Tapestri

a living music archive of Wales

Tŷ Cerdd (Music Centre Wales) – in partnership with Disability Arts Cymru, National Eisteddfod of Wales and National Library of Wales – is delighted to launch Tapestri, a new initiative funded through Arts Council of Wales’s Connect & Flourish scheme.

Tapestri will be a living music archive, a nation-wide musical celebration of the people, communities and languages of Wales. The Connect & Flourish funding will support the development of the first four threads of Tapestri, which between them bring together scores of diverse artists and organisations:

perisgop: a disabled-led digital music-theatre production, placing lived-experience at the heart of this commentary on life with sight-loss in Wales. Composer Gareth Churchill, writer Kaite O’Reillyand videographer Jake Sawyers will lead an all-disabled artistic team. Created in collaboration with UCAN Productions and people with sight-loss from around Wales.

bwthyn sonig: developing an experimental music ensemble with learning-disabled adults (North & South Wales & online), in partnership with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, Touch Trust, and lead artists Jo Thomas, Teifi Emerald, Katherine Betteridge and Elin Taylor. Ground-breaking Scotland-based Sonic Bothy will provide mentoring and advice.

affricerdd: 10 commissions by Wales-based artists of African descent (including 5 works with choreographer), in partnership with Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel and National Dance Company Wales.

polskerdd: creative engagement & community feasting with Aberystwyth and Penparcau’s Polish & Welsh communities, in partnership with Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Penparcau Community Forum.

The four main project partners will provide cross-cutting support, engagement, communications and creative input to the artists and organisations delivering the four threads.

Deborah Keyser, Tŷ Cerdd’s director, said: “We’re proud of the heritage of Welsh music, but when we look at our own Tŷ Cerdd Archive, and at many archives across Wales, we’re struck by the voices that aren’t represented as much as by the wonderful work they do celebrate. The aim of the threads of Tapestri is to enable artists and communities to come together to create a living archive of less-often-heard voices. We’re working to advance our slogan 'if you’re making music in Wales, it’s Welsh music,' and Tapestri is part of that work.

“We’re particularly grateful to our main project partners – Disability Arts Cymru, National Eisteddfod of Wales and National Library of Wales – and to mark the launch of Tapestri, we are officially gifting the Tŷ Cerdd Archive to the National Library; this will enable more people to access the archive, and we look forward to adding unheard voices to that developing collection.”

Activity across the Tapestri threads begins in May, with artist calls following shortly for the relevant threads.

For more information, contact Shakira.mahabir@tycerdd.org