#Islwyn Ffowc Elis

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[kurtsigns]

Outstanding video and sound art from this installation at Chapter Arts. Given that survival of the Welsh language is not a theme I would generally find of interest, the literal, elegiac quality of this work hit me, the imagery of ears, tongues, and bones clever and creating a form of claustrophobic intimacy. Beautiful and sincere, with many skills invested, this work inspired me with the possibilities of focused multimedia.

Dyfodiaith is an audio-visual work that interrogates the cultural context of the Welsh language in relation to minority languages spoken worldwide, bilingualism and common tongues. How will we speak to an unknown future? What will it look like?

Working in collaboration with linguist Llŷr Titus and composer Samuel Barnes to score a haunting musical arrangement, the sung narrative serves as the main protagonist of the piece and is inspired by the Welsh language novel ‘Ebargofiant’ by Jerry Hunter and ‘Wythnos Yng Nghymru Fydd’ by Islwyn Ffowc Elis.

[pontiobangor]

Arddangosfa aml-gyfryngol gan Paul Eastwood sy’n archwilio iaith a hunaniaith

Cyflwynir ‘Segrgrair’ gan yr artist o Wrecsam, Paul Eastwood, gyda gwaith celf newydd yn Pontio i gyd-fynd â première cynhyrchiad newydd OPRA Cymru Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd. 

Cymera’r arddangosfa hon nofel iwtopaidd/distopaidd Islwyn Ffowc Elis, Wythnos Yng Nghymru Fydd, fel man gadael. Datblyga’r nofel syniadau newydd ym maes gwyddonias wrth i’r ymgyrchwr gyfarfod dau ddyfodol gwrthwynebol, y naill ble mae’r iaith Gymraeg yn ffynnu, a’r llall ble mae’r Gymraeg yn iaith farw.

Dychmyga Eastwood, sydd newydd ei enwebu fel cystadleuydd gwobr celf Nova, ddyfodol gydag amgueddfa diffaith mewn mynydd. Gorwedda gwrthrychau’r amgueddfau’n ddeilchion ar lawr, a’r gair ‘Segrgrair’ wedi ei gerfio ar wal. Llifa’r llythrennau ar hyd y gwaith celf symudol hwn, gan ein gwneud yn ymwybodol bod iaith gyda cydwybod yn trigo yn yr amgueddfa.

Gwthia Eastwood ei gwestiynau am iaith a hunaniaith ymhellach yn ei waith newydd ‘Tri ar ddeg ar hugain’ – gan ymateb i’r gwahoddiad i arddangos yn Pontio. Pypedau wedi eu hysbrydoli gan theatr pypedau traddodiadol Siapan ‘Bunraku’, yn gwisgo dillad dyfodolaidd er mwyn llwyfanu’r dyfodol yn 2033 (y flwyddyn gosodwyd nofel Islwyn Ffowc Elis). 

Dywedodd Elen Bonner, Cydlynydd Creadigol Gofodau Cyhoeddus Pontio, “Roedd manteisio ar y cyfle i arddangos Segrgrair ar y cyd gyda premiere OPRA Cymru Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd yn gyfle gwych. Fel Islwyn Ffowc Elis, mae Paul yn ein herio i ail-ystyried ein perthynas gydag iaith a diwylliant, mater sydd yn parhau i yn hynod berthnasol.” 

Ceir sawl haen yng ngwaith Eastwood gyda chyfeiriadau diwylliannol cymhleth ac arwyddwyr, yn herio’r gwyliwr i ddarganfod ystyr ac ystyried materion iaith a hunaniaith o’r newydd.

Mae’r arddangosfa yn parhau yn Pontio (Lefel 0) nes 9 Ionawr 2018.

Bydd première opera Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd ar Nos Wener 10 Tachwedd am 7.30pm, gydag ail sioe ar Nos Sadwrn 11 Tachwedd am 7.30pm. Mae tocynnau’n £15 neu £7.50 i fyfyrwyr a dan 18 ac ar gael ar wefan Pontio www.pontio.co.uk neu yn Swyddfa Docynnau Pontio ar 01248 38 28 28.

[pennod-iwtopia-blog]

[pontiobangor]

A multi-media exhibition by Paul Eastwood exploring language and identity

‘Segrgrair’, by Wrexham-based artist Paul Eastwood, is presented alongside new artwork at Pontio to coincide with the premier of OPRA Cymru’s production of Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd.

The artwork takes Islwyn Ffowc Elis’s utopian/dystopian novel Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd (A week in the Wales that will be) as a point of departure. The seminal novel is a work of science-fiction where the protagonist encounters two contrasting versions of the future, one where the Welsh language thrives, the other where it has been lost.

Eastwood, who was recently selected as a contender for biennial art prize Nova, imagines a future with an abandoned museum carved into a mountain. The cultural objects the museum once housed lie broken on the floor, the word ‘Segrgrair’ scrawled on the wall. As letters float down before us in this moving image artwork, we are made aware that a language with a consciousness of its own also resides within the walls of this museum.

Eastwood’s enquiry surrounding language and identity is pushed further in ‘Tri ar ddeg ar hugain’ (Thirty three) – new work made in response to the invitation to exhibit at Pontio. Puppets dressed in futuristic attire are used to stage a future in 2033 (the year in which Islwyn Ffowc Elis’s novel is set), inspired by traditional Japanese ‘Bunraku’ puppet theatre. 

Elen Bonner, Pontio’s Creative Coordinator of Public Spaces said, “The chance to exhibit Segrgrair alongside the premiere of OPRA Cymru’s production of Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd was too good an opportunity to miss. Like Islwyn Ffowc Elis, Paul challenges us to re-evaluate our relationship with language and culture, an issue of continuing relevance.”

Eastwood’s work is layered with complex cultural references and signifiers, challenging the viewer to find meaning and to consider issues of language and identity anew.

 The exhibition continues at Pontio (Level 0) until 9 January 2018.

The opera premières in Theatr Bryn Terfel on Friday 10 November at 7.30pm with a second show on Saturday 11 November at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15 or £7.50 for students and under 18s, and are available on Pontio’s website www.pontio.co.uk or at Pontio Box Office.

[pontiobangor]

WYTHNOS YNG NGHYMRU FYDD

Mae OPRA Cymru yn teithio cynhyrchiad newydd ledled Cymru 10-25 Tachwedd o opera Gymraeg newydd sbon ‘Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd’ gan y cyfansoddwr Gareth Glyn a’r libreto gan y Prifardd Mererid Hopwood sydd yn dod â gweledigaeth eiconig Islwyn Ffowc Elis yn fyw o’r llyfr i’r llwyfan 60 mlynedd ers cyhoeddi’r nofel. Bydd y gynulleidfa yn teithio drwy amser o 1957 i 2033 ac yn profi’r ddwy weledigaeth o ddau ddyfodol tra gwahanol i Gymru: Cymru cadarnhaol lle ceir cymdeithas ddwyieithog ac annibynnol a Western England sydd yn ehangder goediog a lle bydd y gynulleidfa yn dystion i farwolaeth yr iaith Gymraeg drwy gyfrwng Hen Wraig y Bala, yr olaf i’w siarad. Mewn libreto hynod o awenyddol a barddonol mae Mererid yn cyfleu neges Islwyn Ffowc Elis bod ein diwylliant, ein hiaith a’n hunaniaeth yn ein dwylo ni a daw’r opera i ben drwy gymell y gynulleidfa i weithredu (mewn modd adeiladol) i ddiogelu’r dyfodol hwnnw - neges sydd yr un mor berthnasol heddiw ac ydoedd drigain mlynedd yn ol.

 Fel rhan o’r dathliadadau i nodi perfformiadau ‘premiere’ yr opera a 60 mlynedd ers cyhoeddi’r nofel mae OPRA Cymru mewn partneriaeth efo Gwasg Gomer yn cyhoeddi adargraffiad arbennig nifer cyfyngedig o’r nofel wedi rhwymo mewn clawr caled gyda dyluniad arbennig i gydfynd efo delweddu’r daith ac efo cyfraniadau unigryw gan Gareth Glyn a Mererid Hopwood. Bydd y gynulleidfa hefyd yn gallu mynd a barddoniaeth Mererid adre i’w fwynhau mewn argraffiad arbennig nifer cyfyngedig o’r libreto.

 Comisiynwyd yr opera yn wreiddiol gan Brifysgol Bangor efo cefnogaeth Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru ac mae’r cynhyrchiad yn teithio i saith lleoliad ledled Cymru gan gynnwys Pontio ym Mangor ar y 10fed ar 11fed o Dachwedd.

[pontiobangor]

WYTHNOS YNG NGHYMRU FYDD (A week in the Wales that will be)

OPRA Cymru is touring a new production across Wales from the 10th the 25th of November: the brand new Welsh opera ‘Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd’ by composer Gareth Glyn, with a libretto by leading poet Mererid Hopwood, brings to life the iconic vision of Islwyn Ffowc Elis from the page to the stage, sixty years after the novel’s publication. The audience will travel through time from 1957 to 2033 and experience the two visions of two different futures for Wales: a positive Wales with an independent, bi-lingual society; and Western England, which is an expanse of forestry in which the audience will be witness to the death of the Welsh language through the last person to speak it, the Old Woman of Bala. In a richly poetic libretto, Mererid presents the core message of Islwyn Ffowc Elis that our culture, our language and our identity are in our own hands; and the opera concludes with an exhortation to the audience to take action in a constructive way to protect our future – a message that is as relevant today as it was sixty years ago.

 As part of the celebrations to mark the premiere performances of the opera and 60 years since the novel’s publication, OPRA Cymru is partnering with Gwasg Gomer to produce a special limited edition of the novel in hardback form, with cover artwork designed to match the imagery for the tour, and with unique contributions by Gareth Glyn and Mererid Hopwood. The audience will also be able to take Mererid’s poetry home to enjoy in a special limited edition of the libretto.

 The opera was originally commissioned by Bangor University with funding from the Arts Council of Wales; the production is touring to seven locations across Wales including Pontio in Bangor on the 10th for its premiere followed by the 11th of November.