What a fantastic and action-packed half-term we’ve had in celebration of the Welsh Museums Festival 2024! We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making this year’s half-term events such a memorable success. From live performances to hands-on workshops, we’ve had a week full of creativity, culture, and community spirit. Here’s a roundup of all the exciting activities we got up to:
🎭 Live Performance: “Cymrix” by Arad Goch
We kicked off the week with an exciting live performance from Arad Goch theatre company, featuring Alun Saunders’ latest production, Cymrix. This show, aimed at new Welsh speakers, is a delightful exploration of growing up, discovering who you are, keeping up with homework on top of all that! But what happens when the challenge is presenting that in front of a whole school? Cymrix tackles the ups and downs of life, language, and the pressures of school life in an engaging and relatable way.
👉 Learn more about Arad Goch and their incredible work here
🍁 Autumn Themes & Halloween Craft Workshop with Y Pethau Bychain
Next up, we embraced the autumnal spirit with a fun and creative workshop led by Y Pethau Bychain! This small Welsh company, founded by two passionate educators, blends art, nature, and Welsh heritage to inspire and teach children and young people through hands-on activities.
In this session, we got crafty with wet felting and watercolour to create a night-time scene featuring the mysterious wild dog. And, of course, no Halloween celebration is complete without witches—so we also made spooky Llanddona witches out of wooden spoons!
👉 Discover more about Y Pethau Bychain and their mission here
👻 Halloween Puppets with Elen Williams
The Halloween fun continued with a spooky puppets workshop led by Elen Williams! Kids and families got creative making an assortment of creepy Halloween characters—perfect for the season. From ghosts to goblins, everyone had a blast bringing their puppet creations to life!
👉 Check out more of Elen’s imaginative work on her Instagram
🎨 Catrin Williams Workshop: Art and Inspiration from “Perthyn / Belonging”
In conjunction with Catrin Williams’ stunning exhibition, Perthyn / Belonging, here at Storiel, we hosted a workshop party for children aged 5-11 and their families. The session was a wonderful opportunity for young artists to get hands-on with new drawing techniques, explore their creativity, and find inspiration by visiting Catrin’s exhibition in the gallery. It was a perfect blend of art, culture, and family fun!
👉 Explore Catrin Williams’ beautiful exhibition here
In Conversation with Eleri Llwyd, the Welsh Music Icon 🎶🌟
Eleri Llwyd took us on a nostalgic journey through the vibrant Aberystwyth music scene, sharing memories of her pioneering work with influential bands like Y Thw and Gwyldro 🎸. She reminisced about her role in shaping the Welsh music landscape, recording timeless classics with SAIN Records, including her iconic 1971 EP and the innovative album Am Heddiw Mae Ngân 🎤🎶.
🏛 Brambell Natural History Museum Open Day
We wrapped up our action-packed half-term with a special treat—a Brambell Natural History Museum Open Day at Bangor University! This rare opportunity allowed visitors to explore a hidden gem not usually open to the public. From fossils to taxidermy, it was an exciting chance to experience Bangor’s rich collection up close.
👉 Find out more about Brambell Museum and the Welsh Museums Festival here
Thank You for an Incredible Half-Term of Fun! 🎉
From theatre performances to creative workshops and cultural tours, this year’s half-term events at Storiel have been a massive hit! We are so grateful to everyone who joined us, supported us, and made these activities so enjoyable. A huge thank you to our fantastic partners, artists, and participants for contributing to the success of the Welsh Museums Festival 2024. A a special thank you also goes to the Gwynedd Museums Federation for their generous funding, SPF fund, Ogwen Partnership for the transport to Cymrix. Thanks also to Emily Birch from the Corporate Leadership Team for sharing Gwynedd Council .
Logos funded by the UK/ logo funded by the Assembly and Welsh Museums Festival Logo.
Stay tuned for more exciting events coming soon, and don’t forget to follow us on social media for updates and future happenings!
