Cynefin Manifesto

One of the outcomes of the Creative Wales Award funded by the Arts Council of Wales was the creation of a Manifesto for Cynefin. We would welcome any feedback since this is an active document which will be reviewed and change so that it makes more and more sense of Sensory Labyrinth Theatre.

Ysbrydnos Success

Congratulations and thank you to all involved in the recent production at Caerdroia.

There were armies of local artists and volunteers involved, the performances were sold out and it hardly rained.

Directors Jacqui Banks, Ceri Rimmer and Megan Broadmeadow brought together a committed group of volunteers who succeeded in keeping the magic of Caerdroia alive for another year.

They also created a facebook group which has an ever growing membership and photographs from the performance.

Talking of which there is another facebook group called Into the Labyrinth... which is for anyone who has ever performed in a Cynefin Labyrinth performance.

YSBRYDNOS

Annoucing the fourth Cynefin production at the Caerdroia site. As the night draws closer "Ysbrydnos" will be inviting travellers to celebrate the Welsh fetival of 'Calan Gaeaf,' the Celtic 'Samain' or what is now known as Halloween.

Performances are 25th - 31st October
Tickets - £8/£6
Tickets from Menter Iaith: 01492 642357

As always, there is the opportunity for volunteers to take part in the performance. If you are local to Llanrwst and would like to take part please contact Jacqui Banks on 07875 390885

North Wales Stage Close

It is with sadness that we report that the Arts Council of Wales has withdrawn the funding for North Wales Stage, which has now closed as a result. North Wales Stage took the risk of commissioning Cynefin to create the Caerdroia and the three performances in the Labyrinth. It seems that this in another nail in the coffin of innovative and challenging theatre and the pill is more bitter for knowing that the withdrawn funding is going to feed the insatiable corporate monster that is the London Olympics.

The government claim that the cut of a third in all arts funding which is being used for the Olympics will go towards a 'Cultural Olympiad.' We all know what centralized cultural initiatives look like...remember the Millennium Dome?

You can sign a petition here to stop this tide of cultural sportification...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/lotteryolympics/

Return to Caerdroia...Perhaps

Latest news is that after thinking that we had said goodbye forever to our Labyrinth instillation in the Gwydyr Forest, the kind people of the forest...no not fairies but the group formed to represent the people who live in the forest, Golygfa Gwydyr, have asked us back. In a recent consultation exercise they did with the forest folk one of the common requests was for a return of the performances. So we are currently working together to raise funds for a...wait for it...a Halloween Labyrinth. This time the production is done on the cheap because of the bloody London Olympics which is already syphoning off arts funding into the corporate coffers, the actors will all be local volunteers. So if you are local to the Conwy Valley and are reading this and fancy getting involved...not necessarily acting but helping out in some way with your time, please get in touch.

Of course whether it happens hinges on funding applications succeeding but Cynefin are looking forward to the challenge of making a Labyrinth on the night of ghosts (Ysbrydnos, in Welsh) which pricks at the psychology of fear and the otherworld, without scaring the pants of people.

Cynefin and non-labyrinth work

Although Cynefin's main aim is to create Sensory Labyrinth Theatre and that is the focus of this site, there are in the large gaps apparent between these news items other activities undertaken under the Cynefin banner. Director, Iwan Brioc, has created his own website to report on some of these activities - www.iwanbrioc.com which are compatable with Cynefin's objectives but might not be of interest to those who associate Cynefin with the Labyrinth performances.

Back from Bulgaria

A big thank you to the Bulgarian hosts of the European Youth Action Training project - "Towards the other...through yourself". High in the mountains of Southern Bulgaria we again created something magical together. This time, having 4 performances meant the Labyrinth became stronger and deeper with each showing, to the point where audiences started to come out at the end being unable to speak....for us a sign that it is working.

Thanks also to the partners who brought with them the talent, committment and compassion to let miracles happen. I'm sure we'll meet again in that timeless space...where the inner and the outer become one.

More pictures can bee seen in the 'pictures' section, really good ones too thanks to photographer Ivan Donchev.

Bulgaria Again

"Towards the Other Through Yourself" is the next port of call for Cynefin. This will be a training based on our successful Rites of Passage training and will take place 24 - 31 of April in Goze Delchev - a town in Souther Bulgaria.

Artists working with disadvantaged young people from Malta, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal will be coming together for the week to learn about how Sensory Labyrinth Theatre can be used to help create Communitas - This is what anthropologist Victor Turner identified as being the glue which binds communities together and which springs forth from people being together in liminal states.

The labyrinth is a perfect environment to invite these states - where role and status, time and space, you and me become blurred.

We say goodbye to Caerdroia

Heuldro Gaeaf was a popular success, with tickets sold out for the second week...the first week being a bit slow with the weather being inclement...to say the least. Noticed that the audiences we did get that week seemed familiar with extreme mountaineering, or that's what I assumed by the gear they were wearing.

It was more expedition than production and credit must go to the actors, who were heroic in their stamina and commitment. They were, in order of appearance –

Mike Hotson, Ceri Rimmer, Osvaldo Couto, Dobrinka Valkova, Osian Brieg Jones, Seah Hotson, Fiona Collins, Jacquie Banks, Catherine Higgins, Megan Broadmeadow, Emlyn Gomer, Aaron, Sally and Toddy, Paola Silva and Sion Corn (Santa) who showed up at a very busy time.

With Thanks to:

Ian Rowlands, Llio Huws Llwyfan Gogledd Cymru, Menter Iaith Conwy, Rosie a Meirion, Golygfa Gwydir, CADW, Claudia Bryan, Gwdihw, Del Davies, Richard Goodrick, Caffi Contessa, Caffi Angelo, Tacsis Menyn, Arfon a Wyn Roberts, Comisiwn Coedwigaeth, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, Bwrdd Partneriaeth Twristiaeth Gogledd Cymru.

Again, as with Heudlro Haf, it was ignored by the critics and no reviews have been written other than the comments in the comments book in which the audience are invited to..uh..comment. There were no negative ones and most said they had discovered the 'spirit of Christmas,' some for the first time in a long long time.

Heuldro Gaeaf was the last performance on this scale that Cynefin and Llwyfan Gogledd Cymru will produce at the Caerdroia site. The chances of raising similar funding from the Arts Council for more performances are close to zero in the current funding climate. Nevertheless, Golygfa Gwydyr, the local committee who manage the site are planning to make performances there with plans for a storytelling event well under way. We wish them luck and are encouraged by the enthusiasm with which they continue to develop the labyrinth site as a venue for exciting and innovative work that is relevant to the unique cultuiral heritage of its location.

Next for Cynefin...watch this space.