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Audience participation reaches new height at festival


January 31, 2025 - 256 views

Audience members at a top North Wales music festival are being invited to have a go at vertical dancing - suspended in the air with rock climbing equipment.

They will be given the opportunity to “learn the ropes” ahead of the performance at Bangor Music Festival at the Pontio Arts Centre at 2pm on Saturday, February 15.

It’s part of a project by the Hedydd Dance Company in conjunction with Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence (VDKL) who will be using ropes, harnesses and abseil devices.

Dancers will be suspended in the air as well as on the floor during the production called "Hiraeth/Lost Roots" which will be one of the highlights of the festival which starts on Friday, February 14, and runs to Sunday, February 16

The performance will take place in the centre’s intimate Studio theatre and will feature dancers Lisa Spaull, Despina Goula, Angharad Jones and Kseniia Fedorovykh with music composed and performed by acclaimed jazz vocalist Eädyth Crawford.

According to the festival’s Artistic Director, Guto Pryderi Puw, the event, has 'Music within the arts' as its theme and the Hiraeth/Lost Roots production combines music with some experimental dance.

He added that the performance is also aimed at the visually impaired and a workshop earlier in the afternoon will provide an opportunity for all members of the audience to have a go at vertical dancing using the same equipment.

Principal dancer Lisa Spaull said: "Hiraeth/Lost Roots’ is about human connection, our sense of home, and experiences of displacement. We will shift between the ordinary and the extraordinary using our stories and myths to reflect upon our common roots. 

"We will use the medium of vertical dance to suspend dancers in the air as well as dancing on the ground. We are working with visual artist Femke Van Gent suspending objects off the ground which will be played with. 

"As part of the next stage of developing this show we are working with literary adviser Gwen Thomson, audio description consultant Karina Jones and mentor Kate Lawrence. Together we will be creatively embedding audio description for visually impaired audiences into the show itself. 

"This will be done through the soundtrack, singing, storytelling and the dancers speaking to ensure that the story, emotional expression and action of the dance is conveyed. It’s an immersive journey that blurs the boundaries between art, storytelling and personal exploration.”

"The show takes place in the Studio Theatre at Pontio with the audience around the edges. We will have a chance before the show for people and in particular visually impaired audiences to have a tour of the performance space and have a go in a harness to experience floating in the air." 

Lisa added Hedydd formed in 2024 after a research project at Pontio as part of VDKL’s development project of vertical dance choreographers in North Wales. 

"We felt the project went so well and we enjoyed working together so much we thought it would be a great idea to form a new company. 

"We’re looking forward to sharing the next stage of development as part of the Bangor Music Festival where we will be performing for the first time," she said.  .

There will be a second performance of ‘Hiraeth/Lost Roots’ at 5pm.

First staged in 2000, the Bangor Music Festival has sealed its reputation as the foremost festival in Wales promoting contemporary and new music.

Over the years it’s commissioned more than 175 new pieces of music and premiered more than 50 other compositions.

Guto said more than 300 artistes have taken part in the festival over the years and 15 new pieces will be performed for the first time during this year's event.

He said: "This year we celebrate the 25th festival since its founding in 2000 and the theme is 'music within the arts' and we believe there's something for everyone in the various concerts, workshops, talks and community events.

"There is the same emphasis on new music that challenges and inspires, with new commissions by six composers/sound artists, in addition to Music and Film students from Bangor University, responding creatively within the Festival theme.

"Consequently, the majority of the music is combined with various poetry, dance or film, but also abstract paintings by Chris Holley that will be exhibited in Pontio before and during the Festival. We are also pleased to invite Mikel Kuehn as featured composer, where some of his music combines poetry, live vocals and images projected on screen."

Outlining the festival programme, Guto said Cerys Hafana's concert on Friday, February 14, is part of Pontio's Cabaret evenings, and provides a relaxed atmosphere and an intriguing insight into folk music with one of the most distinguished artists on the circuit.

"Cerys mangles, mutates and transforms traditional music on the triple harp," said Guto.

Camau Cerdd/First Steps in Music with Marie-Claire Howorth on Saturday, February 15, introduces music to children aged six months to seven years of age in workshops staged in collaboration with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias (William Mathias Music Centre).

Artist Chris Holley will also lead two workshops introducing art to children aged four to eleven years old during Saturday morning.

The lunchtime concert, Canfod y Gân, in Pontio's Bar Ffynnon will feature live performance of original songs by a group of musicians with additional needs. 

During the afternoon there will be live performances at Pontio's various public spaces by the Bangor New Music Ensemble where student performers present works by university composition students.

Different Light, featuring Sinfonia Cymru and artist Chris Holley will be staged at 7.30pm in Pontio's White Box. It will feature music by John Metcalf alongside festival commissions by Mikel Kuehn, Lynne Plowman, Claire Victoria Roberts, Zach Reading and Guto Pryderi Puw.

On Sunday, February 16, at 12.30 a free concert by Electroacoustic Wales will feature pieces by student composers.

Later, at 3pm in Theatr Bryn Terfel, the festival will present Dancing in the Ether. Soprano Deborah Norin and Electroacoustic Wales will feature music by American composer and sound artist Mikel Kuehn and a new commission by Andrew Lewis.

More details about the festival and ticketing information is available online at www.bangormusicfestival.org.uk