Gwanwyn 2017: Get inspired, Get immersed, Get Involved!

Wales's only annual national arts festival for over 50s is back for its eleventh outing with a month long calendar of events, activities and exhibitions throughout the country to inspire, immerse and involve.

This year's Gwanwyn festival from Age Cymru features a chance for older people to learn about the art of writing a legend with Sian Northey in Llanystumdwy, film making in Milford haven and the eMOTIONal Body a series of workshops and performances hosted by NDCWales and created and produced by Prototype Status of Switzerland, together with much more.

Emma Robinson, Gwanwyn's Coordinator says:

"This year we're proud to be collaborating with a fantastic range of partners in all areas of Wales and across the range of arts activity to deliver over 70 events. Our focus is to inspire as many older people as we can to through the activities they experience as part of Gwanwyn ; hopefully this will lead to greater engagement and involvement in arts and creativity throughout the year.

"From the beginning of May we're offering the opportunity to join poet Karen Owen to hear passages from writers in the Snowdownia area while taking a railway journey on Padarn Lake, Llanberis.

"There'll be a showing of Strictly Llandudno at Venue Cymru on 3 May celebrating Llandudno's history of sequence and ballroom dancing and also promoting the benefits of dancing for older people.

"We're really excited at the prospect of the performances and workshops of Lui & Artemis by Prototype Status at the Wales Millennium Centre. The piece is performed by two older dancers and portrays the paradoxical journey of an older couple, who feel young at heart. While their minds are turned towards the past and the future at the same time, their bodies remain in the present moment.

"We've also got Voices from the Edge: Murmurations an exhibition in Cardiff Bay encompassing the works of five visual artists who have spent two years working with residents of care homes across Wales as part of Age Cymru's cARTrefu project and were inspired to develop their practice and create work which expressed the sensitivity and fragility of these shared experiences, capturing and amplifying the past glories of the people they met.

"But this really is just the tip of the iceberg - full details of the Festival and all of the events taking place near you this May can be found on the Gwanwyn website - www.gwanwyn.org.uk."

The Gwanwyn Festival is run by Age Cymru with support from the Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales