Join us for the launch of ‘GATHER’ – a pop up community orchard space as a response to forgotten outdoor spaces in the Aber Valley on 16 September 2023, 10:00 – 17:00, at the Old Noddfa Chapel site between High Street and Stanley Street, Senghenydd.

Come and help us celebrate all things orchard with:
  • Apple pressing – We will be demonstrating apple pressing and making delicious apple juice.  Come and take part!  If you have a glut of apples, please bring them along too so we can make some more!
  • Glut share/plant swap – If you have been growing produce from seed or have been clearing and dividing plants in your garden, you may have extra plants and nowhere to put them or a glut of produce that you don’t know what to do with.  Bring your excess plants to the pop- up event on the 16th September and take away something new for your own garden or fridge.
  • Creating a foraging map – Help to create a foraging map for the Aber Valley by sharing your knowledge of places to forage food.
And much more!

 

The installation will remain in place after the pop-up event until mid-October for the enjoyment of the Aber Valley Community.

Open to all, this vibrant public installation creates a playful space for the community to connect and enjoy, whilst highlighting the opportunities for food production, communal gathering and wellbeing in the Aber Valley.

Gather has been designed and produced by Amanda Spence and Rhian Thomas and volunteers from the Aber Valley community for UNDERCURRENTS – On Our Doorstep – a partnership project between Undercurrents – Arts in the Aber Valley community group, Caerphilly County Borough Council Arts Development Team and Addo.

The project is funded by an Arts Council of Wales Connect & Flourish grant, with additional funding and in-kind support from Caerphilly County Borough Council, the Integrated Wellbeing Network Gwent and Aber Valley Community Council.

Architect-Artists Amanda Spence and Rhian Thomas seek to work at the ‘edge’ of architecture, particularly where it overlaps with the disciplines of art and landscape.  This liberates their curiosity and imagination and makes their practice more exciting.  This approach allows them to find alternative and creative ways to explore places and landscapes and engage with communities.  Their collaborative approach to placemaking actively engages people in multi-layered processes of mapping, making visible and identifying opportunities for the future.  Through dialogue and creative activity, local communities are invited to share stories about a place they know well, and Amanda & Rhian help them see the familiar from a new perspective. Recent work includes community growing spaces, place-specific landscape for play and pop-up installations and community events; all underpinned by an ambition to create sustainable places which promote wellbeing and enrich people’s lives.

 

Artists Amanda Spence & Rhian Thomas said,

Having spent time over the last couple of years getting to know the place and communities in the Aber Valley, we have enjoyed designing and producing this exciting pop-up space.  ‘Gather’ is a chance to test some of the ideas we’ve been developing for outdoor spaces which promote wellbeing, food production and social interaction.  We can see lots of potential in a strategic approach to reimagining and developing a series of forgotten outdoor spaces in the valley, and hope this will be the first of many projects to come.

 

Gary Metcalfe, Chair of Undercurrents, said,

We are pleased to be working with our partners this summer to find out more about the people in our community. It is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved even if you don’t think you are interested in the Arts, you may be surprised.

 

Dr Sarah Pace, Curator & Co-Director of Addo, said,

The project is a great opportunity to take stock of the green community spaces the Aber Valley has to offer and to explore how arts and cultural activity may further enhance these and impact positively on people’s everyday lives.  This is especially important in light of the climate change emergency and the UK’s growing cost of living and mental health crises, and as we emerge from lockdown and Brexit and try to find new ways to live sustainably in a rapidly changing world.

 

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more or get involved in the project by emailing sarah@addocreative.com.

 

 

Dewch aton ni i lansio ‘CASGLU’ – llecyn perllan gymuned wib mewn ymateb i fannau awyr agored angof yng Nghwm Aber, ar 16 Medi 2023, 10:00 – 17:00, ar hen safle Capel Noddfa rhwng y Stryd Fawr a Stryd Stanley, Senghenydd.

Dewch i’n helpu i ddathlu popeth sydd ynghlwm â pherllannau:
  • Gwasgu Afalau – Byddwn yn arddangos gwasgu afalau a gwneud sudd afalau blasus.  Dewch i gymryd rhan!  Os oes gennych chi ormodedd o afalau, cofiwch ddod â nhw i’ch canlyn fel y gallwn ni wneud mwy fyth!
  • Rhannu gormodedd/ffeirio planhigion – Os buoch chi’n tyfu cynnyrch o had neu’n clirio ac yn rhannu planhigion yn eich gardd, efallai bod gennych blanhigion dros ben heb unman i’w rhoi nhw neu ormodedd o gynnyrch na wyddoch chi ddim beth i’w wneud ag ef.  Dewch â’ch planhigion dros ben i’r digwyddiad gwib ar yr 16eg Medi a mynd â rhywbeth newydd ymaith i’ch canlyn i’ch gardd neu’ch rhewgell eich hun.
  • Creu map chwilota – Rhowch help llaw i greu map chwilota ar gyfer Cwm Aber drwy rannu’ch gwybodaeth am lefydd i chwilota am fwyd.
A llond gwlad at hynny!

 

Bydd y mewnosodyn yn aros ei le ar ôl y digwyddiad gwib tan ganol mis Hydref i Gymuned Cwm Aber gael blas arno.

Mae’r mewnosodyn cyhoeddus bywiog yma ar agor i bawb, yn creu llecyn chwareus gael i’r gymuned ddod at ei gilydd a chael hwyl, ar yr un pryd â rhoi yn yr amlwg gyfleoedd i gynhyrchu bwyd, casglu cymunedol a lles yng Ngwm Aber.

Dyluniwyd a chynhyrchwyd Casglu gan Amanda Spence a Rhian Thomas a gwirfoddolwyr o gymuned Cwm Aber i ISLIFAU – Ar Ein Rhiniog – menter ar y cyd rhwng y grŵp cymuned Islifau – Celfyddydau yng Nghwm Aber, Tîm Datblygu’r Celfyddydau Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili, ac Addo.

Ariannir y fenter gan grant Cysylltu a Ffynnu Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, gyda chyllid dros ben a chefnogaeth mewn nwyddau gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili, Rhwydwaith Llesiant Integredig Gwent a Chyngor Cymuned Cwm Aber.

Mae’r Penseiri-Artistiaid Amanda Spence a Rhian Thomas â’u bryd ar weithio ar ‘ymyl’ pensaernïaeth, yn neilltuol lle mae’n gorgyffwrdd â disgyblaethau celfyddyd a thirwedd.  Mae hyn yn rhoi tragywydd heol i’w chwilfrydedd a’u dychymyg ac yn gwneud eu harfer yn fwy cyffrous.  Mae’r cyrchddull yma’n rhoi lle iddyn nhw gael hyd i ffyrdd eraill, creadigol o chwilio llefydd a thirweddau ac ymgysylltu â chymunedau.  Mae eu cyrchddull cytûn o ran creu mannau yn dwyn pobol i mewn yn weithredol i brosesau amlhaenog mapio, dwyn i’r amlwg a chanfod cyfleoedd ddydd a ddaw.  Drwy sgwrs a gweithgaredd creadigol, gwahoddir cymunedau lleol i rannu straeon am le maen nhw’n ei nabod yn dda, ac Amanda a Rhian yn eu helpu i weld y cynefin drwy lygaid newydd. Mae eu gwaith diweddar yn cynnwys llecynnau tyfu cymunedol, tirwedd man-benodol i chwarae a mewnosodion gwib a digwyddiadau cymuned, i gyd ar sail uchelgais i greu mannau cynaliadwy sy’n hybu lles ac yn cyfoethogi bywydau pobol.

 

Meddai’r artistiaid Amanda Spence a Rhian Thomas,

Wedi treulio amser dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd aeth heibio yn dod i nabod y lle a’r cymunedau yng Nghwm Aber, cawsom flas ar ddylunio a chynhyrchu’r llecyn gwib cyffrous yma.  Cyfle ydi ‘Casglu’ i roi prawf ar rai o’r syniadau y buom yn eu datblygu i fannau awyr agored sy’n hybu lles, cynhyrchu bwyd a rhyngweithio cymdeithasol.  Gallwn weld llond gwlad o botensial mewn cyrchddull strategol o ran ailddychmygu a datblygu cyfres o fannau awyr agored angof yn y cwm, a gobeithio mai hon fydd y gyntaf o fentrau lawer i ddod.

 

Meddai Gary Metcalfe, Cadeirydd Islifau – Grŵp Cymuned y Celfyddydau yng Nghwm Aber, 

Rydym yn falch o fod yn gweithio gyda’n partneriaid yr haf yma i gael gwybod rhagor am y bobl yn ein cymuned. Mae’n gyfle gwych i bawb fod ynghlwm hyd yn oed os nad ydych yn meddwl eich bod yn ymddiddori yn y Celfyddydau, fe allech gael eich synnu.

 

Meddai’r Dr Sarah Pace, Curadur a Chydgyfarwyddwr Addo Creadigol,

Mae’r fenter yn gyfle gwych i weld beth yw hyd a lled y mannau cymuned gwyrddion yng Nghwm Aber ac i chwilio sut y gall y celfyddydau a gweithgaredd diwylliannol wella’r rhain a chael effaith gadarnhaol ar fywydau pob dydd pobol.  Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig o gofio’r argyfwng newid hinsawdd ac argyfyngau gwledydd Prydain o ran costau byw mwyfwy ac iechyd meddwl, ac a ninnau’n dod allan o’r cyfnod clo ac yn ymgodymu â Brexit ac yn ceisio dod o hyd i ffyrdd newydd o fyw’n gynaliadwy mewn byd sy’n cyflym newid.

 

Cofiwch gysylltu â ni os carech gael gwybod rhagor neu ddod yn rhan o’r fenter drwy ebostio sarah@addocreative.com.