On Wednesday 17^th September at 7pm in the Old Courthouse, Ruthin, RAN is privileged to welcome Jude Traharne, an independent film-maker, as our guest speaker. 

Jude spent 14 years in the BBC eventually becoming a Director and Series Producer. Her work took her all over the world and she made documentaries in the USA, Europe and the Middle East. Her most famous interviewee was the late Muhammad Ali!

She left the BBC in 2000 to work with vulnerable groups, eventually becoming CEO of Age Connects North Wales Central in 2012. In 2016, she left to form Mother Mountain Productions (MMP) to use her media skills to give vulnerable groups a voice in mainstream media.

MMP grew and their team developed a bespoke way of using Virtual Reality, to put the participant in the shoes of “ the other” - that might be a person of a different race, religion or gender, facilitating greater empathy and a better understanding of the situation of others. Jude believes this is one of the ways we can build a more compassionate society.

MMP’s work has been celebrated in BBC news, Crimewatch and numerous print media. Recent projects involved putting legal professionals in the shoes of victims of domestic abuse, police officers in the shoes of victims of hate crime, and young people in the shoes of teenagers facing bullying, drug abuse, self-harm and sexual exploitation.

Jude lives near Ruthin with her two large but friendly dogs and enjoys walking. We are sure that Jude's presentation will provide food for thought about how the creative arts can shape and influence perceptions and thinking.

We look forward to seeing you on the 17th at 7pm. All welcome!

Our social event on 22^nd July featured Cefyn Burgess, an internationally renowned design and textile artist, who has had successful exhibitions both in the UK and abroad, alongside a number of commissions.

His work begins with photographs and sketches of the desired subject, following which textiles are designed which reflect physical characteristics of the subject and then woven. On the fabric a detailed portrayal of the subject is then sewn to create a textured picture. Cefyn’s presentation was illustrated by many slides which showed sources of his inspiration, notably the closing of his own chapel and the missionary work of Welsh Ministers in the Khasi area of India and in Patagonia. This led him to complete works in both countries which show how Welsh culture and tradition have influenced and been absorbed and maintained locally.

Slides of beautiful, evocative pieces of work were accompanied by clear explanations (with humorous asides!) in Cymraeg, with live English translation provided by Marion Rees. Cefyn’s workshop is located at Ruthin Craft Centre where pieces of his work are also displayed and well worth a look for anyone who was unable to attend our event.

After Cefyn’s presentation, refreshments were available and people took the opportunity to mingle and network.

Our next RAN social evening will be on Wednesday, 17.9.25 at Hen Llys (the Old Courthouse, Ruthin) at 7pm. Our speaker will be Jude Traharne who is an independent documentary film-maker. Jude has entitled her presentation: ‘How virtual reality can help build a more compassionate world’. It promises to be an interesting and inspiring evening which may enable creatives to consider how this may be reflected in their own work.

Please spread the word and we will look forward to seeing you on 17^th September!

Ruthin Arts Network would like to thank Dr Rajan Madhok, our latest guest speaker, for a fascinating and moving talk on 8^th May in the Old Courthouse, Ruthin. Many people gathered to listen to the story of Rajan’s journey, as a young doctor, from India to the UK. 

After his initial training in Delhi, and arriving in the UK in 1980, Rajan worked as a public health doctor. Over the years, he worked his way up the system and held senior medical management positions in the NHS.

Rajan highlighted the events of his life by sharing some of his poems. This poem expresses his feelings about leaving India and becoming an immigrant:

The immigrant 

Leaving on that jet plane
for the distant shores
dream come true
going to Britain
new start, new life
excited and daunted
Will I make it
Will it be worthwhile
Will I miss folk back home
Will they miss me
Fast forward four decades
neither Indian nor British
pulled by both
resentful of both
India of youth gone
Britain has changed too
Or is it me
unable to adapt
rootless and restless
the first-generation immigrant

Rajan’s work in the NHS took him all over the UK, beginning in the Shetland Islands. It was on retiring to Denbighshire in 2018, though, and meeting his partner Helen, that he learned to speak Welsh. 

In Ruthin, Rajan went on to set up the Ruthin India Cultural Exchange (RICE), which has hosted many social events over the years, including celebrating Diwali and St David’s Day. Rajan sees this organisation as “food (rice) for the soul”. RICE brings people together from different cultures and promotes the rich traditions of Wales and India: https://ruthinindiaculturalexchange.com/ 

It was pleasing to hear that after many years of feeling like he didn’t belong in the UK, Rajan now feels at home in North Wales, as conveyed in this poem:

Fy adre

Home, I am darling
That’s how I feel in Wales
A place where I belong
Like a king, befitting my name*

Not out of choice, but was destined
Stuff happened so could discover
What it means to be alive and loved
Darling, I am home 

(*Rajan means a king in Hindi)

If you’d like to find out more about Rajan’s journey, please follow this link to his essay, ‘My Wales – Coming Home’: https://ruthinindiaculturalexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/my-wales-an-essay-by-rajan-madhok-2023.docx-5.pdf

After Rajan’s well-received talk, people gathered in groups to discuss the Arts in Ruthin and what can be done to improve creativity and collaboration in the town. 

Ruthin Arts Network hopes to host another social evening soon. Watch this space for further details!

The advent of Spring with the showing of flowers and trees coming into leaf is a wonderful reminder of nature’s own cycle of creativity. In parallel with this, Ruthin Arts Network have invited all creatives to submit an example of their work with the theme of, ‘Change in Ruthin’. However you wish to interpret this title, you are invited to submit a piece of your work in whatever style or genre you choose, be it: drawing, painting, photography, poetry, performance art, sculpture, textiles, music, dance, etc. Please send your contributions to admin@ruthinartsnetwork.wales and we will showcase your work from now until May. Anything you contribute will only be seen on the website and not shared elsewhere but your creation will serve to give ideas to others and fuel the local creative spark!

On Thursday, 8th of May, our next social event will be held at the Old Courthouse when our speaker will be Dr Rajan Madhok. He came to the UK, as a young doctor from India in 1980, and after working all over, starting in the Shetland Islands, he retired to Wales (saved the best till the last!). Having lived to work previously (sic) he was keen to make up for it and immersed himself in the things Wales has to offer, including learning Welsh. He will share an overview of this journey illustrated by examples of his writings and some poetry (he is keen to emphasise that he is no poet, though he tries to be one). A fascinating and inspirational evening is in prospect.  

We look forward to seeing you on 8.5.25 at 7pm at the Old Courthouse!

What a great evening Ruthin Arts Network had on 12^th February! Dr Dan Muckle-Jones talked about his passion for photography and his involvement with Ruthin Camera Club. The audience was treated to an array of stunning photographs taken by Dan and members of the Camera Club, and there was a chance to ask Dan questions about his artistic journey.

Dan said, “I have been interested in photography since I was a teenager, but it has become more of a passion since I retired from my career in medicine. I would still describe myself as an enthusiastic amateur. I have produced work across various genres, but my main interest is in documentary and street photography. Photographs have the power to inform, entertain, challenge and persuade.”

“Photography is fundamentally a human endeavour,” Dan added. “We all have a viewpoint, and a photograph says something about the way its producer sees the world. Photography teaches me to look. I try to produce images with a strong sense of narrative or emotion. I look for interactions between subjects, and I am always on the lookout for visual puns.”

Dan is also drawn to photographing the ordinary, and he’s fascinated by the way photographing something mundane can somehow raise its perceived significance.  

Ruthin Camera Club was formed in 1986, and is part of a network of camera clubs around the UK and across the world. Dan joined in 2017 in order to meet other photographers and develop his craft.  

He explained, “I have been the club’s secretary since 2022, and have been very involved with rebuilding the club after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am pleased to say that the club is now growing – we have 30 members with an age range of 12 to 90 years, and nearly half are women. We are grateful to have been awarded a grant from Denbighshire Leisure Ltd this year, which has enabled us to buy new projection equipment and greatly increase the quality of our presentations. We like looking at pictures, making pictures and talking about pictures. Our programme includes a variety of workshops, lectures, competitions and various photographic challenges. We have also been holding an annual exhibition in Ruthin for the last couple of years. We are open to new members; please visit our website www.ruthincameraclub.com for further information.”

After Dan’s fascinating talk, everyone chatted about their own creative journeys and networked. Artists, photographers, performers, cabinet makers, wood turners, writers, singers and musicians were in attendance, and one thing was agreed by all: art, in all its forms, makes the world a more interesting and reflective place, and gives rise to rewarding collaborations.

On Tuesday, 12^th November, Ruthin Arts Network (RAN) organised an evening of inspiration and collaboration for local artists and creatives.

Bethan M. Hughes, a textiles artist, and Artist in Residence at Ruthin Craft Centre, gave a fascinating talk about her journey as an artist and the wonderful projects she has been involved in. A former librarian, Bethan Hughes changed career to become a full-time artist working through the medium of stitch, thread and textiles.

Bethan commented: “I was delighted to be invited to speak at the meeting and to share my practice and recent projects with the network members. Whatever our area of creativity, it's always inspiring to hear from other artists about their own medium, their sources of inspiration and how they use their creative skills. I shared my experience as the current Artist in Residence at Ruthin Craft Centre, and about my quilt-making which I use as a voice to explore democracy, identity and campaigning. I also spoke about two community creative projects I ran this year inspired by the Welsh Women's Peace Petition of 1923/4. It was great to have a discussion in response to questions from the audience, and then to network over a glass of wine! Diolch to the network for the opportunity.”

Recently, Bethan received a commission by sponsors Siop y Siswrn to create the prizes for Gŵyl Aled, the national Cerdd Dant festival, held in Mold. You can read more about Bethan’s exciting work here: https://bethanmhughes.wordpress.com/

RAN would like to thank Bethan for her insightful talk in Cymraeg, and Marion Rees for her excellent live translation during the evening. (The photo of Bethan is taken by photographer Dewi Tannatt Lloyd.)

Following the talk, attendees gathered in small groups to discuss their own artistic journeys and to get to know each other better. It was great to hear about the work in sculpting, writing, music, film, furniture making, art, dance and textiles that is going on locally, and the participants said they would like more evenings like this where they could spark ideas off each other and plan future collaborations. 

Adam Young is the Events Manager at Ruthin Market Hall, and his own artistic practice is in Live Art, Social Practice and Installation. Adam thoroughly enjoyed the evening hosted by RAN, and said: “Hearing Bethan talk about her practice, thinking and methodology was incredibly inspiring to me as I have myself taken a break from my own artistic work in recent years. Being able to gather in person with other creative folks, especially as someone relatively new to the town, is invaluable to make contacts and find out what other people are working on. I can see in RAN the potential to become a vital part of driving forward new collaboration between members and organisations alike.” 

Ruthin Arts Network hope to plan a similar event early next year. You can find out more about RAN here: https://ruthinartsnetwork.wales/

It’s great to have something to look forward to in the winter months. Fortunately, Ruthin has lots of interesting events, here are a few:

Saturday 26 October to Saturday 2 November: 10.30 – 4pm at Ruthin Gaol:

‘Halloween Spooky Trail’, so dress up in your best Halloween costume and come along.

Sunday 3 November: 2.30pm – 5pm at Nant Clwyd Y Dre:

A celebration of Diwali organised by Ruthin-India Cultural Exchange.

Saturday 30 November: 10am – 4pm at 7 different locations around town:

Ruthin Christmas Extravaganza with around 200 stalls.

Saturday 30 November: 7.30pm at Ruthin Farmers Livestock Auction

Côr NantClwyd charity concert with Pres Llareggub brass band and Tewtewtennau.

Tuesday 3 December: 11am – 2pm at Nant Clwyd Y Dre:

Fused glass snowflake workshop

Weekends of 7/8 and 14/15 December at Nant Clwyd Y Dre:

‘Christmas through the ages’ celebration.

Wednesday 4 December – time to be confirmed at Ruthin Farmers Livestock Auction:

Meibion Marchan concert for the RABI charity.

Regular Events

Every Tuesday: 7.30pm - 9.30pm: The Tabernacle Chapel, Well Street:

Ruthin Camera Club- Speakers and competitions, encouraging an active interest in photography

Every Thursday: 7pm -10.30pm at the Feathers Inn, Well Street:

Ruthin AllStyles Folk and Acoustic Music Club

Last Friday of month at Ruthin Castle:

Open mic music night

Last Saturday of the month( except December): 10am - 12 noon at Ruthin Library:

Ruthin Writers meeting

If you’re hosting an event, please let us know and we’ll help publicise your event on our Facebook page and website.

The Ruthin Arts Network (RAN) was launched in February of this year. With the help of Haydn Peers of Snowdon Digital, a group of volunteers have created a bilingual website for artists and craftspeople in the area. They’re delighted that many creatives have already signed up to the website―singers, musicians, writers, artists, sculptors, dancers and furniture makers have all come forward. Anyone who is creative is welcome to register on the website free of charge: ruthinartsnetwork.wales.

On Wednesday 17^th July, the latest Ruthin Arts Network (RAN) social evening took place at the Feathers Inn.

The highlight of the evening was listening to singer and guitarist Penni Neale, who performed a variety of songs including an original song of her own. Penni’s main influences are folk, country and jazz, and she can be found singing at the Feathers Inn on Thursday evenings at the regular Folk Club there. Everyone really enjoyed her performance.

The evening was also an opportunity for creative people to chat and network. As Mark Ratcliffe, an award-winning craftsperson who makes bespoke furniture, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people from different disciplines to talk to each other. When people of an artistic inclination come together, they can uplift and inspire each other in different ways.” For example, a single conversation could spark a new line of thought and creativity, with wonderful outcomes. (If you’d like to know more about Mark’s work, this is his website: https://www.markratcliffe.co.uk/)

During the social evening, the committee members asked the attendees what they’d like to see from RAN in the future. Some of the answers included having a chance to find out more about each other’s disciplines, having readings during the socials to spark discussion and debate, and trying to promote some kind of larger online collaboration to spread the word about what RAN are doing. 

RAN hope to have a public meeting in September to gather more views and to outline the Network’s developments so far.If you’re a creative person of any kind, you can sign up to the RAN website here: https://ruthinartsnetwork.wales/  You will then be able to read the latest blogs, find out about local events, and receive invitations to socials.

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th August 2024

Last year’s Wellbeing Weekend in Llanelidan was a big success and so the ‘Friends of St Elidan’ (the community group that maintains the churchyard and organises events at St Elidan’s Pilgrim Church)
want to build on this success and make 2024’s Wellbeing Weekend even better.

More details will be available online nearer the time (or you can contact Pat on 01824 750288 to find
out more), but this is what is planned this year:

SATURDAY 3RD AUGUST

The weekend will begin with Celtic Morning Prayer, led by Rev Diana Greenfield. Saturday’s events
will include sessions on ‘Chanting for Healing’, ‘The Art of Relaxation’ and a Sound Bath Meditation.
There will be mindful Art activities taking place during the afternoon alongside drop-in therapy
taster sessions in the church, including Acupressure, Hands-on healing, Reflexology and Indian head
massage. There will also be a chance to catch up with friends and neighbours over afternoon tea.

SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST

Sunday will include an introduction to Tai Chi, a Poetry Writing Workshop, a gentle and prayerful
walk around the village of Llanelidan and a Taizé service in the church to end the weekend.
Pat Sumner, Secretary of ‘Friends of St Elidan’, said: “The last few years have been so hard for so
many people. We’ve endured a pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis, which have really taken their
toll. Many people feel stressed, low and weary, so we wanted to offer a weekend where busy people
can take some time out to focus on their own wellbeing, healing and relaxation.”
More details will follow on the ‘St Elidan’s Pilgrim Church’ Facebook page and here:
https://dyffrynclwyd.co.uk/worship/events/wellbeing/

Local Artist, Daniel Nyman updates us on some exciting things! Read below for more:

As a family of artists, we have recently moved to Wales and are starting an art collective workshop/business focusing on 3D pumpkin carving Halloween events.

Pumpkins are a wonderful material to carve in and make unique, spooky sculptures that are a magical sight to see in a shop window, on a ghostly trail around your favourite castle or at any other venue that celebrates Halloween and all things gothic.

Pumpkins last for up to a week left to the elements. However, if you are looking for something with a little more longevity, then a spookily preserved pumkin or sweet potato specimen is for you. Stored in a perspex container and incubated in a vinegar/water solution for their own safety, these critters will last for months or maybe even a year, so you can enjoy them for longer.

Walk around the grounds to see them all or have them displayed in different corners of your hotel/venue as curios.

If you want a more hands-on experience, you can learn how to carve them. Come and join us for fun and informative courses in a relaxed and beautiful setting.

What we do:

• Pumpkin carving courses for children and adults.
• Pumpkin trails.
• Preserved 3D carved pumpkins and sweet potatoes.
• Advertising pumpkins (your logo/business here)

Wood carving and mixed media events to come.

Watch this space. 

On 15^th May 2024 Ruthin Arts Network organised a social event for creative people in the Ruthin area.   The main aim of the event, which was held at The Feathers pub in Ruthin, was to strengthen the artistic community in the town.  

The inspirational evening, was attended by musicians, writers, basket weavers, dancers, actors, directors, playwrights, song writers and more.   Music by the folk-rock band The Amazing Clouds started the evening off followed by poetry readings from Patrica Sumner (local author and poet), Diana Sanders (local musician and poet) and Tim Baker (playwright and theatre director).  Tim also treated the audience to a reading of the first part of Under Milk Wood in Welsh.   The rest of the evening was given over to networking, socialising, and discussing the various artforms represented by local people.

With recent arts funding cuts the need to create a strong creative community is important.  Most of us have had our lives enriched by the arts and the benefits of arts in the community are many.  Abba summed it up simply in their lyrics ‘without a song or a dance what are we?’ But if we look at the benefits in more depth, we realise that the arts have numerous benefits to us as individuals and to our society.  They are a medium for communicating ideas and self-expression.  They provide therapeutic benefits such as occupational therapy and music in hospitals.  They can chronicle history, comment on political events and preserve cultural heritage and crafts. They bring cohesion to our villages and towns in the form of theatre groups, book, art, craft making clubs etc. 

In short, the arts have the power to inspire us, open our minds and bring a sense of well-being and belonging.

Are you a Welsh speaker? Do you write in Welsh? Seize the opportunity to have your everyday Welsh writing featured in the Ruthin International Arts Festival, where it will connect and resonate with other Welsh speakers from around the globe. Write to us by 20 May 2024 to RuthinArtsFestival@outlook.com

Published on behalf of Ruthin International Arts Festival

We invite Welsh speakers worldwide to contribute to a special exhibition at the Ruthin International Arts Festival, taking place from 28 June to 4 July 2024 in Ruthin, North Wales, UK. Under the theme "Elsewhere," we aim to bring the essence of Welshness from across the globe back to Ruthin, celebrating the language in its many forms and uses.

This call is open to everyone, from anywhere, to share their everyday Welsh writing. Whether it's professional pieces, personal reflections, or casual writings—if it connects with the theme "Elsewhere," we want to showcase it. We’re particularly interested in material that captures the everyday experiences of Welsh speakers living "elsewhere" and how they connect with their Welsh identity.

Work will be presented as prints and part of exhibition objects, integrating them into a curated space that reflects on the theme through a Welsh lens.

Submission guidelines:

We welcome all types of writing in Welsh—poems, short stories, letters, diary entries, or any piece that speaks to your experience with the theme "Elsewhere."
Please send your work by 20 May 2024 to RuthinArtsFestival@outlook.com

Well, we are up and running! Take a look at this, our new Ruthin Arts Network website and you will see instantly that it involves a range of creative activities mounted and explored by an expanding range of creative people who want to stay in touch with each other.

The idea for a website came almost casually, through a conversation about the lack of “space” (either virtual or real) in our area where artists can mingle and connect. We formed a small committee and to our delight discovered that the Arts Council of Wales have a fund that is specifically geared to networking and connections between artists. Before long we had a grant and enough money to commission a website from Haydn Peers at Snowdon Digital, with a small sum left over for events.

In December last year we launched the Ruthin Arts Network at the Old Court House in Ruthin, with some live music and then input from committee members to a small but appreciative audience. The whole project was well received and conversations went on in a positive vein afterwards.

Apart from basic administration and housekeeping, the website is, simply, what its members want it to be. We are not prescriptive in any way at all. Our hope is that artists, both semi-professional, amateur and professional, will meet through the website and get a greater sense of an artistic community in and around Ruthin. New collaborations and proposals to work together would of course be welcomed, but we mainly see the Network as a conduit for conversations, both between artists and artists and the communities they live in.

However, we also have ideas for the future, including being present at artistic events in and around Ruthin and mounting our own Social events. If you’re interested, come along to our next one, in the Feathers Inn in Ruthin on Wednesday, 15th May. There’ll be live music and an opportunity to meet and chat with like-minded people. See you there….?

Project Background

Llys Awelon in Ruthin, Denbighshire is an extra care housing scheme established in 2011 by Grŵp Cynefin, in partnership with Denbighshire County Council. The scheme provides home, support and care services for people over 60.

Llys Awelon is being completely redeveloped to create a modern, low-carbon, purpose-built scheme to meet the needs of older people in the Denbighshire area. An additional 35 flats will be added to the existing 21.

As part of the social value clause which incorporates community benefits, Grŵp Cynefin and Read Construction, project developers, are funding a community art project.

Artist Brief

We are looking for an artist of any discipline to create a piece of work for the new building between June-November 2024, who meets the following criteria:

• Artist must be local (north Wales area) or have a strong connection to Ruthin
• Artist must be Welsh speaking to provide bilingual engagement sessions
• Suggested themes for art piece are home and community, heritage, or nature
• Intergenerational – including minimum of five sessions with Llys Awelon residents and pupils from Ysgol Pen Barras primary school
• All types of art will be considered but it needs to be suitable to be exhibited inside or outside the final building
• An environmental and sustainable element is encouraged

We also welcome joint applications from more than one artist.

The budget for the project is £6000 including VAT to include artist’s costs, engagement sessions, materials, travel costs and the final piece including its installation.

Artist Brief - Community Art Project