TEAM Pembrokeshire
Live in Pembrokeshire? We need your help.
TEAM Pembrokeshire
NTW TEAM has embarked on its biggest project to date – one that will engage the communities of Pembrokeshire and Wrexham in a bespoke programme of empowerment, leadership, creative activism and intensive long-term engagement, leading to a full-scale NTW production in each location.
The community of Pembrokeshire have decided that the NTW show made and staged there in 2020 should be on the subject of Climate Change & the Environment.
Read on to learn more about the story so far, the timeline from now on and how you can get involved…
Get Involved
Over 2019 we will be curating a series of events around this topic and we would love to see you there! Keep an eye out for announcements or contact Pembrokeshire TEAM Associate, Owain Roach on 07491 551 283.
Not a member of TEAM yet? No problem, joining is easy, just click here
Background
In February 2018, National Theatre Wales TEAM was awarded a grant of £400,000 from Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF), one of the UK’s largest independent funders, to support two four-year projects; one in Pembrokeshire and one in Wrexham.
Every year, National Theatre Wales will appoint a dedicated TEAM Associate in each area to lead the project. This year’s TEAM Pembrokeshire Associate is Owain Roach, from Llangwm.
Both projects will close with an NTW show – in Pembrokeshire in 2020 and in Wrexham in 2021 – created in close collaboration with the community.
You can read more about the TEAM Wrexham project here.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. Upon his death in 2001, he left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. Its mission is to help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives. PHF have a particular interest in supporting young people and a strong belief in the importance of the arts.
What’s happened so far?
Here are some of the highlights of the TEAM Pembrokeshire project so far (and below, a gallery of images and video from those events). To find out more about these events, check out the NTW TEAM Group page on our online community here.
April 2018
Launch Party at Caffi Pura, Tenby
Featuring performances from poet-playwrights Louise Wallwein MBE and Ali Goolyad, a presentation by local legend Molara Awen and entertainment from talented Pembs musicians Lucy Jones and Gethin John with the brilliant Tomos Lewis.
May 2018
Festival of the Sea at Freshwater West
National Trust and Pembrokeshire Beach Food’s Festival of the Sea at Gupton Farm, near the iconic Freshwater West Beach, was the perfect place to spread the word about our project. Working with pupils from Pembrokeshire Learning Centre and in collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage, we created a drum kit made from plastics and other waste items washed up on the beaches of Pembs. At the festival, the amazing Nii Okai Tagoe played the kit, accompanying former Zion Train singer Molara Awen and Pembrokeshire musician Ben Mason.
July 2018
Poetry Workshop at Greenhill School, Tenby
Poet and Playwright Louise Wallwein MBE, writer of Tide Whisperer led a poetry workshop at Greenhill School and on South Beach. Louise had volunteered in Greece at the height of the migrant crisis, and remembers the unifying power of a game of football played on the beach between the local Greek and refugee children. The pupils at Greenhill enjoyed recreating this memory for Louise and subsequently went on to reproduce the scene in Tide Whisperer.
August 2018
Open Mic night with Span Arts at the Druidstone Hotel, Haverfordwest
An evening celebrating the awesome talent that Pembrokeshire has to offer; from surfing guitarists to sumptuous harmonies, from comedians to clowns, from poets to finger-picking brilliance.
September 2018
Tide Whisperer TEAM Choir
NTW’s Tide Whisperer, staged on the streets and shores of Tenby, called for a community choir. Last year’s Pembrokeshire TEAM Associate, Robbie Price, drew together participants from across the county to create a beautiful choir that became an integral part of the show. The choir is still going strong…
September 2018
Tide Whisperer TEAM Social
More than 200 people from across Pembrokeshire came to Tenby for an exclusive preview of Tide Whisperer. After the show, the audience were invited to hear live music at the Sand Bar in Tenby where they enjoyed a photography exhibition kindly donated by Amnesty International entitled I Welcome.
November 2018
Performance Party, Haverhub, Haverfordwest
A night of performance, discussion, food, drink and much more, to mark the end of the first year of our four-year programme in Pembrokeshire. It was at this event that the project’s local participants chose the theme of Climate Change for the final production.
April 2019
The Point workshop, Fishguard
The Point project aimed to work with the young people of the Point Youth Centre in Fishguard. Working with local artist, Pip Lewis, the children created fish head masks which they wore through Fishguard to an area known as the Cannons, overlooking Lower Town (where the original Under Milk Wood was filmed), to be photographed. Throughout the process we were able to generate conversations about their environment and the social isolation which they face living in a rural town.
May 2019
Festival of the Sea at Freshwater West
We were invited to perform at Festival of the Sea, a national parks festival celebrating the sea. It felt fitting that we should perform the story of Cantre Gwaelod. Using a mix of slapstick, clowning, storytelling and music, we created a piece working with local performers to be performed for audiences of all ages. Throughout the performance we were able to engage with the audience and bring the children up on stage to be part of it as the rushing sea.
July 2019
Open Mic night with Span Arts at the Druidstone Hotel, Haverfordwest
We had a brilliant night at The Druidstone Hotel on 4th July for our NTW TEAM Open Mic night with Span Arts. Such a wide variety of super-talented acts, all in celebration of the environment & what a perfect sunset to top it all off too! Thank you so much to all involved and a huge thanks to Jack Abbott for the fantastic video too.
Project Timeline
Here’s what happens next in the TEAM Pembrokeshire project…
September 2019 TEAM Pembrokeshire event at HaverHub – watch this space for more information.
Get Involved
If you have any creative ideas about TEAM Pembrokeshire, especially on the subject of Climate Change and the enviroment and how the final production can tackle it, we would love to hear them. Get thinking about the beaches, the sea, the trees and the stars, then get in touch at team@nationaltheatrewales.org
And of course, if you’d like to get involved we’d love to talk to you. Keep an eye out for further announcements…
● on these web pages
● on Twitter (#ntwTEAM, and from our Pembrokeshire TEAM Associate @Owain_NTW)
● on the TEAM Group on our online community here
or contact Pembrokeshire TEAM Associate, Owain Roach on 07491 551 283 or email team@nationaltheatrewales.org
Not a member of TEAM yet? No problem. Joining is free, easy and takes just a few minutes – just click here.