These events are supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales.
Safeguarding the Creative Facilitator
Wednesday 5 November
12.00– 1.00 pm
Speakers: Gwennan Mair Jones, Patrick Jones, Emma Smith-Barton
Language of the session: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
The arts can be beneficial. Trained artists use their craft to thoughtfully engage with people and groups in ways that help promote health and well-being. Introducing the art of creative writing, singing, or acting to vulnerable individuals can offer escapism: a way to explore feelings and emotions, an opportunity to socialise and much more. But through this work, the artists – the creative facilitators – are often introduced to challenging and complex situations. This session, led by three experienced facilitators, will explore how artists can sustain their own and each other’s well-being in health-focused art projects.
This talk will be of interest to any writer or artist who is interested in carrying out participatory work. This can include working in schools, in the healthcare sector, with various charities, or running art workshops in communities. REGISTER
Celebrating the Children’s Laureate Wales and Bardd Plant Cymru 2023-25: Alex Wharton and Nia Morais
Thursday 20 November
7.00 – 8.00 pm
Language of the session: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
Join Alex Wharton, Children’s Laureate Wales 2023-2025, and Nia Morais, Bardd Plant Cymru 2023-2025 a few weeks after passing the reins to their successors, to celebrate two busy years of inspiring the children of Wales through literature. From running digital workshops with young people in Palestine, to walking the Anglesey coast visiting schools along the way, the two poets will have many stories to share. We may also finally have the chance to ask about that famous story – how on earth was a poem by Alex sewn inside Lewis Hamilton’s jacket at the Met Gala in 2024? Join us to thank Nia and Alex, to celebrate their successes, and to learn more about the wonder and magic of introducing words and poetry to children of all ages. There will be an opportunity to learn more about the work of taking literature to schools and how to develop your skills as facilitators of creative writing. REGISTER
Wales’ Literary Magazines
Tuesday 2 December
6.00 – 7.15 pm
Language of the session: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
Join some of Wales’ literary magazine editors and online platform AM to learn more about the outlets that exist to showcase your creative work. Learn more about the submission process, and how best to prepare your work for consideration. What are editors currently looking for?? What is the process? Following a short presentation from each editor, we will invite questions from the webinar audience. This session will feature editors from Folding Rock, AM, Poetry Wales and more. REGISTER
Publishing beyond Wales
Tuesday 9 December
6.00 – 7.00 pm
Language of session: English (no simultaneous translation)
Following our conversations with Welsh publishers earlier in the programme, this session brings together authors who have published across the border and the editors who worked with them. What motivated the authors? What kind of interest do publishers outside of Wales have in voices and stories from and about Wales? How do the literature and publishing sectors compare between Wales and the rest of the world? Following the talk there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions to the panellists. REGISTER
Representation and the Welsh-language Bardic Tradition
Wednesday 14 January
7.00 – 8.00 pm
Speakers: Menna Elfyn, Jo Heyde, Hammad Rind, Brennig Davies.
Language of session: Welsh-language (no simultaneous translation)
To celebrate the Hen Galan, or the Welsh New Year, we are bringing together a panel of poets to discuss our centuries-old bardic tradition. We’ll be celebrating our rich literary heritage whilst also discussing whether there are any barriers for new voices and those from underrepresented backgrounds to join in. REGISTER
Literary Agents
Tuesday 20 January
6.00 – 7.00 pm
Speakers: Anwen Hooson, Cathryn Summerhayes
Language of the session: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
Join two London literary agents, originally from Wales, to discuss their roles and how they fit in the complex mechanism of the publishing world. Anwen and Cathryn will give advice on how to find the right agent, and they’ll discuss their experiences with some of the most popular authors writing today. There will be an opportunity to discuss the differences between the publishing sectors in Wales and beyond and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions. REGISTER
Celebrating the Winners of Book of the Year
Tuesday 3 February
6.00 – 7.00 pm
Language: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
Join Iola Ynyr and Carys Davies, winners of Wales Book of the Year 2025, to discuss their award-winning books and to consider the impact of winning the main national award on their writing careers. We’ll discuss their development and journey as authors and ask how a writer goes about writing and publishing a book that deserves the title Book of the Year. This will be an opportunity to look back on the beautiful summer we had, to celebrate Iola and Carys’ achievement and congratulate them again and discuss how the literary world in Wales can prepare writers to reach the top of their profession and represent our nation’s literature on the world map. REGISTER
A look at Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts
Thursday 5 March
12.00 – 1.00 pm
Language: Welsh and English, with simultaneous translation service
In this session, we’ll explore the Irish Income for the Arts programme, which has supported artists’ incomes and helped retain talent in the sector since 2022. The scheme has awarded a weekly payment of €325 for 2,000 artists selected at random. With the pilot scheme ending in February 2026, this will be an opportunity to explore how it works, the impact it’s had on artist and the cultural scene in Ireland, and to discuss what a similar scheme would look like in Wales.
The panel will include a representative from the Basic Income for the Arts Research Team at the Irish Government; an Irish writer, Elaine Garvey, who is a recipient of the scheme; and Heledd Fychan MS. More details to be announced soon. REGISTER