Creative studio, Bleak Fabulous, in collaboration with This is Wales is set to unveil a stunning new curation that will showcase the stories of communities and creatives across Wales—each contributing to the vibrant tapestry of our nation. Bleak Fabulous previously garnered significant attention with their project It’s Called Ffasiwn, featured in Vogue, where the duo juxtaposed ‘bleak’ landscapes with ‘fabulous’ fashion, offering an original and compelling representation of the contemporary Valleys.
Bleak Fabulous was founded by Clémentine Schneidermann, a French photographer and educator based in both Wales and France, and Charlotte James, a Creative Director, filmmaker, and educator from Merthyr Tydfil.
Since 2015, the duo has worked with over forty young people, aged 8 to 15, across the South Wales Valleys. Their work empowers youth through a variety of artistic workshops, including costume making, photography, set design, and creative writing.
Using last summer’s National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd as a canvas, this work offers an intimate exploration of local creatives, performers, and communities across Wales.
The curation will feature an incredible range of performers and artists, including the Lewis Merthyr Brass Band, the Welsh Music Prize Award 2023 winners Rogue Jones, drag artist Catrin Feelings, the National Eisteddfod Collection, Dare to Sing women’s choir, Cywaith Dawns / Dance Collective CIC, Danswyr Nantgarw, singer Jessy Allen, art-rock group HMS Morris, street theatre group Kitch ‘n Synch, and Princes Cafe & Pontypridd Male Voice Choir.
Clémentine Schneidermann said:
‘I guess it’s been about real Wales and showing it’s not just this idealised vision of a beautiful country. It’s about these communities. We’re not trying to paint Wales as anything but what it is.’
Charlotte James said: ‘We’ve always wanted to challenge the perception of what Wales can be. We want to show people you don’t have to be in a big city to create. You can create here, where you are, in Wales.’
Drag artist Catrin Feelings said:
“This curation is an amazing celebration of culture, creativity, and community in Wales, and it’s brilliant to see it through the lens of Bleak Fabulous, who excel at showcasing the diverse stories of communities and creatives across Cymru.”
The Bleak Fabulous curation will be released on @walesdotcom and @bleakfabulous on Instagram between now and St. David’s Day 2025.
