05 July 2012
Cauldrons & Furnaces, a series of high profile events being delivered by the Welsh Government to welcome another strand of the Cultural Olympiad, is coming to Caerphilly. Caerphilly Castle will play host to Awen, a three-day arts festival celebrating the poetic inspiration of Caerphilly from Wednesday 11 July – Friday 13 July from 6.30pm – 9pm.
Awen, a Welsh word for '(poetic) inspiration' will truly inspire visitors through sculpture, film, music and drama, as the arts festival brings myths and legends alive, reflecting the vibrancy and culture of the region and what heritage means to people in 2012.
Awen is one of eight Cauldrons & Furnaces events, telling extraordinary stories in extraordinary places at iconic Cadw sites until 17 July. Thousands of young people will be sharing their nation's colourful history from its mythical beginnings to modern times with visitors from all over the world. On route they will discover the diversity, skills and talents of the 17,000 young people and artists taking part.
Cauldrons & Furnaces is a partnership between Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, and the Arts Council of Wales. The project is part of Power of the Flame, and has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity which is creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.
Clare Williams, the creative events programmer of Cauldrons & Furnaces, said: "We're really looking forward to what is set to be an outstanding event - capturing the diverse skills of the young people and the artists who inspire them. This project has been three years in the making and artworks created will animate the castle and make the visitor look at Caerphilly Castle in a completely new way. A huge amount of work has gone into this Cauldrons & Furnaces performance and it will be a fantastic opportunity for people to not only come and see their local Cadw heritage site brought to life, but also some brilliant up-and-coming local young talent.
David Chamberlain of Caerphilly Borough Council's Arts Development team, which is delivering the event for Cauldrons & Furnaces said: "Awen is all about taking part. Since the start of the project two years ago, Caerphilly Arts Development team has organised over 330 workshops with over 7,000 people. It's wonderful to see so many youngsters involved and so inspired by the project. With the 800 year old Caerphilly Castle as the inspiration, we have worked with a great many artists to create what we hope is a three day festival of the culture and expression of the people of Caerphilly Borough.
"Starting with a poetry relay in the northern edge of the county and culminating in a mass carnival procession in the south, Awen examines the Castle's place in Caerphilly's past, present and future. Caerphilly is delighted to be part of these magnificent Olympic celebrations, it's a fantastic opportunity for us and all the participants involved."
Lewis Reed, 17, from St Martin's School said: "Taking part in Cauldrons & Furnaces in Caerphilly Castle makes me part of Welsh history. Knowing that I am seeing the same sunrises and sunsets as kings of the Middle-Ages is utterly astonishing. This is a fabulous project and one I'm really proud to be part of."
This is a ticketed free event. Tickets are available from Blackwood Miners' Institute – www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com and Visit Caerphilly box office www.visitcaerphilly.com or call 01495 227 206.
Cadw has set a challenge for people to attend as many events as possible to be in with a chance of winning one of five Cadw annual family memberships. For details of how to take part pick up a Cauldrons & Furnaces leaflet at a participating site or visit www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
For more information about Cauldrons & Furnaces and how you can get involved, visit www.cadw.wales.gov.uk, find Cadw on Facebook or Twitter
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