Yearly Archives: 2017
South American Short Stories – Fiction Fiesta
Ignorance prevents me having an opinion on The Latin American Short Story but after hearing Juan Villoro (Mexico) and Andrés Neuman (Argentina) speak on that topic on May 31st I am keen to start forming one by reading their work and that of other writers they mentioned. What engaging, perceptive and generous speakers they were. Continue reading South American Short Stories – Fiction Fiesta
Inclusivity in Film – Launchpad:Access
I really enjoyed Launchpad:Access held in Cardiff on 13th May. Organised by Ffilm Cymru Wales in partnership with Hijinx Theatre, CULT Cymru, Disability Arts, Diverse Cymru and Equity, it aimed to get more deaf and disabled people represented in, and working on, film, both on screen and behind the camera. Many of the principles and insights presented would apply across media. I attended in order to improve my understanding of the experience of deaf and disabled people working in film and how I might, as a writer and tv producer, respond more creatively to that. Continue reading Inclusivity in Film – Launchpad:Access
Reporting Belief 2017 – an appetite for engagement
A stimulating day on May 10th for journalists and ‘believers’ which contained a sharing of professional expertise, a chance for encounter and a special training session on the use of Social Media and How to Write a Press Release . See my blog on the NUJ Training Wales site. [Images by @HirstPhotos]
Continue reading Reporting Belief 2017 – an appetite for engagement
Winner Bridgend Writers’ Circle Open Short Story Competition 2017
Competition Adjudicator, Laura Foakes said of my story, Acting Abby
This multi-layered story stayed with me long after each reading, which is always a sign of a job well done. The author conveyed his/her understanding of the vagaries of the human condition in a profound but unsentimental way. The wistful first-person narration drew me immediately into the story and the “voice” was strong. I particularly liked the device of using a stage play as a metaphor for the judgements people/audiences make, and the eventual unfolding of the “choice” the narrator made. The author invites us to judge at our peril. This is a very accomplished and thought provoking piece of work.
Credit: Painting by Stephen Morgan
Writers and the Sherman Theatre
A website is one thing but a person is the real thing. Gethin Evans, Associate Director of the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff gave the Cardiff branch of The Writers’ Guild an up-to-the-minute tour of opportunities for engagement and a sense of the Theatre’s ambitions and future projects in a lively encounter at May’s meeting.
The Sherman’s Artist Development page has not quite caught up with the calendar as most of its references are to 2016 so it was enlightening to get a sense of how the various projects are developing.
Writing Your Novel – Ty Newydd On Tour
The very first Tȳ Newydd on Tour day was held in Cardiff on Saturday 6th May as the writing centre begins to showcase its courses around Wales. A dozen writers got a flavour of ‘A Novel Journey: Writing a Novel from Beginning to End’ which will run at the centre near Criccieth from Monday 12th to Saturday 17th June. A few places are left and the taster day was a great advertisement.
Trafod dyfodol y cyfryngau yng Nghymru – GOLWG
Discussing the future of the media in Wales – article in GOLWG magazine
Mae mwy i’r cyfryngau Cymraeg nag S4C, yn ôl Angela Graham, cadeirydd pwyllgor cyfryngau’r Sefydliad Materion Cymreig a fu’n trafod y dyfodol mewn cynhadledd ddiweddar…
… roedd cytundeb unfrydol bod angen strategaeth ac ymchwil ac yn y pendraw arweiniad gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Ebrill 6 / April 6 2017
Cardiff Media Summit – Top, Tail and Follow-ups
Cardiff Media Summit 29 March 2017
My Intro and Conclusion plus Follow-ups. More on http://www.iwa.wales/click/
This Media Summit is being held on the day when Article 50 is triggered. Aimed at taking this country out of the EU, this will alter fundamentally the framework within which the UK is governed.
The referendum, like the election of Trump in the United States, raised major concerns about the quality of information put before the public, by both politicians and media. ‘fake news’ and ‘post-fact politics’. The founder of the internet, Tim Berners Lee, has gone public on his deep concerns at the capacity of big data companies to distort the democratic process.
These huge issues impact on us here in Wales. The media scenario is constantly developing and it’s going to get more complicated – which is one reason why the Institute of Welsh Affairs maintains a very necessary focus on media issues in Wales. The Audience, Viewers and Service Users are our prime concern. Continue reading Cardiff Media Summit – Top, Tail and Follow-ups
Media Policy and the Arts – IWA Cardiff Media Summit 2017
This article first appeared in Wales Arts Review.