CARMARTHEN BAY FILM FESTIVAL
Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli
Tues 5-Sun 11 May
What: The week-long festival is the champion of
independent film and actively encourages and
supports filmmakers from across the world. This
is an opportunity to have your film screened and
judged, or to marvel at some great independent
projects.
Who: Gary Slaymaker, Dan Mitchell, Dan Thomas
How much: free
Info: www.carmarthenbayfilmfestival.co.uk
VALE OF GLAMORGAN MUSIC
FESTIVAL
Various locations across the Vale Of
Glamorgan,
Thurs 8-Sat 17 May
BIG SPLASH
Newport
Fri 30 May-Sun 1 June
What: Returning to the centre of Newport
for the fifth year in a row, the Big Splash is
a street performance festival that has every
form of amusement imaginable: from a caged
dance performances to unconventional balloon
modelling. The festivals big show will be its
Sunset Spectacular, where a whole host of local
arts companies will combine forces in a blaze
of fire, dance and music.
Who: Mary Bijou Cabaret, Kitsch n Sync, Tin
Shed
How much: free
Info: www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront
What: 45 years ago summer festivals were
in their heyday, with plenty of musical
celebrations popping up around the UK
and Woodstock making history across the
pond. As well as the moon landing and
John and Yoko’s massive lie-in, the year of
’69 also saw the start of the classical music
loving Vale Of Glamorgan Music Festival,
and it has been going strong ever since.
The heart of this year’s festival belongs to
Tarik O’Regan, a man whose influences
range from renaissance vocal writing to
North African music and jazz, and the late
Sir John Tavener, whose 70th birthday
was planned to be marked at the festival
but, due to his untimely death, he is now
being celebrated and commemorated in a
different manner.
The festival is about more than just
these two composers, however, as there
shall be a worldwide celebration of music.
Paul Hillier and the Chamber Choir Ireland
come from (you guessed it) Ireland, string
quartet Quatuor Tana arrive from Belgium,
Denmark offers up some goodies in the
form of Ensemble MidVest, and the Juice
Vocal Ensemble will be singing works
from Japanese composer Dai Fujikura
and South Africa’s Robert Fokkens.
Who: Hans Abrahamsen, Juice Voice
Ensemble, BBC National Orchestra Of
Wales
How much: Individual events £8-£20;
student £5-£10.50
Info: www.valeofglamorganfestival.org.
uk