Dewis y Distaw / Choosing the Silence

Samantha O’Rourke

Dewis y Distaw / Choosing the Silence

Choosing the Silence explores themes of social isolation by electing to follow in the footsteps of St Dwynwen and spending time on Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey, away from the familiarity of day-to-day life.

Legend has it that St Dwynwen exiled herself to Llanddwyn to escape patriarchal control. Many women today report experiences of isolation, whether as a result of feeling disconnected from their immediate communities, physical distance from their families, illness, or social-media-induced fear of missing out. The project will be an exploration of one central question – how can selected isolation be a rebellion?

Samantha O’Rourke will be collaborating with fellow writers Alison Powell and Emily Vanderploeg.