casgliad, we have a lovely alchemy of practical sessions and skill sharing, as well as opportunities to talk and network, and that format is in direct response to what we know people in this sphere love to do. They love the idea that they’ll come away with practical things that they can apply to their work.”
Diversity is a topic set to come alive at this year’s event. Sarah Jones, Chair of YANC board and Artistic Director of Mess up the Mess, explains that this will mean different things to the range of people attending.
“As a practitioner, it’s about ensuring that the work you provide and make reaches the diversity of the community that you serve.
“For example, in Ammanford, where Mess up the Mess is based, it means involving young people who are trans, young people who see themselves as non-binary, young people with disabilities, young people who are BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic), young people who speak English, and young people who speak Welsh.
“It means different things, depending on where you’re working – but the focus at Casgliad will be to show inclusion in practice; expecting all our facilitators to work inclusively. So that’s providing palantypist, providing BSL (British Sign Language), providing audio description. Even if it’s not always needed, it’s so that everyone in the event sees that it’s something that you should do, and something that you can do.”
Tickets for Casgliad 2018 from £5 to £60, available to book at yanc.co.uk. YANC members receive exclusive discounts on events throughout the year. Casgliad welcomes interest and attendees from organisations looking to get involved with nurturing youth arts in Wales.
Casgliad is for everyone. Casgliad will be bilingual, wheelchair-accessible, and welcoming of any form of chair or mobility aid, as well as captioned for those who are Deaf and Hard of hearing. Contact YANC to book requirements prior to the event.
main image: Us Proclaimed: Clywch Ni, Mess up the Mess