Theatr Iolo announce the artists and partner venues they are working with during the third year of their artist development programme Platfform.

There are three residencies in the mix this year; building on existing relationships and creating new partnerships that will nurture and support artists in their exploration of creating new work for and with children and young people. The emphasis this year is on making work with and for families and…drum roll please.. We’re thrilled that Gavin Porter a filmmaker and theatre maker will be resident at The Riverfront, Newport. Gavin worked for National Theatre Wales leading on the Big Democracy Project and he has also worked in various freelance roles, including as an engagement artist and theatre director.

In what will be The Welfare, Ystradgynlais’ third year as a Platfform venue partner we are thrilled to announce that The Jones Collective will be taking up residence. The company is made up of designer Buddug James Jones and writer/director Jesse Briton. The collective work across art forms using real life stories, events and people to explore contemporary social issues. Their work draws inspiration from people and communities they meet, with a particular interest in working rurally to draw inspiration from the landscape and it's people.

 Brand new for year three is the exciting addition of Pontio, Bangor to the Platfform family. This new partnership has been designed specifically to support artists who are interested in making Welsh language or bilingual work with and for families. This residency is well under way with artist Elgan Rhys exploring the importance play has in the lives of children and adults alike, celebrating the complexities of the how, where, why, with who and what of play in our ever-busy world. Elgan is a bilingual performer, writer and creator and in his work with children he hopes to inspire fun and play, to build confidence and to ignite children's imaginations in a collaborative process as he develops original theatre for a family audience.

From Theatr Iolo’s Chair Rebecca Gould:

“Platfform has over the past two years offered audiences, artists and communities a wealth of incredibly creative activity to engage with. We’ve had walking tours featuring champion Unicorns, pieces on health and safety obsessed party planners, the phenomenon of teenage diaries explored and brought to life, the establishment of a whole new live art ensemble of young people experimenting with theatrical form, a brilliant new piece of spoken word theatre for teenagers and a unique exploration of how theatre can create spaces for children to navigate feelings of loss.  Year three promises to be just as exhilarating as we welcome Elgan, Gavin and The Jones Collective into this collaborative programme. We’re partnering once again with The Riverfront, Newport, The welfare Ystradgynlais; venues that have supported this ambitious and playful programme fantastically and we’re thrilled to be working with Pontio, Bangor for the first time to develop fresh, new welsh language work for families.”

Also new to the Platfform team is Theatr Iolo’s Artist Development Producer Megan Childs who will be working with all of these amazing artists and venues who share Theatr Iolo’s passion for the creation of new work rooted in the communities from where current and new young audience members come from.

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Mae'n bleser i allu rhannu manylion yr artistiaid a fydd yn cydweithio gyda Theatr Iolo a'r canolfannau-bartneriaid yn nhrydedd flwyddyn rhaglen datblygu artistiaid Theatr Iolo, Platfform.

Mae tri cyfnod preswyl yn rhan o'r arlwy eleni yn adeiladu ar, a chreu, partneriaethau a fydd yn annog a chefnogi artistiaid wrth iddynt greu gwaith newydd i blant a phobol ifanc. Bydd y pwyslais eleni ar greu gwaith i deuluoedd a....gyda bonllef fyddarol.....rydym wrth ein bodd yn datgelu y bydd y gwneuthurwr ffilm a theatr Gavin Jones yn treulio cyfnod preswyl yn Theatr Glan-yr-Afon, Casnewydd. Mae Gavin wedi gweithio gyda National Theatre Wales yn arwain ar eu prosiect Big Democracy yn ogystal a sawl rôl llawrydd gan gynnwys cyfarwyddwr theatr ac artist ymgysylltiol. 

Hon yw trydedd blwyddyn Neuadd Lês, Ystradgynlais fel canolfan-bartner i Platfform ac mae'n bleser datgan y bydd The Jones Collective yn cychwyn ar gyfnod preswyl yno - cwmni y cynllunydd Buddug James Jones a'r ysgrifennwraig/cyfarwyddwraig Jesse Briton. Mae'r cwmni yn defnyddio sawl ffurf ar gelfyddyd, yn defnyddio straeon gwir, digwyddiadau a phobol, i drafod materion cymdeithasol cyfoes. Daw eu hysbrydoliaeth o'r cymunedau a'r bobl y maent yn eu cyfarfod;  yn arbennig yng nghefn gwlad lle mae'r tirwedd a'r boblogaeth yn sbarduno y creu.

Ychwanegiad cyffrous i drydedd blwyddyn Platfform yw croesawu Pontio, Bangor i'r teulu. Datblygwyd y bartneriaeth newydd hon yn arbennig i gefnogi artistiaid oedd â diddordeb mewn creu gwaith Cymraeg neu ddwyieithog ar gyfer teuluoedd. Eisoes mae'r artist Elgan Rhys wedi bod ar gyfnod preswyl yno ers rhai wythnosau, yn darganfod pwysigrwydd chwarae i fywyd plant ac oedolion a dathlu cymhlethodadau cynyddol ein byd prysur wrth edrych ar sut, lle, pam, be a gyda phwy y mae pawb yn chwarae. Mae Elgan yn berfformiwr, ysgrifennwr a chrëwr dwyieithog a thrwy ei waith gyda phlant ei obaith yw i ysbrydoli hwyl, chwarae, hyder a dychymyg wrth gydweithio gyda hwy wrth iddo greu theatr wreiddiol i gynulleidfa deuluol.

Dywedod Rebecca Gould, Cadeirydd Theatr Iolo:

 “Dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf mae Platfform wedi cynnig cyfoeth o weithgareddau creadigol i gynulleidfaoedd, artistiaid a chymunedau. Cawsom deithiau cerdded gydag uncyrn arbennig, darnau am gynllunwyr parti ag obsesiwn â iechyd a diogelwch, archwiliad o ddyddiaduron pobl ifanc, ensemble celfyddyd fyw newydd o bobl ifanc yn arbrofi gyda ffurfiau theatrig, darn newydd gwych o theatr lafar i bobl ifanc, ac archwiliad unigryw o'r modd y gall theatr greu gofod i blant ystyried syniadau am golled. Mae Blwyddyn Tri yn addo bod mor gyffrous bob tamaid wrth i ni groesawu Elgan, Gavin a Grŵp Jones i'r rhaglen gydweithredol hon. Rydym yn gweithio unwaith eto gyda Theatr Glan-yr-afon, Casnewydd, a'r Neuadd Les yn Ystradgynlais; mae'r rhain yn lleoliadau a gefnogodd raglen uchelgeisiol a chwareus Platfform i'r carn ac rydym yn falch iawn o allu gweithio am y tro cyntaf gyda Chanolfan Pontio, Bangor, wrth i ni ddatblygu gwaith Cymraeg newydd i deuluoedd.”

Yn newydd hefyd i dîm Platfform mae Cynhyrchydd Datblygiad Artistiaid Theatr Iolo, Megan Childs. Bydd Megan yn cydweithio â'r holl artistiaid a chanolfannau uchod sydd yn rhannu y weledigaeth; i greu gwaith artistig newydd wedi ei wreiddio yn y gymuned - cartref cynulleidfa ifanc y theatr yn y dyddiau yma a'r dyddiau i ddod.....