Today, six awardees have been announced for the Wales in France Cultural Fund. Delivered by and partially funded by the British Council in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales, Wales Arts International, and the Welsh Government, the fund is set to spark new and refresh existing connections between Wales and France and support collaborations for long-term relationships among artists and cultural organisations.

The £100K fund is part of the Welsh Government’s year of Wales in France, a celebration of cultural, business and sporting events, designed to strengthen existing links rooted in shared history and culture and forge new connections between the two countries.  

The programme supports cultural collaborations between organisations across Wales and France, working in the fields of culture, creativity, or wellbeing. The selected projects cover a range of artforms.

Theatre company Hijinx, produce opportunities for actors with learning disabilities. Their clown and puppetry project will be developed with neurodivergent artists in Wales and with Compagnie de L’Oiseau Mouche in France.

The National Eisteddfod collaboration with the Festival Interceltique de Lorient lead by Brittany based Welsh musician Lleuwen will connect artists from Wales and Brittany in a new production taking inspiration from the archive at St Fagan’s National Museum of History.

Dirty Protest Theatre will connect early career playwrights in rural Wales and France; while Welsh musician Gruff Rhys will explore the influence of French culture on his music; Operasonic, will connect young people in Newport and France and to create a film exploring emotions connected to rugby; and to, Mathilde Lopez, director of August 012 theatre company, will develop connections and work with theatres in Nantes and Marseilles.

A list of all the successful projects is included below.

First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford said on the award of the grants:

“Our arts and culture are incredibly effective at building Wales’s profile internationally. This fund will invest in the development of Welsh artistic and cultural networks in France showcasing our culture, heritage, and language to new audiences.”

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to award funding to these organisations and individuals who will create a programme highlighting some of the best of our culture and providing valuable international experiences to young people while also creating exciting new relationships.”  

Hijinx Theatre is one of the awardees of the fund and their Chief Executive, Sarah Horner said:

“Following a great artistic and organisational exchange in 22/23, we're thrilled to be able to take our collaboration with Compagnie l'Oiseau Mouche to the next level thanks to the Wales in France fund. 

This grant will support the creation of a new inclusive theatre piece for 2024, developed with and by learning disabled artists in Lille and Cardiff.  Our work to date continues to demonstrate the huge cultural and creative value of working with partners outside of Wales, and we can't wait to share the result of this collaboration.”

Anne Duncan, Director, British Council France said about the awardees:  

“The fund launch produced some fantastic applications from across Wales and France and from across art forms. All six arts and culture projects have something unique about them and will help develop and sustain vital links between both countries, supporting artists and organisations to explore new ways of working and reach new audiences. As we invest in strengthening cultural ties, we look forward to following the different journeys and the impact these projects will create for cultural relations between Wales and France over this significant year”.

Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive Arts Council of Wales, concluded:

“The Year of Wales in France, the Rugby World Cup, the Paris Olympics and Paralympics offer an opportunity to raise the profile of Wales internationally. It also offers artists from Wales a chance to work with partners in France to deliver an exciting cultural programme starting this summer. We’re delighted to co-invest in this opportunity through our agency Wales Arts International with British Council and Welsh Government to enable artists to grow their work in France sustainably and to nurture what we hope will be long term relationships.”

Information about awardees and their projects:

  • Dirty Protest Theatre has worked with more than 200 Welsh writers, staging new sell-out plays in theatres and alternative venues, from pubs and clubs to kebab shops, hairdressers and a forest. The project will include workshops between two new writing companies, linking six early career writers in Wales and France.

 

  • Operasonic is a community music charity based in and working for the people of Newport, South Wales. Their Project will consist of a series of workshops with young people in Newport exploring emotions connected to rugby for Wales’ fans through music and to develop film with early career French and Welsh music professionals to be exhibited at 3 urban outdoor “street” venues/ festivals in France.

 

  • Mathilde Lopez is artistic director of August 012 theatre company. The project will center around a series of conversations and meetings with venues in France to develop August 012’s new collaboration with singer songwriter Katell Keineg..

 

  • Gruff Rhys is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. The project will entail special previews and performances in France with collaborator French engineer, Maxime Kosinetz. More announcements in September 2023.

 

  • Hijinx is a professional theatre company working to pioneer, produce and promote opportunities for actors with learning disabilities and/or autism to create outstanding productions. Their project Bon Appetit will be a puppetry and clown performance developed by neurodivergent artists from Hijinx in Wales and Compagnie de L’Oiseau Mouche in France. There will be 2 weeks of workshops in Wales, leading to production week and the premiere performance in France.

 

  • National Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru will be collaborating with the Interceltic Festival in Brittany involving musicians from Wales and Brittany on a new music production led by Brittany-based Welsh musician Lleuwen. Items from the archives at St Fagans National Museum of History will be intertwined with new music (acoustic and electronic) by some of the leading artists of both countries.

 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Rosalind Gould, British Council: +44 (7770 934953) E: rosalind.gould@britishcouncil.org

Eluned Hâf, Wales Arts International  E: eluned.haf@wai.org.uk

Siwan Dafydd, Wales Arts International  E: siwan.dafydd@wai.org.uk