The Juan Martín Flamenco Dance Ensemble will be this week’s highlight at the popular Cabaret Pontio series. Regarded as one of the best flamenco guitarists in the world, Juan Martín will be performing at Bangor University’s Powis Hall, on Friday 24 February at 7.30pm.

Juan Martin will perform his own compositions, supported by a line-up of the finest musicians and flamenco dance. His unique style embraces classical, jazz and modern harmonies while upholding the great flamenco tradition and creating an explosion of energy and passion.

Voted one of the top three guitarists in the world by US magazine Guitar Player, Juan Martín is a native of Andalucía. He has formed an international company Flamencovision for the promotion of high quality flamenco and has recorded 14 albums – and most of these as a composer.

Dyfan Roberts, Pontio’s arts development officer said:

“The Cabaret Pontio series is now well-established in Bangor and is known for putting on a variety of quality world, roots and folk music.

“To welcome a world-leading guitarist in his genre to the stage in Bangor is very exciting. Prepare to be serenaded, dazzled and entertained.”

If you’d like to hear more about the Cabaret Pontio series, visit www.pontio.co.uk

Cytser – The Constellation Project and Tŷ Siamas are celebrating St Davids day with a special screening of Patagonia, tapas and a live band. A hit in cinemas across Wales, this may be your last chance to see Patagonia on the big screen! Directed by the welsh-born Marc Evans, the film features the well known Welsh actor Mathew Rhys as the lead, and Gwynedd’s very own Duffy makes her acting debut.

In the late 19th century, when thousands emigrated from Wales to inhospitable Argentina; the film narrates the journeys of two women – one looking for her past, the other for her future. The film intercuts between their stories, in which one of them travels south to north through the Welsh springtime and the other east to west through the Argentine autumn.

Continuing with the South American feel, local restaurateur Dylan Rowlands will be providing South American wines and tapas, and local folk band Cloud Cuckoo will be present to play their Chilean inspired songs. The night promises an alternative to the traditional St Davids Day celebration. Tickets are priced at £5 for the film, and an additional £5 for the tapas and wine.

Patagonia will be screened at Tŷ Siamas, Dolgellau on Monday 1st March at 7pm.

Patagonia: UK 2010/cert15/118mins

Pontio celebrates its third annual storytelling festival this month with a magical afternoon of tales told by two of the UK’s leading contemporary storytellers. From 2pm on Saturday 25 February 2012, the magical and rustic setting of Hendre Hall, a beautiful converted barn, will be home to the Hendre Fable Fest.

First on stage is a familiar face to the local community – award-winning Cath Aran from Bethesda. As well as performing at storytelling festivals around the world including at Galway, Dublin, Calgary and Much Wenlock, Cath appeared at the International Children’s Festival Agor Drysau in Aberystwyth, and at Pontio’s first Hendre Fable Fest in 2010.

Cath invites youngsters to sit with her on the magic carpet as it flies from place to place in her imaginary world, visiting castles and giants, witches and fairies. Told in her unique way, using different faces and voices to enrich the story, children will be taken on a journey with her thrilling tales from the world of magic.

The second part of the afternoon is for adults and children over 12 years. At 3.15pm the stage will be given over to international storyteller Michael Harvey. Hunting the Giant’s Daughter is lively show, layered with Welsh jazz influenced songs and music, and is based on Culhwch ac Olwen, the oldest surviving Arthurian legend in Welsh in The Mabinogion.

The story is a rip-roaring, magical quest across Wales, through old deep forests, blustery mountains and star-lit landscapes. A young man falls head over heels in love – but all he knows is her name. Lucky his cousin is King Arthur with a host of skilled warriors at his fingertips, experts in questing and adventure. As the young man faces a seemingly impossible list of tasks, Arthur himself steps in, risking his kingdom and maybe even his own life in the process! Michael weaves Welsh poetry into this thrilling, imaginative telling of the story, around a delicious mix of traditional Welsh and contemporary jazz influenced music, created by Stacey Blythe (accordion, harp) and singer Lynne Denman.

Michael Harvey, is also an award winning contemporary storyteller and has worked at major international festivals in Britain, Europe and North America, telling traditional stories from the Celtic countries and beyond with humour, skill and a great sense of enjoyment.

Dyfan Roberts, Pontio’s Arts Development Officer said, “Since childhood we have all loved a good story and what better way to celebrate the art of storytelling.

Come and be whisked away by these talented and well renowned storytellers and experience something amazing.

“Nobody’s too old to enjoy a good story and at only £2 per show, how can anyone resist?”

In January 2012, Voluntary Arts launched an exciting new package of e-learning resources aimed at equipping people involved with running their voluntary arts groups to do so effectively. Voluntary Arts is the development agency for amateur and voluntary arts and crafts in the UK and Ireland. The launch of the e-learning material, called Running Your Group, coincides with a relaunched, modern website and fresh new branding for the organisation www.voluntaryarts.org

The new website and e-learning resources will be made available to voluntary arts and other groups across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Voluntary Arts Wales (VAW) has received funding from the Arts Council of Wales to help develop Running Your Group in Wales. In order to make the service useful to groups in Wales, VAW will use the funding to promote the new service, and make the e-learning resources bilingual.

We want to find out from people involved with voluntary arts in Wales what they think of the new online information services offered by Voluntary Arts, in particular its applicability to Wales. To do this, we are setting up a focus group and would like to invite you to a meeting on Tuesday 13 March 2012 in the Media Resource Centre, Llandrindod, Powys, between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you are interested in participating, please let us know by emailing gwenan@vaw.org.uk by Wednesday 22 February 2012.

Pontio. A new arts centre in Bangor – and a chance to have your say.

By telling Pontio about what you want you will help Pontio develop their artistic programming. Just give a few minutes of your time and complete this survey.

£50 prize draw!

And as a little thank you from us we will enter you into a prize draw to win £50 High Street or Adra Home vouchers!

Go on, you know you want to! Pontio, it’s yours, be a part of it…

Click here to take part in the survey..

Thank you.

Application forms for that part of the Helfa Gelf / Art Trail is now available. An online form is available this year, and if you would like any assistance in order to complete the online form the will be sessions available to assist you.
If you want to be part of Helfa Gelf but you haven’t got a suitable location? Well this year there will be a bursary available to assist you to hire studio space for over a period of the Helfa Gelf / Art Trail.
If you would like more information click here for more information