When it comes to the arts, Wales is certainly not going "gentle into that good night".
This week, a reception was held in Westminster by the Secretary of State for Wales to highlight the Dylan Thomas Prize, established by the people of Swansea. This serves as a reminder that we live in a country which is home to a thriving arts scene - a new dawn is definitely breaking.
From Clwyd Theatr Cymru in the north to the Wales Millennium Centre in the south, there's plenty of evidence that the arts in Wales are alive and kicking.
The Dylan Thomas Prize is a literature prize for authors under the age of 30 writing in English anywhere in the world whose work has been published - novels, short stories, poetry and plays are all eligible and authors have to be nominated by their publishers.
The biennial international prize will be for �60,000, a sum certain to offer both encouragement and much-needed financial support for young writers. The first prize will be awarded at the Dylan Thomas Literary Festival in Swansea in November 2006 and the prize will eventually, perhaps, become as prestigious as the Booker Prize for fiction. Let's hope so.
If you're like me, you not only enjoy literature, but also enjoy going to the theatre and the cinema. I feel very lucky to be living in a city like Cardiff where I can choose to see a big opera production at the Wales Millennium Centre, or a nationally touring play at the New Theatre, or a new play at somewhere like the Sherman Theatre or Chapter Arts Centre, where films, dance, music and art are also all on offer. We are spolit for choice. The city is bubbling.
And if by chance there's nothing that catches your eye, why not organise something yourself? Cardiff North Labour Party hosted its own arts event a couple of weeks ago - an evening called "Songs and Arias" with Dennis O'Neill and friends. The internationally renowned tenor - and his friends! - treated us to a wonderful evening of song and delighted the hundreds who came along.
The evening was a huge success and it certainly warmed our arts. |
