At Llwynegrin Hall on the Flintshire County Hall campus, the Vice Chair of Flintshire County Council, Cllr. Hilary McGuill hosted a press reception last Friday to launch this year’s festival.
Harpists from the Flintshire County Music School performed a selection of classical and contemporary pieces and the Chair of the Flintshire Artsfest, Sue Taylor, announced the full programme of Flintshire Artsfest ‘11.
The organisers have endeavoured to build on the growing success of the Festival in 2010 by planning an Artsfest which will encompass all the major art forms with an emphasis on encouraging the development of the arts in Flintshire. This year’s Artsfest promises to be an exciting mix of performances and workshops with something to suit all tastes.
Artsfest 11 will take place between 11 March and 27 March 2011 and will be welcoming back some amazing artists such as Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate, and Rambert Dance Company. Young people from all over the county will perform and take part in workshops with internationally renowned artists such as Harpist Catrin Finch and Visual Artist Cefyn Burgess. The creative residents of Flintshire will have the opportunity to work with Visual Artist Jan Gardner and many other arts and crafts experts from around the region. Performances and workshops will be located across the county including Rhosesmor Village Hall, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Ysgol Flint Gwynedd, Gwaenysgor Village Hall and Bethesda Chapel, Mold, to name but a few.
Catrin Finch, described as “The Queen of Harps” has delighted audiences with her performances worldwide. Her versatility in different musical genres is demonstrated in her many recordings, which range from solo classical recitals and concertos through to an eclectic cross-over mix. Her most recent project takes some of Wales’ most popular traditional melodies presented in an innovative and refreshing way using electric harps, state of the art technology and groundbreaking sound effects. Catrin Finch will be performing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru on Sunday 13 March.
Hawarden High School will be hosting this year’s Flintshire County Music School’s Artsfest Concert which promises to be an inspirational evening of beautiful music by Flintshire’s most talented young singers and musicians, including the Senior County Youth Choir, String Orchestra, Wind Orchestra and Jazz Band. This fantastic experience not to be missed will take place on Friday 18 March.
On Tuesday 22 March the Clwyd Room, at Clwyd Theatr Cymru will house an evening of Jazz. This double header features internationally renowned saxophonist Alan Barnes, eight times winner at the British Jazz Awards, and Bruce Adams, thrice voted Best Trumpet Player at the event, appearing with Welsh jazz guitarist Trefor Owen and the Bill Coleman Trio, featuring Paul Sawtell on piano, Bill Coleman on double bass and Dave Hassell on the drums. The evening is organised in association with the North Wales Jazz Society.
There will also be a fantastic opportunity to see beautiful and intriguing work by members of the Flintshire Visual Arts and Craft Network. The exhibition in the Holywell Art & Craft Mill will comprise of various skills and techniques from painting to quilting, jewellery making to woodturning.
The festival will be closed with a musical extravaganza at Bethesda Chapel in Mold where Tara Bethan, in the company of some of Flintshire’s best voices, will entertain us in a bilingual evening of song with participation from the audience.
For the full programme of events to be held during Artsfest ’11 please contact the Artsfest Office on 01352 702471 or to book a ticket for any of the above events please contact the Clwyd Theatr Cymru Box Office on 0845 3303565.
