CREATIVE freelancers from across South Wales - including two in Newport - are creating new commissions showing what is special about being a creative in their area.

The 11 new pieces of work will express what it means to be a creative in 2021.

Our Creative Place, a Creative Cardiff and Arts Council of Wales project, aims to collectively build the story of a creative region.

The resulting digital story map, which follows on from the Our Creative Cardiff story-wall created last year, will be launched this summer and will feature creative people from a range of sectors including visual art, theatre, and dance.

The 2021 commissioned creative people are:

  • Claire Hiett and Carys Fletcher;
  • Erin Mali Julian;
  • Francine Davies;
  • Gwenllian Davenport;
  • Hunk Williams;
  • James Tottle;
  • Justin Teddy Cliffe;
  • Lucy Jones;
  • Naz Syed;
  • Rufus Mufasa;
  • Stuart H. Bawler.

Two of the participants – Justin Teddy Cliffe and Naz Syed - are from Newport, and the city will be the inspiration for their new creations.

Mr Cliffe said: “As an artist - but more so as a human - I feel as though I've been in pure self preservation mode and that's really damaged my ability to think creatively.

South Wales Argus: Justin Teddy Cliffe

Justin Teddy Cliffe 

"So, at the end of a long slog, with some sort of light at the end of the tunnel, it feels like an absolute blessing to be involved in a project where I get to investigate what it means to be an artist in Newport, rekindling and reconnecting myself physically to the city and to my practice.”

The stories will be told through a variety of mediums from animation to textiles and puppetry to ice sculpting.

Ms Syed said: “I'm passionate about my hometown in Newport and can't wait to create my artwork inspired by the acts of kindness and community spirit here.

South Wales Argus: Naz Syed

Naz Syed 

"It's a great feeling to get back to my roots of creating and to be a part of this inspiring project. I am looking forward to connecting more with the creative group to share ideas and developing multisensory work with Becky, the access consultant.”

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Creative Cardiff project manager Vicki Sutton said: “I’m so excited to get to know and work with this brilliant group of creatives. Their applications reflected a vibrant, diverse and creative region and I’m looking forward to experiencing how that will be brought to life for the story map.

“We’ve met with the creatives for our first group session and it was great to see them connecting with and supporting each other already. Even though the creatives will work independently on their pieces, we want to encourage them to utilise this experience to develop and build upon their network.

“For as much as this project is about what will be produced for the story within the map it is also about sparking and strengthening links across the region – something which we believe so passionately about at Creative Cardiff.”

Participants will work closely with consultant Becky Davies to develop creative access resources to accompany their pieces.

Ms Davies said: “It is a surprisingly rare and special experience to be discussing making work accessible in ways that are creative and befitting of an artist’s practice from the very conception of a project.

“Those selected for this commission have wonderfully unique perspectives on the places they live and an incredibly diverse range of skills and interests which naturally lend themselves towards the integration of multi-sensory approaches to access.

"I am both honoured and thrilled to be supporting them on this journey. For some, they will be integrating access into their work for the very first time. For others, they will be deepening and strengthening their approach through experimentation. I can’t wait to see what they achieve.”

Professor Jon Anderson is also involved in the project and will be working to draw together an academic reflection on the commissioned pieces.

Find out more about the commissioned participants here: https://creativecardiff.org.uk/our-creative-place-introducing-2021-commissioned-creatives