Brecon Women’s Festival events at Theatre Brycheiniog: ‘Celebrating the Ordinary and the Extraordinary’

Sian Sykes. Photo Chris Davies

To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8^th Theatr Brycheiniog has teamed up with Brecon Women’s Festival to host a series of events to celebrate women in the outdoors. The theatre’s programme of events has something for everyone from talks, workshops, days out and live music. Theatr Brycheiniog aims to forge positive visibility for women, celebrate their phenomenal achievements in outdoor adventure and sport, as well as inspiring curiosity, adventure and an appreciation of our natural environment.

From Thursday February 28^th to March 17^th The Andrew Lamont Gallery will be exhibiting a collection of art and photography honouring incredible women doing ordinary and extraordinary activities. Visitors will be able to view beautiful and moving, candid photography from Billie Charity and watercolours from Ella Wilding. There will also be a wide variety of photographs on display of women doing extraordinary activities; rock climbing, mountaineering, skydiving, paddle boarding and much more!

On the evening of March 8^th there will be an auditorium event of talks and images from some of Wales’ most adventurous and inspirational women who have pushed the boundaries of adventure and exploration. The evening will be hosted and compered by local outdoor enthusiast Juliet Parker Smith. Juliet will be introducing paddle-boarder Sian Sykes and mountain runner Ruth Pickvance. Sian will be discussing her latest adventure; a solo, 1000 km journey around Wales, paddle-boarding through rivers, canals and the ocean. Along the way Sian collected plastic pollution and is working to inspire others to make a pledge against plastic. To support Sian’s mission to reduce single use plastic Theatr Brycheiniog has introduced biodegradable straws in our Waterfront Bar and Cafe and will be offering discounted hot drinks for those who bring their own reusable cups.
Ruth is a former international runner. Curiosity, exploration, challenge and appreciation of the natural world inspire her to write, travel, work abroad and run up VERY big mountains! Ruth will be providing a new take on what adventure is, discussing the process of creating fulfilling and developmental experiences and how this demands curiosity.

On the morning of International Women’s Day, March 8^th Julia Blazer of local company, Good Day Out will be bringing her mini donkeys Maverick and Goose to lead a quiet stroll along the canal bank from Theatr Brycheiniog at 11am. The Good Day Out dinky donkeys will be raising money for Brecon Food Bank as they walk – women and children are invited to join them and raise money for this good cause!

If you fancy a slightly longer walk Welsh Women Walking have organised a 5 mile walk from the Theatre to the trig point of Pen Y Crug’s Iron Age fort on Saturday, March 9^th. This event on the move is a perfect opportunity to meet new people as well as admire the beautiful views of Brecon town and the surrounding countryside. Welsh Women Walking walk whatever the weather so please do come prepared! Welsh Women Walking will also be celebrating their ten year anniversary with a collection of photographs and textiles in The Andrew Lamont Gallery.

As well as the walk on March 9^th the wonderful singer songwriter Genevieve will be performing Live@TheWaterfront from 1-3pm. Her soulful vocals combined with gentle folk guitar are perfect to relax to with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake after your walk to Pen Y Crug!

For those of you who want to try something completely new, Juliet Parker Smith and Linda Windham will running a canal canoeing session on Thursday, March 7^th from the canal basin at Theatr Brycheiniog. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone of any age and experience to learn a new skill, meet new people, and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Brecon’s beautiful canal. All equipment will be provided.

Alongside these outdoor day trips the theatre is also hosting a series of creative and thought provoking workshops. On Monday, March 4^th Fi Latus and Sarah Hyde will be running a day time workshop Journey Inside Outside. The morning will be spent exploring the natural environment surrounding the theatre, and the afternoon will focus on artistic exploration through writing, drawing and movement. This session will focus on practises that can be continued in your own day to day life, increasing your creativity and wellbeing.

Following her talk on March 8^th Ruth Pickvance will also be running an evening workshop Re-Framing Fear on Tuesday, March 12^th where she will explore the effects of fear, both psychologically and physically. Ruth will discuss how understanding inhibiting fear can often help us to become more adventurous as well as create resilience and confidence.

Throughout the festival the Waterfront Cafe will open 10am-5pm every day, serving teas, coffees, hot and cold food. Evening food service is available on show evenings, but booking a table and pre-ordering is strongly recommended. To book a table, contact the theatre’s Box Office directly on 01874 611622.

For any details on performances, activities or anything else, please visit brycheiniog.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01874 611622. All events are free other than the auditorium event, ‘Extraordinary Women Talking’ on March 8^th which costs £10. People are asked to register for the free events via the theatre’s website or via the Box Office as above.

Brecon Women’s Festival 2019 is officially launching at The Hours Bookshop and Café on Wednesday, February 27^th. The Hours Bookshop and Café, The Muse and Brecon Market Hall are all hosting an eclectic range of events over the festival period. Keep an eye out for the festival programme as well as look on www.breconwomensfestival.co.uk and their Facebook page for updates.