Author: Alice Gregory

A local artist with a flair for fashion and an aptitude for acrobats is combining his two passions for a unique exhibition featuring live performances and immersive installations. Ollïï Park, who trained with No Fit State Circus in Cardiff and Bristol’s Circomedia, has developed the ‘Wánjù Concept’ exhibition which will showcase three carefully engineered sustainable skirts alongside interactive displays and culminate in an impressive performance. After receiving funding from the Arts Council of Wales to pilot a prototype design, Ollïï engineered the distinctive gravity-defying skirts based on toy mechanics and using solely recycled, repurposed and environmentally conscious materials. With acrobats…

Brought to the people of Cardiff by David Massey and his team, there are two immersive experiences at Wales Millennium Centre as part of the Llais Festival: In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats and FLIGHT that you can now book. We had the pleasure of experiencing FLIGHT this week. It’s truly an exhilarating, immersive, 360-degree sound experience created in conjunction with experts in tech, DARKFIELD. This takes place in absolute darkness, inside a 40ft shipping container just outside the WMC. So if you are wondering what an earth is going on outside the centre right now then this is what it’s all…

It’s that time of year again when we all start to wonder when are the clocks changing? Do they go forward…or back? There’s a quick mnemonic to help you remember, ‘Spring forward, fall back’ or as I say ‘March forward, fall back’ either way is helpful. The idea proposed in Britain by builder William Willett, was due to the ‘waste’ of useful daylight during the summer specifically in the morning. British Summer Time (BST) was then adopted in 1916 as a way to save candles and electricity as technology improved and became more widely available as well as money. British…

The Rogers and Hammerstein classic South Pacific directed by Daniel Evans has sailed its way onto the stage of the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), Cardiff. Oscar Hammerstein was an anti-racism writer and campaigner from about 1927’s Show Boat, South Pacific expands this agenda. The 1949 musical based in the midst of World War II follows a company of American soldiers battling with the Japanese for control of islands in the Pacific. The twin love stories at the heart of this musical are simplistic, it’s hard to not get swept up in the romance that shifts from comedy to a more…

King Charles III and the Queen Consort are to pay their first official visit to Cardiff since the death of HM The Queen, on Friday, September 16. The visit will be the third of the couple’s official engagements following their attendance at ceremonies in Belfast and Edinburgh. The Accession visit to Cardiff will comprise a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of The Queen at Llandaff Cathedral, attended by senior faith leaders from communities across Cardiff. The Royal couple are due to arrive at Llandaff Cathedral before further visits around Wales’ capital city. Their Majesties will be greeted…

Following on from the sad news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, begins 10 days of national mourning, where we will see the new King visit Wales next week. The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford has expressed his sadness on the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and offered condolences to the Royal family on behalf of the Government and people of Wales. He said: “It is with great sadness that people in Wales mourn the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Throughout her long and exceptional life, as our longest…

Today in Cardiff Castle at 13:00 BST, a gun salute of 96 rounds will be carried out by 104 Royal Artillery Regiment to mark each year of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s life. Across Wales between 12:00 and 13:00 churches are being encouraged to ring muffled bells. Cardiff City Hall will have a book of condolence opened to the public from 14:00 and floral tributes to Her Majesty can also be left. The Senedd is set to be recalled. Presiding Officer Elin Jones said: “That will be my first duty as Llywydd and we’ll be looking at recalling the Senedd…

A survey carried out by Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale has found that 28% of participants without a Will think they don’t need one, with others blaming a lack of time and being too young for not getting their affairs in order. Half of those without a Will simply haven’t thought about it. The figures came out of a recent Age Connects survey ahead of Remember a Charity Week (5-11 Sept) which encourages individuals to consider leaving a gift to charity in their Will after taking care of loved ones. Anyone who dies without a Will is subject to…

Darwin Escapes is preparing to further its influence on family and couple’s staycations in north Wales, as the Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat – the fifth resort of its kind in the area – moves towards its opening in the spring of 2023. Located just outside the village of Caerwys, the Plas Isaf project first broke ground in May 2022, and in early 2023 is set to unveil more than 60 high-end lodges. There will be a selection of holiday homes for sale and a range of lodges available to book, some even boasting private hot tubs. As with all other…

The Red Dragon Centre has appointed a new General Manager to take over the strategic management of the entertainment centre, as well as the day-to-day running of the organisation. Claire Parker joins The Red Dragon Centre after working for Savills for nearly three years as Estates Manager at Parmer Cardiff Waterside in Cardiff Bay, as she looks to further her expertise in the local area. She will continue her role with Savills whilst taking on the new role at the Centre, splitting her time between the two sites. Officially opened in 1997, The Red Dragon Centre is celebrating its 25th…