Where it all began!

In 2021 I worked on an international research and development collaboration project Eye See Ai with Hijinx theatre company and the Mat Tran Ensemble and Tohe Fun in Vietnam. We created short performances in Wales for specific locations in Hanoi using augmented reality technology, the audience would then be able to view the performances at the chosen locations on their phones. Similarly, work was created in Hanoi for specific locations in Cardiff, Wales.

The whole process was fascinating, particularly the technology, I began thinking about what could be achievable if you could use this kind of technology for live performance, this is where the idea for Gorlwyth began.

The thought process and concept also began during the Eye See Ai project, and really all came from one image, an image of knotty cables entwined and suspended in Hanoi. This will all become clear later on! I will try and locate that photo too to share as it really did spark all this off.

The next step was arranging a chat with Arts Director, Osian Gwynn at Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre in Bangor, to basically say ‘I have this idea, what do you think and is it something Pontio might support?’ I got a hugely positive response, and as a freelance artist the support of a venue like Pontio is invaluable as it means you can bring an idea to fruition. There is no way it could have happened without the support of a theatre venue, particularly as there is so much tech involved, the space itself is intrinsic to the process. It is a far cry from my last project Heb Ffiniau, where we found ourselves alone dancing in the landscape, space, stillness, and a phone on the side of mountain.

I love that my work is so changeable, although there are perhaps surprisingly many connections under the surface between Heb Ffiniau and Gorlwyth. Heb Ffiniau translates as ‘without boundaries’, for me this means anything is possible and a little bit of an anarchic nod to not getting put in a box.

I can’t wait to share more with you about the project, the research and development process, our amazing team and the next step, do come and check out the Gorlwyth page over the coming weeks, honestly I am so excited about this!

I am hugely grateful to Pontio Arts Centre for their support, and the tech team at Pontio for all their help, diolch yn fawr!

Also thank you to the Arts Council of Wales for their continued support, this project was funded through the Create grant and National Lottery funding.