PARADE! Adamsdown Arts Association

You never know when you start something, where it will lead eh?
I went to the celebration at the Oasis Centre of the end of a 12-month community arts project PARADE - I thought it was the end but it turns out it's the beginning of something really special. . . 

Adamsdown Arts Association commissioned artists, musicians and theatre practitioners to work on the project with the brief : To engage local people in creative activity.
The project involved visual art, music & drama with participants working towards the common goal - ' a celebration of our community and its achievements'.

Thirty Yr 4 pupils from Stacey Road Primary School worked on portraits with an historical theme and exhibited at the Inkspot Gallery  & residents of Newton Court sheltered accommodation rediscovered long-forgotten artistic skills and exhibited at the PARADE event.

Wonderbrass developed a 'Scratch Band' with members of the community and had the Oasis Centre rocking.

Oasis is a drop-in centre for refugee and assylum seekers and their families in Cardiff. Angharad Evans led a Drama Group there reaching more than 100 people throughout the year. The project co-ordinator, Lydia Meehan noted, "The drama sessions have provided the perfect medium for building language skills and relationships within Oasis."

















































For me, the highlight of the PARADE event was the Drama Group's music and theatre presentations. Speaking in public is top of most people's list of 'phobias' - to speak in public in a 'second language' takes some bottle - Angharad encouraged the group to tell their stories to the audience using pictures; the tales were gripping, poignant and at times very funny. 
























They also shared their talent, music, culture and their warmth - it was wonderful.

The Oasis Drama Group & Adamsdown Arts Association are now working on a fantastic new project with Sherman Cymru - a 'mash-up' of Romeo & Juliet to be performed at the theatre this autumn - you can read all about it HERE and HERE & get involved with whatever skills you have . . . .

Great oaks from little acorns grow . . . . . . .