Workshops for LGBTQ+ communities to explore creative voice and self-expression
Participants: LGBTQ+ communities in Haverfordwest and Cardigan
Lead artist(s): Kerry Steed and Di Ford
Location: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan, Ceredigion
Further info: A workshop series designed to discover and explore creative voice and self-expression while encouraging community integration for the LGBTQ+ communities in Haverfordwest and Cardigan. While providing a safe space for sharing individual stories, writer Kerry Steed and designer and illustrator Di Ford will facilitate a variety of imaginative routes towards ‘be-friending’ the creative self, using reflective and creative writing techniques, voice work and 12” mannequins to illustrate individual creative character. A sharing of the resulting work will be held in Small World Theatre, Cardigan and The VC Gallery, Haverfordwest.
About Kerry Steed: Kerry is a creative writer, performer and actor-musician from west Wales. Her work is informed by her passionate belief in creative writing as an empowering tool for individual and social change. Advocating that everyone has the ‘right to write’ Kerry encourages individuals, groups and communities to explore and engage with the written word and the writing way of life. Her writing has been published by Honno, and she has created and published two poetic transcription / verbatim collections with her local community in Pembrokeshire.
About Di Ford: Di graduated in Theatre Design at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. From there she set out on a creative journey that involved a mixture of puppetry, set design, community work and illustration. She has worked with organisations such as National Theatre Wales as their TEAM Associate and as Community Coordinator for Dirty Protest Theatre. Believing that art should be accessible to everyone, Di works closely with communities across West Wales, to encourage and introduce them to ways of working within theatre and the arts. She is currently continuing her passion to inspire creativity as a Creative Practitioner for Arts Council Wales.
Artists’ quote:
“Creativity and literature are empowering forces. Through them we can explore our sense of self, take ownership of identity and feel that our stories are being seen and reflected back to us. I hope participants will harness and liberate their creative voice, while creating friendship and a sense of belonging.”