Swansea Arts Weekend brings internationally renowned artists, performers, dancers and creatives to the city’s 3-day event
From 04 – 06 October 2024, the inaugural Swansea Arts Weekend will transform the city: combining immersive exhibitions and performances, live music, comedy, dance, and interactive art workshops.
With three headline events, the Arts Weekend will offer free arts workshops, performances and exhibitions alongside ticketed live music events for visitors to enjoy.
Two new, free events have been curated for the festival: We Are All Artists, taking place across five galleries in Swansea, and Olympic Fusion, an immersive dance performance at Swansea’s Museum Park.
The ever-popular Swansea Fringe festival of music, comedy, and theatre also joins the Arts Weekend, creating an exciting platform where emerging and grassroots talent can perform alongside established artists at Swansea’s entertainment spaces and music venues. Swansea Fringe will be ticketed, with all-access wristbands available for £20.00.
The three events will run from 04 – 06 October across Swansea’s city centre, with the full programme of events available online.
Councillor Elliott King, Cabinet Member – Culture, Human Rights & Equalities – at Swansea Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome local and international artists to Swansea for the three-day event, which we hope will encourage more people to discover our incredible arts and culture scene in the city.
“Whether trying out an art workshop for the first time or visiting a long-time favourite art gallery, watching a new band or enjoying an immersive performance, the Arts Weekend offers new opportunities for cultural engagement and enjoyment.
“We look forward to welcoming artists, performers, visitors, and Swansea residents to this inaugural event. Having seen the success of Swansea Fringe over the past years, we know the appetite is strong for arts activities and cultural events in Swansea. The Arts Weekend will offer more opportunities for meaningful, exciting artist engagement, while celebrating Swansea’s thriving cultural and artistic scene.”
The three events of the Arts Weekend will feature:
We Are All Artists:
New commissions and contemporary exhibitions will run throughout the weekend, with free events at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Galerie Simpson, Mission Gallery, Elysium Gallery, and Volcano Theatre.
From the interactive ‘Fiesta Am Byth’ Latin-American inspired exhibits at Volcano Theatre to Skin Phillips’ latest skate photography showcase and Jason and Becky’s immersive Eavesdropper installation at Glynn Vivian, there is something for everyone across the city’s art venues.
Pottery workshops and live ceramics sessions will take place with renowned ceramicist Lowri Davies at Mission Gallery. Photography exhibits of international artists and Townhill residents will be on display at Elysium Gallery, and the notorious ‘Night of the Triangles’ in 1983 – when Swansea residents saw UFOs over Kilvey Hill – will be remembered in immersive performances at Galerie Simpson.
Across the weekend, workshops will offer budding artists the chance to try their hand at creative techniques. Photographers can attend a kick-flop hologram workshop inspired by Skin Phillips’ photography at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, and can also learn darkroom photography techniques at Elysium Gallery. Adult-only ceramics classes will be available at Mission Gallery, and the Ffiesta Bar Opening at Volcano Theatre promises an immersive, entertaining evening.
Family-friendly workshops are also available throughout the festival, including ‘make-along’ pottery sessions at Mission Gallery, Paint Club at Elysium Gallery, crafted mini skatepark at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Latin-American arts and crafts and even a Pinata at Volcano Theatre.
For the full list of events at each participating gallery, visit the website.
Olympic Fusion:
An immersive performance by the internationally acclaimed choreographers The Matsena Brothers, Olympic Fusion combines breakdance, skateboarding, surfing, and climbing.
Using ‘in the round’ inspired staging, the show will welcome contemporary dancers and performers to delight and entertain audiences at Museum Park on 5th October. Find out more by visiting: www.visitswanseabay.com/events/olympic-fusion/
Swansea Fringe:
Swansea Fringe has been running on and off since the 1990s, and is back for 2024 as part of Swansea Arts Weekend. Bringing together the best in emerging music, comedy, spoken word, poetry, and creative performance art, the festival is a celebration of South Wales’ creativity. Tickets for the full weekend of Fringe shows start at £20.00, providing access to all performances throughout the event. There will also be options to pay for single venue entry.
The full list of performers is yet to be announced, but names already revealed include Panic Shak, Loveletter, Rhiannon O’Connor, Minas, Angharad and Sister Envy.
Performances will take place across Swansea’s beloved music venues, including The Bunkhouse Swansea, HQ Urban Kitchen, Hangar 18 Music Venue and Hippos, among others.
Find out more about Swansea Arts Weekend and get tickets by visiting: www.visitswanseabay.com/events/the-swansea-fringe-festival/.
Olympic Fusion and We Are All Artists are funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by the Cultural Tourism Anchor at Swansea Council.
