In the series two finale, we explore how visual arts can create powerful international connections.
Sir John Akomfrah discusses his immersive exhibition Listening All Night to the Rain, which premieres this Saturday, 24 May, at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. It marks the first stop on its UK national tour, following its acclaimed run at the 60th Venice Biennale.
Museum curators Lowri Angharad Williams and Ceri Jones also reveal how the installation - weaving themes of memory, migration, and climate change through sonic landscapes - represents a significant moment for Wales in the global arts scene.
Then we journey to Paris with artist Anna Falcini as she explores the legacy of Welsh artist Gwen John. She traces Gwen John's footsteps in Paris, discovering personal letters and notebooks in the Musée Rodin archives inspiring a moving performance piece.
Produced by Hannah Loy for British Council Wales.
Georgia Ruth explores innovative theatre partnerships across borders. Discover Dirty Protest Theatre's "The Exquisite Corpse" initiative with Brazil's People's Palace Projects – a creative chain connecting artists in Wrexham, Rhondda Valley, and Caernarfon with indigenous performers from the Wauja community in the Amazon region of Brazil.
The episode then features Hijinx Theatre's 'Bon Appétit,' a playful puppetry project with France's Compagnie de L'Oiseau-Mouche that includes performers with learning disabilities. Using the absence of a Welsh equivalent for "Bon Appétit" as inspiration, this Wales in France programme production examines cultural connections through food.
Produced by Hannah Loy for British Council Wales
In this second episode Georgia Ruth explores the significance of international collaboration for Welsh writers.
Playwright Ian Rowlands discusses his boundary-pushing 'Aurora Borealis' anti-theatre project developed with South African theatre director and performer Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni, challenging conventional performances through cross-cultural approaches.
The episode then delves into the powerful Room/Ystafell/Phòng anthology with poet Joshua Jones, who speaks with Welsh Poets Lauren Morais and Leo Drayton along with their collaborators in Viet Nam, Xuân Tùng and Maik Cây. They discuss their projects celebrating LGBTQ+ communities' spaces and exploring queer identities, heritage, and unexpected parallels between Wales and Vietnam. Through poetry, photography, dance and other disciplines, these creative exchanges transcend cultural boundaries while preserving distinct voices.
Musical collaborations spanning hemispheres as Georgia Ruth reflects on her experience of the Māori Cymraeg SongHubs project with acclaimed producer Greg Haver.
Welsh musician Carwyn Ellis, and Aotearoa New Zealand artist and producer Kingdon Chapple Wilson (aka KINGS) explain how recent release 'Marae' was created.
APRA's Stormie Kereopa-Lloyd and Natasha Beckman of British Council New Zealand provide context for these cross-cultural exchanges.
The journey continues with Lleuwen Steffan's captivating 'Tafod Arian' project, revitalising Welsh sacred music traditions. She speaks with Elen Elis, Artistic Director of the National Eisteddfod of Wales about her tour of 50 chapels and the evolution of her music and production skills through The Global Network for Women Music Producers.
Breaking Boundaries: Season Two
From Wales to New Zealand, Vietnam, Brazil, and beyond...
Join award-winning Welsh musician Georgia Ruth for a new four-part podcast series exploring how artists across different disciplines are pushing creative boundaries and fostering international collaborations.
Featuring interviews with diverse Welsh artists and cultural figures, the series uncovers how international exchange enriches creative practice, builds lasting connections, and positions Wales on the global arts stage.
The series includes Welsh musicians Carwyn Ellis and producer Greg Haver, discussing their work connecting with musicians and producers in Aotearoa, New Zealand; Lleuwen Steffan sharing how her 'Tafod Arian' project celebrates the roots of Welsh sacred music; writer Ian Rowlands exploring his boundary-pushing 'Aurora Borealis' anti-theatre project; and poet Joshua Jones celebrating LGBTQ+ communities' spaces with connections to Vietnam.
Listeners will also hear from Welsh theatre companies Dirty Protest Theatre and Hijinx about their connections with communities in France and remote areas of Brazil; internationally acclaimed artist Sir John Akomfrah discussing his upcoming exhibition moving from the Venice Biennale to the National Museum Wales; and Anna Falcini's connection with France and exploration of Welsh artist Gwen John's legacy.
In the fourth episode of this Breaking Boundaries series, Jafar and Hannah bring together creatives from Wales and Sub-Saharan Africa to chat about their practices, the connections they made together and how they are hoping to collaborate in the future.
Patrick McGuinness and Peggie Shangwa discuss their shared love of poetry and storytelling, Branwen Davies and Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi explore their connection through theatre and performance and Cat M’Crystal Fletcher and Margaret Chideme exchange their experiences of independent publishing.
We hear from the British Council team, Natasha Nicholls, Rebecca Gould, and Melody Sango on the origins of the scoping trip and plans for the next phase and we end the programme with an exclusive reading by poet Peggie Shangwa.
In this episode, podcast producers Hannah Loy and Jafar Iqbal discuss their experience in South Africa and Zimbabwe, introducing two creatives they met during their travels: Ismail Mahomed – known as the ‘Godfather of the Arts’ in South Africa and Alex Gwaze, a Zimbabwean filmmaker, curator, conceptual artist, writer and founder of MUD Journal.
In Episode 2, Jafar chats to acclaimed playwright and dramaturg Branwen Davies and Artistic Director of theatre company Frân Wen, Gethin Evans.
They have a lively discussion about their experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, including their personal highlights from South Africa and Zimbabwe, the invaluable lessons they've learned and how the international experience has energised their creative practice.
Episode 3 will be out on 9th October, featuring a conversation between theatre producer Jafar and BBC Content Producer Hannah Loy.
Academic, critic, novelist, and poet, Patrick McGuinness will join Cat M’Crystal- Fletcher, a multi-media creative, who also works as Publishing Account Manager with Rowanvale Books, for a lively discussion on their experience in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of a recent British Council scoping trip.
They chat about their personal highlights from South Africa and Zimbabwe, the invaluable lessons they've learned, and how the experience has influenced their creative practice.
Next episode coming 25 September – it features acclaimed playwright, dramaturg and theatre director, Branwen Davies and Gethin Evans, Artistic Director at Frân Wen, a Welsh language theatre company based in North West Wales.
Coming soon to the British Council Wales website … From Wales to South Africa to Zimbabwe and back again.
