Find out what’s on in South Wales this week
After the hustle and bustle of the festive season, this week is a good one for some calm wanders around an art gallery.
Embrace the beauty of January melancholy with Julian Evan’s photography exhibition Dylan Thomas’ The Hunchback’s World (Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay, Mon 5-Sun 11 Jan. Admissions: free). Inspired by Dylan Thomas’ short and little known poem about loneliness, indifference and the cruelty of the young.
Also in the capital is Submersion/Ymdrochi (Arcade Cardiff, Wed 7-Sat 24 Jan. Admissions: free) by painter/printmaker Hannah M Morris and musician Owain Griffiths. Bringing together their different talents the two creators will be using all sorts of mediums to recreate a cold, windy and isolated trip in the Berwyn Mountains.
Carmarthen’s Oriel Myrddin Gallery will be not only be showcasing the work of several artists in Thin Place (Fri 10 Jan-Sat 28 Feb. Admissions: free) – an exhibition that explores the idea of the space between our world and the next – but will be running a number of events alongside it, including a curator’s talks, film screening and a symposium.
If you like your modernist art then the Taliesin Arts Centre will be exhibiting the work of 20th century Russian-French-Jewish artist Marc Chagall (Swansea, Fri 9 Jan-Sat 14 Feb. Admission: free) this week. Chagall’s colourful creations gained him a reputation as a pioneer of modernism and as a major Jewish artist.
For something with a bit more movement there is the Polaris Professional Jiu-Jitsu Invitational (St Davids Hall, Cardiff, Sat 10 Jan. Tickets: £25-£70). Competitors from around the world, who have perfected this close-combat martial arts technique, will be coming to Cardiff to take each other on . The line-up of fighers includes World champions Victor Estima and Jonathan Torres.
FHM Search For A Stand-up Competition winner Marlon Davis heads up The Best In Live Stand-up Comedy (Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Fri 9+Sat 10 Jan. Tickets: £15 / £5 NUS) this weekend – with Lloyd Griffith, Mick Ferry and Andrew Ryan in tow. Very much an up-and-comer Davis has charmed many with his energetic form of comedy. He’s been the finalist in three other national comedy awards and supported big names such as Kevin Bridges, Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr.
If your New Year’s resolution was to learn to play the spoons then you are in luck! The National Waterfront Museum is hosting a Playing The Spoons workshop (Swansea, Sat 10+Sun 11. Admissions: free). Musical cutlery connoisseurs Pat Smith and Ned Clamp will be performing, as well as running the workshop.
If there are any Downton fans out there who are needing a fix of their favourite show you can learn a little about Highclere Castle – the house behind Downton Abbey – at the South Wales Decorative and Fine Arts Society’s Lecture Downton Abbey Reavealed: The Story Of Highclere Castle (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Thurs 8 Jan. Admissions: £6). History buffs will also enjoy the lecture as the castle has a past with the Houses of Parliament, Ancient Egypt and royal horse racing.
If you’d rather appreciate young talent then old buildings then the University of South Wales’ Performing Arts students will be presenting tales from renowned short-story writer Anton Chekhov in their show Performing Chekhov (The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 8 Jan. Tickets: £7.50 / £5.50 conc).
And finally, ff Christmas hasn’t put you off shopping for life, then the Marina Market (Dylan Thomas Square, Swansea, Sun 11 Jan. Admissions: free) will offer some tasty fresh food and handy crafts for some Sunday strolling.