Art-walk into an alternative cardiff

Two artists are offering Cardiff walkers the chance to see the capital in a radical new light.

Starting in early November, Swansea based duo Jason&Becky [sic] will be encouraging participants to reimagine the capital through guided walking tours accompanied by a fictional audio story and soundtracks from popular culture. Entitled A Cowboy in Tomorrowland, the walks will depart at 1pm from Cardiff Story between 3 and 5 November.

Jason explained that the tours, which are part of CIVIC’s entry for the Contemporary Cardiff art festival, are “About reimagining the everyday with a new narrative.”

If you’re looking for an extraordinary adventure on your doorstep, free tickets are available from eventbrite – but hurry, they’re going fast!

Jason&Becky are based on the first floor of Cardiff Story, with CIVIC’s other artists and architects, where they are offering workshops for all ages until 9 November

A Cowboy in Tomorrowland is part of CIVIC’s ongoing collaboration between artists and architects who are interrogating the ways in which Cardiff’s spaces are used and understood. Having been based in the Mission Gallery, Swansea, the gallery director Amanda Roderick describes CIVIC as, “a Growing and evolving project.” With over 700 attendees and positive feedback since Contemporary Cardiff opened on 3 October, it seems that they are certainly growing in popularity.

Other artists involved include Anna Barratt, Owen Griffiths and Bella Kerr, each of whom have brought their own distinctive new responses to the city, sharing them as part of workshops and displays in CIVIC’s Play – Build – Learn space. This interactive learning area on Cardiff Story’s first floor is designed for all ages where the public can learn more about Cardiff’s urban landscape and explore new possibilities through participation in creative activities and conversation.

Explaining why the collective decided to temporarily relocate to Cardiff, Ms Roderick describes that because the project involves, “Tackling social issues, particularly sustainability, we felt Contemporary Cardiff was a really suitable project.”

CIVIC is also about archiving the events and stories that occur in the capital to create an ongoing legacy for Cardiff. Ms Roderick describes it as “a new response to a new city.”

She explains how through conversations at Cardiff Story, unheard narratives which have been, “really interesting and lovely to hear,” have emerged. Stories include those of the Somali community, who arrived at the docks and settled in Butetown at the close of the 19^th century.

CIVIC is based in Cardiff story until 9 November running free workshops and exhibitions suitable for all ages between 11am and 4pm.