Documenting the Renovations at Theatr Clwyd

Theatr Clwyd has officially marked the phased reopening of its redeveloped home with a vibrant community celebration that perfectly captured the spirit of this iconic venue. A Celebration Led by Community and Stars Hollywood star Rhys Ifans , who began his acting journey in Theatr Clwyd’s youth theatre, returned to join hundreds of guests for the occasion. Alongside Ifans were notable figures including Welsh Government Culture Minister Jack Sargeant , Arts Council of Wales Chief Executive Dafydd Rhys , and representatives from Flintshire County Council , all united in celebrating this milestone. This redevelopment, described as Wales’ most significant cultural project , represents an investment of £50 million, including £26.5 million from Welsh Government. The transformation includes upgraded theatres and cinema spaces, a stunning new terrace and restaurant led by Michelin-starred chef Bryn Williams , a café and shop, and an  indoor and outdoor play areas for children —ensuring ...

 I have recently visited the theatre to see how the renovations are coming along ready for the soft opening in June.  Whilst standing in the shadow of the Anthony Hopkins theatre, I started to think about the negative space that I am exploring with the tiles. But not just the gaps between the tiles or the tiles themselves but also the stories, hands and histories that shaped them. Having had the privilege of visiting York Handmade Brick Company, where I learned more about the craft of brickmaking; I was generously gifted some of their clay to experiment with.  I've now started to create my own brick moulds that capture the negative space of the theatre's original tiles - a process of casting absence, turning voids into form. This isn't about replicating the tiles but reimaging. Following the core principles of Theatr Clwyd's art programme - sustainability, playfulness/joy and community engagement - I'm exploring new materials and processes that honour the theatre...

There's something grounding about standing in a place where things are made with care, by hand, from the earth itself. My recent visit to the York Handmade Brick company was just that - a rare chance to step into a world where tradition, craft and materiality are still held in high regard. I first contacted the York Handmade Brick company when I read that they had produced bricks for the renovations at Theatr Clwyd. The architects, Haworth Tompkins, worked with them for a bespoke blend of handmade bricks which were sympathetic in colour and texture to the existing brickwork of the theatre. I reached out for some more details and Mark Laksevics, York Handmade’s senior sales manager, was incredibly gracious and invited me to come and have a tour of their brickworks. Nestled in the North Yorkshire countryside, York Handmade Bricks is known for producing bespoke, characterful bricks using time-honoured methods. The tour began with an introduction to the clay itself; dug locally, rich i...

  I have applied for funding to possibly attend the 2025 Expo in Osaka.  What is a world expo? A World Expo is an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world in an effort to address issues facing humankind on a global scale. What are the themes for this Expo? To contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Japan’s national strategy Society 5.0 In 2025, the world will be five years away from 2030, the year the United Nations has set as the target for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, Expo 2025, will become a key platform for reaching the SDGs by 2030. Society 5.0: Japan’s national strategy to develop a human-centered society that progresses economically and resolves social issues through a system that combines both cyber and physical spaces in a sophisticated manner. It refers to a new form of society chronologically following farming, industry, and information societies. A society that is abl...

 I thought I would post photos of my making so far: These two images show the moulds that were originally made for the tile commission. I was hoping that I may be all to tidy them up ready to be moulded, to create the mould of the moulds. After cutting the moulds and sanding them, I wasn't happy with the finish so I decided I had to make new models for the moulds. I decided on a set height and depth for all the models and then I started to prepare everything to make the model. These are the cottle boards ready for the tile and plaster. As there was an undercut on the tiles, I had to backfill the tile with clay to prepare the tile for plaster. This is the tile ready to have the plaster poured on the top. I had to repeat the process for each size tile: three times in total. These are the models before they are sanded. This is the start of the moulding process. I chose to make the smallest tile mould first. I use the coin to create notches for the plaster to lock together. I was happy...