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Welsh stars including Ioan Gruffudd, The One Show's Alex Jones and mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins have sent a letter to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, opposing the possibility of government funding cuts at S4C.

Ioan Gruffudd

Since S4C was set up it has been directly funded by the government, and there are fears that the broadcaster may face cuts of 24% over the next four years when the government's comprehensive spending review is announced on 20 October.

A host of Welsh celebrities, which also includes former Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones and Welsh actors Matthew Rhys, Nia Roberts, Daniel Evans and Mark Lewis Jones, have put their names behind the letter that stresses how important the broadcaster is, and how each of their "careers all began, or were given a substantial boost by, involvement in productions commissioned by S4C".

Read the stars' letter to Hunt on the .

You may have recently read or heard about the new Claude Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais, in which over 180 paintings, nearly 10% of his life's work, will be on show.

Much as I'd like a trip across the channel to Paris, there's an exciting new gallery space a little closer to home in Wales where art lovers can get to see works by the great artist, and many more besides.

Claude Monet's The Palazzo Dario, 1908 漏 Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

has opened an impressive today, which include internationally renowned works such as Renoir's La Parisienne and Van Gogh's Rain Auvers. Ten works by Monet will also be on display in the free exhibition, nine of which form part of the national collection and one comes from the .

The impressionist and modern galleries have been completely refurbished and re-displayed for the first time since their completion in 1993.

Other galleries tell the story of the impact of Impressionism on British art and trace the development of Modernism from around 1900 to the Surrealists of the 1930s. Artists from Wales played a significant role in both movements, and the galleries celebrate Augustus John, Gwen John, William Goscombe John, Cedric Morris, David Jones and Ceri Richards, as well as less familiar figures such as the sculptor and suffragette Edith Downing.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's La Parisienne 漏 Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Oliver Fairclough, Keeper of Art at Amgueddfa Cymru聽 National Museum Wales, commented: "The completion of this phase of the project gives us an opportunity both to re-present the great Impressionist and post-Impressionist collections formed by Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, and to tell other less familiar stories, such as the growing importance of women artists in Britain around 1900.

"I am also delighted to have a gallery for changing displays from our rich holdings of work by Welsh artists of the first half of the 20th century."

Find out more about the new galleries on the .

Contemporary art and design gallery are set to launch their third exhibition this week in one of Cardiff's celebrated arcades.

Vladimir Rachev's art work, Phone

project/ten are Cardiff's newest and first design-focused gallery who champion the most contemporary and progressive art and design in the Welsh capital. They support emerging artists, each of whom have a link with Wales, by way of pop-up gallery spaces that are housed in temporary locations.

Debbie Smyth's nail and thread work, Le Chaise

This exhibition, entitled autumn#1, will occupy units 22-24 in Cardiff's Morgan Arcade, and features as part of the .

It will feature new and recent work by the gallery's artists, including newcomers Katie Bray and Kat Mortimer, and is set to showcase a selection of limited prints, original canvases and a one-off site-specific painting.

Plus, quirky art pieces will be on show such as a chair made entirely from up-cycled cutlery and lightboxes crafted from disposable cigarette lighters.

autumn#1 will be the third pop-up exhibition from the gallery. The first, spring #1, was held at the while the second, summer #1, took over a warehouse at the back of City Road. They also currently have a gallery space at the 's Ffresh lounge.

autumn #1 runs from Friday 1 to Saturday 16 October, and will be open from Monday to Saturday, 10-6pm. The exhibition officially launches this Saturday from 3-6pm.

If you're in south Wales this weekend and looking for an inexpensive day out - and aren't we all? - it might be worth heading down to Cardiff Bay, where the , and the that call the centre their home, are throwing their doors open to the public.

A fun-filled and free weekend has been promised as the centre hopes to give people a flavour of what happens inside and behind the scenes at the iconic building.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

There are free performances and activities planned for the whole family between 10am and 7pm on both Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October.

Highlights are set to include backstage tours, performances by and their mischievous ostriches, Balloonatics - who will be on hand making incredible balloon toys and characters, singing workshops with and Welsh-language writing workshops with .

Balloonatics, who will be at the Wales Millennium Centre this weekend

Visitors to the Open Weekend will be encouraged to take part in the activities, watch performances throughout the building and explore the centre.

For more details on what's going on over the weekend, visit the .

With preparations already under way for next year's Eisteddfod in Wrexham, the organisers are putting out a fresh bid for singers to become part of the 2011 Wrexham and district Eisteddfod choir.

Eisteddfod organiser Hywel Wyn Edwards told the Daily Post: "Whatever your age, however long you've been singing, and whether you're a soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, there is a warm welcome for you to join the Choir for the 2011 Eisteddfod."

In previous years choir members have been lucky enough to share the stage with the likes of Bryn Terfel and Rebecca Evans.

If you are interested in joining the 150 people that have already put their name down, and have the chance to perform in front of a possible 3,500 in the Pavilion, all you have to do is go down to on Sundays at 7.30pm, and make the 2011 Wrexham and District Eisteddfod one to remember.

A new collection of photographic portraits of successful gay and lesbian professionals working in the film industry are to be exhibited during the in Cardiff next month.

Images by acclaimed photographer , including new portraits of Sir Ian McKellen, Stephen Fry and Mark Gatiss, will go on display in the Grand Arcade, St David's shopping centre from 9 October.

Portrait of actor Sir Ian McKellen by photographer Donald MacLellan

Iris Patron, Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, said: "This new collection of portraits of successful gay and lesbian professionals working in the film industry includes Stephen Fry, Sir Ian McKellen and Iris's very own Berwyn Rowlands. I'm delighted that Berwyn's work in setting up the Iris Prize has been recognised in this way by the UK Film Council."

"The collection records and celebrates the fantastic wealth of talent we have within the UK film industry. I think it will also act as a catalyst to explore, highlight and debate the on-screen representation of gay, lesbian and bisexual people and to establish to what extent they feel reflected in film, both in front of, and behind the camera," he added.

Stephen Fry by Donald MacLellan

"It is very appropriate that this important exhibition is unveiled to the public during the Iris Prize Festival which has become such an important event. The newly extended St David's in the heart of Cardiff city centre is also the ideal place for people to see the exhibition. I'm hoping that I will be one of the many thousands to see the portraits before the end of the year."

Actor Heather Peace photographed by Donald MacLellan

The free exhibition runs from 9 October to 6 November 2010 at the , Cardiff. For more information on the exhibition and the Iris Prize Festival, visit .

Five of the six shortlisted authors up for the prestigious are women, it has been announced.

A six-strong shortlist for the 拢30,000 prize, which is now awarded annually, has been revealed from a longlist of 16 - with the young authors hailing from five continents. Of the six works, two are collections of poetry while the other four are novels.

The shortlisted authors and their works are: Caroline Bird, Watering Can; Elyse Fenton, Clamor; Eleanor Catton, The Rehearsal; Emily Mackie, And This is True; Karan Mahajan, Family Planning and Nadifa Mohamed, Black Mamba Boy.

Professor Peter Stead, prize founder and judge, with the shortlisted books taken at the statue of Dylan Thomas in Swansea

Read more on this year's shortlist on the 大象传媒 Wales News site, read more about Dylan Thomas on 大象传媒 Wales Arts and visit the official for further information.

A new exhibition featuring some of the most recognisable Welsh faces from the worlds of arts, sport, business, politics and science will begin next month at the in Penarth.

Artist has teamed up with photographer for her latest collection, of portraits of people who have made a difference in Wales.

Carolyn Merrifield's painting of Stan Stennett. Images courtesy the artist

Merrifield, more used to painting the portraits of friends and family, realised she would need the help of a photographer to capture the images of the Welsh personalities, whose busy lives wouldn't necessarily accommodate time for the artist to paint her subjects.

She chose young photographer Jocelyn Allen, who prefers working from film instead of digital and restricted herself to just 20 frames for each portrait. Merrifield also used images provided by sports photographer Andrew Orchard, for action shots of people such as rugby star James Hook, golfer Bradley Dredge, snooker player Mathew Stevens and footballer Ryan Giggs.

Merrifield commented: "We decided to exhibit the painting alongside the photo as viewers who are not familiar with some of the faces could see if I've captured the likeness."

Carolyn Merrifield's portrait of Bryn Terfel

Portraits in the exhibition will also include Rhodri Morgan, Caryl Parry Jones, Stifyn Parri, Tony Wright, Saleem Kidwai OBE, Jacqui Williams, Judith Hall, Jane Davidson AM, Carlo Rizzi, Geraint Thomas, Sir Stanley Thomas, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Mike Hall and Charlotte Bennett.

The artist added: "If people are really quite famous, you want to do them justice in your portrait, so spontaneity often goes out the window. But I really enjoyed painting each portrait in the collection."

Portrait of Caryl Parry Jones by Carolyn Merrifield

Making a Difference, an exhibition of portraits by Carolyn Merrifield with photography by Jocelyn Allen, runs in the Upper Gallery at from 28 September to 20 October.

The opens its autumn/winter series of free public lectures this evening.

Tonight's lecture, on Woven Sculptures, will be given by artist at the Cardiff University School of Architecture, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff.

Further planned lectures next month are set to include a talk by Professor Sioned Davies, head of the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, on Illustrating the Mabinogion, while Peter Spriggs will deliver a lecture entitled 'Continuing to make art and trying to make it better'.

More details about the series of lectures can be found on the .

are about to embark on what is likely to be their last autumn tour with a production inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The cast of Hijinx's Ill Met By Moonlight. Photo 漏 Simon Gough Photography

Ill Met By Moonlight was written almost 20 years ago, and toured in 1994 and 2001. It's been revived for 2010 and will tour various theatres and institutions throughout Wales, England and Scotland from today, starting at Cardiff's Whitchurch School.

This will be Hijinx's final autumn tour specifically for community audiences in its current guise, as a result of the reduction in financial support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Michael Wagg as Gwarwyn-a-throt (Gat) and Stephen Hickman as Samuel Jenkins 漏 Simon Gough Photography

Welsh playwright Charles Way, who penned the play, will direct the production.

Set on the border of Wales and England when rural superstition was rife, Gwarwyn-a-throt (Gat) - played by Michael Wagg - is a descendant of the impish Shakespearian Puck, who roams the countryside creating a trail of mischief.

Katy Owen (Hedydd) and Michael Wagg (Gwarwyn-a-throt/Gat) 漏 Simon Gough Photography

Gat is the last of the mystical Bwca, the faerie 鈥渂rownies鈥� of Wales, but they have somewhat nastier tempers than their brownie cousins - in folklore, brownies were friendly goblins or fairies, traditionally said to help with domestic chores.

So with his shape-changing interference, Gat attempts to thwart the growing love between two lonely country people. The results of his malicious meddling are both hilarious and tragic - but will he be triumphant, or will love win out?

Hannah McPake as Mary Morris 漏 Simon Gough Photography

Judging by these photos, courtesy of Simon Gough Photography and kindly provided by Hijinx, which were taken at the dress rehearsal last night - theatre fans are in for a treat with Ill Met By Moonlight.

Browse the for more information and to see where the company are performing near you.

The second returns to Cardiff next month following its d茅but last year.

After a successful pilot - plus lots of positive feedback - in 2009, this year's is set to be bigger and better as the arty folk of the Roath area of the capital display their work in a multitude of quirky locations.

Though remains the main base for exhibitions - it's set to host the opening and closing ceremonies - the festival has over 30 local venues dotted around the Roath area that will collectively showcase the creative talents of the many artists involved.

An example of Richard Powell's work in Allen's Bakery, Cardiff - for Made In Roath 2009

This community-based arts project will take place over the weekend of 15-17 October and promises an eclectic mix of exhibitions, residencies, workshops, live music and performances. Made in Roath aims to give local people the opportunity to view, enjoy and celebrate local arts.

The National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke will open the artistic festivities on the evening of Friday 15 October. There will be further performances Peter Finch, Dan Anthony, Nick Fisk, Mab Jones, dotdotdot Theatre Company, Rachel-Helena Walsh, UWIC Connections Company, UWIC Youth Company, Crosswires, Blue Lotus, Saturn Dance and Jayde Adams.

Photograph of Jenny Jones' work - the artist will be working and exhibiting in the Albany Aquarium and Pet Centre this year

The full festival programme will be released on 1 October, complete with an arts trail map that will guide visitors around all of the arty things on offer in the Roath area over the course of the weekend.

Artists taking part will include: Rabab Ghazoul, Jennie Savage, Betina Skovbro, James Richards, Richard Powell, Kim Fielding, George Keane, Chris Collins, Aled Jenkins, Michael Cousin, Chris Brown, Clive Nolan, Emilie Collins, Marius Grainger, Shaun Featherstone, Jenny Jones, Heloise Godfrey, Marta Mendes, Jonathan Thomas, Kate Dumbleton and Cath Povey.

Planned workshops include sketching sessions, digital photography, book illustration, animation, textile workshops, ceramics, creative writing, circus tricks, knitting, ukulele workshops and for the more energetic among us - Argentine Tango dancing.

The Made in Roath Arts Festival 2010 runs from 15-17 October. For more information, or to get involved with the initiative, visit the .

Beautiful Boy, starring Welsh actor Michael Sheen, has picked up the prize of the International Critics for the Discovery programme at the .

Beautiful Boy is the d茅but feature film from director Shawn Ku. It tells the story of the devastating aftermath of an American college shooting spree from the perspective of the parents of the teenage gunman, played by Sheen and Maria Bello.

Beautiful Boy production shot featuring Maria Bello and Michael Sheen. Copyright: www.beautifulboythemovie.com / 2010 Goldrush Entertainment Inc

The couple's faltering marriage is put under further strain as they confront the feelings of guilt and anguish of their son's crime, struggle to find refuge from the public and media backlash while at the same time grieve the death of their child.

The jury commented: This film shows its audience that in a world of chaos and insanity, humanity is the only key to life.

Meanwhile, The King's Speech - starring Colin Firth as King George VI - scooped the main prize at the festival. Read more about the awards on the .

Additional information

• Michael Sheen鈥檚 profile on the 大象传媒 Wales Arts website

Read the rest of this entry

More than 65 pieces of art by some of Wales' top artists will go under the hammer next week in charity auctions in the fight against homelessness.

will hold their annual Welsh art auctions, one each in north and south Wales on 20 and 24 September respectively, with artists such as William Selwyn, Steven Jones, Gareth Parry, Mike Jones, Helen Sinclair and Nick Holly all having donated works.

Gareth Parry's painting Bora yn Eryri/Morning in Snowdonia

The auctions started life in 2002, with the number of Welsh or Wales-based artists supporting the charity auctions growing each year. All the art is donated to Shelter Cymru with all profits raised going to the charity.

Browse a photo gallery on the 大象传媒 Wales Arts website of some of the works up for auction.

Andrew Jones of Shelter Cymru said: "The line-up of donors this year reads like a 'Who's Who' of Welsh art and, as always, the quality of work is outstanding.

"Demand for Shelter Cymru services is at a record high. Last year, our advisers helped nearly 16,000 people and dealt with around 22,000 housing problems. The generosity of all the artists who donate work to our auctions means that we are able to raise valuable funds to help us continue this work."

Steven Jones' Paddling In The Sea

The north Wales auction will take place on Monday 20 September at the in Conwy, viewing is from 6pm. The auction in south Wales will take place on Friday 24 September at the in Penarth from 7.30pm, although the art can be viewed from 2pm on Wednesday 22 September.

For more details on the auctions, and to view all the artworks up for grabs, .

Fans of legendary Welsh poet Dylan Thomas have noted their disappointment in the condition of one of his famous drinking haunts following a delay in its planned revamp.

Brown's Hotel in Laugharne

Dylan admirers on the well-trod tourist trail in Laugharne have been left disappointed by the poor state of repair of Brown's Hotel, one of the writer's favourite drinking holes.

Mayor Roy Thomas said: 鈥淧eople have been walking past it during the summer and the windows are covered with pillow cases... Many people have been complaining that it looks an absolute mess.鈥�

Plans to develop the historic building into a boutique hotel and conference centre were approved in August 2009, but the development has been stalled due to delays in securing grant funding.

Read more on the story on the .

Russell Grant is searching for stars, but not of the astrological kind - he's on the look out for amateur actors for his planned production of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood.

Russell Grant, photographed in 1983

Grant, a trained actor, plans to take on the role of the First Voice - the role once occupied by Welsh icon Richard Burton.

In Grant said that he wants to use amateur actors, or those with no experience of acting at all.

鈥淲e want to involve professionals in theatre and film and get them working with people in the community 鈥� amateurs who like acting and people who have never done it before but who want to give it a try," he said.

Under Milk Wood will run for two nights, 30 and 31 October, at Portmeirion Village. Anyone interested in auditioning should send an email to victoria@russellgrant.com.

Welsh literature promotion agency has launched a great new website that celebrates the literary talents of the nation.

The details the memorials dedicated to Welsh writers throughout the country on a map of Wales. So far Academi has profiled 58 plaques, commemorating both Welsh and English language writers. It hopes that in mapping these plaques, communities and residents will be reminded, or made aware, of the literary heritage in their local area.

Screen grab of Academi's Writers' Plaques website

Each plaque has been individually profiled and the website offers users detailed information on each writer's life, plus extracts from The New Companion to the Literature of Wales, photographs, area maps and p links to obituaries, articles, YouTube videos and further websites of interest.

Academi is looking for the public to get involved with the project too. They are encouraging people to visit and review plaques, to contribute photos and videos they may have taken while visiting a plaque, and they also want people to let them know if they've missed a plaque from the map.

Find out more on the .

Ioan Gruffudd returns to the silver screen this week as he stars in new film , an adaptation of the harrowing novel by .

Actor and director Nick Moran, of Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels fame, follows his directorial d茅but Telstar with this powerful story of a young boy who rose from an abusive childhood to become a best-selling author.

Ioan Gruffudd and Rupert Friend in The Kid. Courtesy Revolver Entertainment

Born in 1970, Kevin Lewis grew up on a south London council estate. He was severely beaten and starved by his parents, particularly by his mother Gloria, was overlooked by the social services and bullied at school. He was put into care but despite his best efforts, his life spiralled out of control.

At 17 he became involved in the criminal underworld, including the bare-knuckled fighting scene, where he was known as The Kid. In spite of the violence he suffered at the hands of his parents and in the face of endless rejection, Lewis succeeded in making a better life for himself. He is now a best-selling author, of The Kid and The Kid Moves On, and crime novels Kaitlyn, Frankie and Fallen Angel.

Gruffudd stars as Colin Smith in the film, an observant teacher who notices the signs of Kevin's abuse. Gruffudd used his father as a role model in preparing for the part, as he was the headteacher at the south Wales comprehensive school that the actor attended.

Gruffudd said: "I absolutely loved, respected and admired my father. He was a totally committed teacher, and it was never a problem having him as head, in fact it was good to know he was there.

"From the moment I got the script for The Kid I found all I could think of when I read about Colin Smith was my father. He really was a Colin Smith type character. And I kind of channelled his image."

Augustus Prew and Ioan Gruffudd with The Kid director Nick Moran. Photo courtesy Revolver Entertainment

The Welsh actor was also keen to work with director Moran: "I had seen the play of Telstar and been blown away by it, I just thought it was something so eccentric and different. And when I read the script for The Kid I knew I really wanted to be part of Nick's new project. This was a story that needed to be told."

Browse a photo gallery of photos from the film on the 大象传媒 Wales Arts website.

Rupert Friend stars as Kevin Lewis, with Augustus Prew and William Finn Miller playing the parts of teen and young Kevin respectively. Natascha McElhone plays the part of Kevin's mother Gloria, Con O'Neill is Dennis his father and other stars in the impressive cast list include James Fox, Bernard Hill, Jodie Whittaker and Shirley Anne Field.

The is lending its support to the release of the film, with a campaign to raise awareness of its helpline for adults who are worried about a child.

The Kid is released in UK cinemas this Friday 17 September, following the premi猫re at the Odeon West End in Leicester Square on Wednesday.

Additional information

• Ioan Gruffudd biography on 大象传媒 Wales Arts
• The Kid photo gallery on 大象传媒 Wales Arts

This week sees the launch of , a daring new collection of books from four up and coming literary stars which have been published by Welsh publishers .

Bright Young Things sees the talents of Welsh (or Wales-based) authors Tyler Keevil, Susie Wild, JP Smythe and Wil Gritten now in print, following their submissions of manuscripts to Parthian. They each varied in style and genre but, as the publisher puts it, were all examples of exceptional literary talent.

Parthian have a rather proud history of discovering and publishing the works of new Welsh talent before the big London publishers snaffle them up. For instance, recent gems have included the inaugural Dylan Thomas Prize winner Rachel Trezise and the 2009 Wales Book of the Year award-winner Deborah Kay Davies.

One of the Bright Young Things, , has already had his next two novels secured in a publishing deal with the HarperCollins imprint , even before his first novel has hit the shelves.

Bright Young Things covers: Fireball by Tyler Keevil, The Art Of Contraception by Susie Wild, Letting Go by Wil Gritten, and Hereditation by JP Smythe.

London-born JP Smythe has a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from Cardiff University. His first novel Hereditation tells the story of the Sloane family in New York: brothers Erwin and Maynard share their house with their perpetually ill mother, who has recently been abandoned by her philandering husband Ezra. But when Ezra dies of a heart attack a chest is unearthed, the contents of which force the Sloane brothers to look at themselves in a different light.

Wil Gritten grew up in north Wales. He moved to London at the age of 16 and modelled for some of the largest international fashion brands. He now lives in Australia, though he's jetting back for some of the Bright Young Things book launches. His non-fiction travel writing, Letting Go, takes the reader along on his journey from north Wales to South America.

Bright Young Things authors (clockwise from top left): Tyler Keevil, Susie Wild, Wil Gritten and JP Smythe

was raised in Vancouver, moving to the UK in 1999 to study English at Lancaster University. He currently lives in Llanidloes, Powys, and has studied for an MA and PhD in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University.

His d茅but novel Fireball is set during a hot summer in Vancouver, in which Razor's best friend Chris has driven a stolen police car through a road block and over a cliff to his death. Keevil takes the reader back to the start of the summer and unravels the events leading up to Chris' death, and follows four teenagers through the months that will come to define their futures.

is a writer, editor and journalist. She has written for the majority of the Welsh press as well as national publications and her d茅but short film - featuring her poem Dim Smoking, Girls - won The Co-op Award for New Directors at Beyond TV Festival 2007. Her d茅but collection of short stories, The Art Of Contraception, contains a quirky mix of tales of the fantastic and the everyday.

The launch parties for the new collection begins this Thursday at Waterstones on The Hayes, Cardiff, and at the , Swansea on Friday.

Further events are planned for Bangor, London, Aberystwyth (plus another in Cardiff) - take a look at the for more details.

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Today marks the birth date of the much-loved, Cardiff-born author Roald Dahl - and a host of festivities are planned this month to celebrate his life.

Dahl died almost 20 years ago, in 1990, but the popularity of his books endures. What started off as a single day of celebration of the author's life on 13 September 2006 - Roald Dahl Day, to mark what would have been his 90th birthday - has grown into a month of events planned throughout September.

Roald Dahl

Read about Roald Dahl Day, and visit the official for further information. And if you're marking the day in any way, do let us know!

Fancy a free weekend activity that combines a leisurely stroll through some of the most picturesque gardens in south Wales, with the chance to view a collection of new artwork?

Well Bob's your uncle, so to speak, thanks to the Open Doors Weekend at this weekend - who are hosting a new exhibition by the .

Dyffryn has inspired the group of artists during a year-long project that began in August 2009, following an open invitation to VOGA to work at the house and gardens for a year.

The results of the project will now go on show from tomorrow, with a diverse offering of art works on display. Eileen Allan, Eve Hart, Kay Keogh, Shirley Anne Owen, Paul Baker and Ann Townson are all showing paintings; Gwyn Price and Mel Forse will exhibit sculptures, while Teresa Bridger, Susan Edwards, Peter Moulding, Sue Roberts and Bernard van Lierop will show prints, including photography.

Susan Edwards, assisted by fellow artist Ann Townson, hangs her prints and paintings of some ancient oaks in the Dyffryn Arboretum

Paul Baker, Chairman of VOGA, said: "We are very grateful to curator Gerry Donovan for inviting us to work at Dyffryn. We have enjoyed every support from the management and staff throughout the year."

Dyffryn Gardens will be waiving their admission fee this weekend as part of the , giving people the opportunity to explore the wonderful gardens free of charge.

Whether it's a quick stroll around the arboretum or a leisurely picnic in the grounds, this is an ideal chance to visit. Additional activities over the open weekend include an antiques fair, a solar viewing with and on Sunday, an unusual plant fair.

Dyffryn House and Gardens. Photo: Vale of Glamorgan Council

The Vale of Glamorgan Artists exhibition, A year in Dyffryn - work in progress, runs at Dyffryn Gardens from Saturday 11 September to Sunday 10 October 2010.

Please note, free admission to Dyffryn Gardens will be granted on 11 and 12 September only, as part of the initiative. Visit the for further information on opening times, and browse the for a taste of what you can expect at the exhibition.

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People are being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of Alexander Cordell, author of Rape Of The Fair Country, and enter a literary competition with a twist.

The Cordell Mini-Saga competition was launched at last month's National Eisteddfod. Entrants must write a story of exactly 50 words that is set in south Wales over the last 200 years, on the theme of 'community' or 'unbelievable'.

Cordell himself entered sections of Rape Of The Fair Country for a competition in the South Wales Argus newspaper in 1957.

Inspiration can be found on the and by visiting the free annual Cordell Festival, which will be held at on 18 and 19 September.

Visit the for further information on the competition.

The birthplace of one of Wales' most prodigious literary talents looks set to inspire the writers of the future as plans for writing courses at Dylan Thomas' early home, in Swansea, are afoot.

Dylan Thomas smoking a cigarette

A series of 10-week long courses are being run by Anne and Geoff Haden of in conjunction with the poet and writer . The series will start with a course entitled Poetry - to begin at the beginning.

The Swansea-born Hadens bought the historic house and have restored it to its condition in 1914, the year in which the Thomas family originally bought their home.

Peter Thabit Jones commented: "Many people want to write and don't know where to start, so the aim of the course is to explore some aspects of writing and poetry and to help participants develop their own style.

"Not only will the course allow people to write in the house where Dylan produced over two thirds of his published output but we will also explore the local area including Cwmdonkin Park and the Uplands for further inspiration."

Read more on the story on the and on the .

Beginning this Saturday, 11 September, the will be running free art classes for adults and young children.

Image of a palette filled with paint and paintbrushes, courtesy of Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Adult classes are open to anyone over 16 and will take place every second and third Saturday of the month. No experience is necessary and complete beginners are welcome.

Classes will cover a range of techniques, such as drawing and painting, whilst taking inspiration from the collection on display, and will continue throughout October and November.

The popular Saturday Morning Art Club for children also continues this Saturday morning, with drawing, painting and collage for four to six-year-olds (all children must be accompanied by an adult).

For more information and to book a place, call the Glynn Vivian on 01792 516900 or .

A new exhibition of photography that showcases a unique view of Wales opens later this month at the in Machynlleth.

Unhidden, Documentary Photographs of Contemporary Wales is a collection of dramatic images of far-from-typical Welsh scenery.

The artist behind the collection is London-born , a documentary photographer who has received two special commendations in The Observer Hodge Photographic Award - an international documentary prize for young up-and-coming photographers.

Rhoose Point 漏 Jooney Woodward

To capture the images for the exhibition, Woodward travelled extensively around Wales documenting the 'anti-beauty spot', the unconventional landscapes she viewed.

Each photograph aims to challenge the populist vision of Wales, and presents an alternative account of the country that avoids sentimentality and explores local Welsh culture.

Browse a photo gallery of some of the images from the exhibition.

This is Woodward's first solo exhibition, and the artist hopes that it's just the start of a long working relationship with Wales: "It's a fantastic opportunity for me to bring my style of photography to a gallery which triumphs art in Wales.

Nos. 4-5 漏 Jooney Woodward

Woodwards adds: "My aim would also be to take this exhibition back to other venues and to different audiences less familiar with the subject.

"I'm going to continue to shoot in Wales over the next few years, as I would love to get a body of work together for a book project. I've got lots of places still to visit."

Unhidden, Documentary Photographs of Contemporary Wales runs from Monday 20 September to Saturday 6 November at in Machynlleth.

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Hit 大象传媒 comedy Gavin & Stacey, which put the Welsh seaside town of Barry firmly on the map, scooped the award for best comedy show at last night's .

Gavin & Stacey stars James Corden, Joanna Page, Mathew Horne and Ruth Jones

There was further success as the 大象传媒 Cymru Wales produced Doctor Who won the best family drama prize - with actress Karen Gillan, who made her d茅but this year as the Doctor's assistant Amy Pond, on hand to accept the award.

Browse the list of winners on the 大象传媒 News website and browse a gallery of photos from the awards night.

The director behind a film telling the story of Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir's rise to fame has said that shooting on the film could begin this year.

Debbie Isitt, who directed the films and , has said that the film "remains a major priority" for production company Lion's Gate.

Fron Male Voice Choir

In October 2006 an unlikely news story hit the headlines. It was announced that Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir had signed to Universal Music Group.

The choir signed the deal after being spotted at a wedding by Daniel Glatman, manager of boy band Blue. "When I first saw them they were absolutely fantastic," he said. "They just blew me away and I realised we just had to capture that passion and the amazing sound in a recording studio."

The film has a working title of The Choir.

Read and visit the for information on the band.

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大象传媒 Cymru Wales has gone behind the scenes at the prestigious for new series Ballet School, which charts the struggles and triumphs of the talented Welsh students who have won places to study there.

The third episode of the programme goes out tonight on 大象传媒 Two Wales, but if you've missed any of the episodes so far you can catch up with 大象传媒 iPlayer.

The cameras follow the pupils as they nurture their dream of becoming professional ballet dancers, giving viewers a unique insight into a world where success is hard fought for and the big prize limited to only the chosen few.

Ballet School's Adam Russell-Jones

The dancers featured in the series are Adam Russell-Jones from Cardiff, Dominic Handford from Swansea, Rebecca Haw from Chepstow, Michael Harris from Barry and Joseph Fawcett from mid Wales.

Adam Russell-Jones begins the academic year with an injury that has left him unable to dance for a year.

Dominic Handford first became passionate about ballet when watching cartoons of Angelina Ballerina at home. His family wanted to do anything they could to achieve his dream, so they sold their house to free up enough money to send him to ballet school.

Dominic Handford at the barre

Viewers will also meet Rebecca Haw as she enters the sixth form. At 16, she's now preparing herself for the tough and competitive world of professional ballet.

Michael Harris, like Dominic, doesn't come from a traditional ballet background. Also 16, he faces GCSEs and auditions for the sixth form as well as a gruelling regime of ballet.

Joseph Fawcett is 11 years old and the youngest of the Welsh ballet students. Joseph had been home tutored until attending Elmhurst so this was his first taste of formal education. In the first programme he landed a role in a Birmingham Royal Ballet production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite - a taste of the life of a professional dancer.

In tonight's episode it's spring term at the school. Rebecca is gearing up for her assessment to see if she can carry on in the sixth form, alhough a persistent ankle injury is causing her to worry about doing her best.

Ballets School's Rebecca Haw

Michael is facing similar pressure as he auditions to make it into the sixth form. Though he has been at Elmhurst for five years, there is just one place available for every six who audition.

Michael, along with Joseph, is taking part in a choreography competition with a little less pressure as Joseph adds, "it's not as though you're going to be expelled if you don't win".

But for one of the five, the end of spring term could spell the end of the dream to make it as a professional ballet dancer.

Watch the next episode of Ballet School tonight, Tuesday 7 September, at 7pm on 大象传媒 Two Wales. And on the 大象传媒 News site for south east Wales.

Have you been watching the programme? Let us know your thoughts on it below.

A multimedia art exhibition, which was inspired by the impending demolition of Whiteheads Steelworks in Newport in 2008, is returning to following its tour of Europe.

, the brainchild of Newport-based photographers Matt Wright and Janire Najera, was originally held at the Newport theatre two years ago.

Interior Bare by Matt Wright 漏 the artist and Ghosts in Armour 2010

In the summer of 2007 the two artists gained access to the Whiteheads Steelworks site in Newport and what was originally planned as a one-off photo shoot became a creative obsession of exploring, through art, the consequence of de-industrialisation.

The pair decided to co-curate an exhibition after the site's demolition was confirmed and they invited around 25 artists and collaborators to give their artistic response to the site's structures, their imminent destruction and the effect of this on the site's associated community.

Wright and Najera continue to curate this unique project, which includes photography, video, graphic design, sculpture, poetry, fashion and multimedia art.

Traces of Light photograph by Matt Wright 漏 the artist and Ghosts in Armour 2010

Ghosts in Armour features the work of over 35 international artists who explore the traces and connections of the industrial past of three European cultures undergoing transition; south Wales, the Basque Country in Spain and the Ruhr in Germany.

Since the first exhibition in 2008 the project has developed, exploring the themes of history, loss and regeneration, and has shown in a variety of European locations. This show will be its 10th incarnation.

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Ghosts in Armour will be held in the basement and ground floor galleries at The Riverfront from Friday 10 September to Saturday 23 October as part of .

For more information, visit and .

Gillian Clarke will introduce a reading of one of her plays at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea next week as part of the continuation of Michael Kelligan's Deadlier Than The Male season of plays, which are all written and directed by women.

Clarke, the National Poet of Wales, will introduce the rehearsed reading of Talking To Wordsworth - a play based on her experiences of reading poetry in schools, hospitals and day care centres.

Black and white photo of Gillian Clarke courtesy of Academi/Owain Llyr

Talking To Wordsworth will be preceded by a revival of 's Wishful Thinking. The two script-held performances, directed by Gilly Adams, can be seen at the centre on Wednesday 15 September at 7.30pm.

Clarke is also set to embark on a tour of venues across Wales where she will perform readings of her work. Her first appearance will be at the Abergavenny Food Festival with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, and further performances are set to feature Ifor Ap Glyn, Paul Henry and Menna Elfyn.

Visit the on the tour.

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An exhibition of 36 paintings and drawings by Welsh artist Will Roberts, which commemorates the 10th anniversary of his death, opens at the this weekend.

Will Roberts' painting River At Chepstow

Roberts, who was born in Ruabon in north Wales in 1907, is regarded as one of the greatest Welsh painters of the 20th century. In 1918 his family moved to Neath, where he spent the majority of his life.

Will Roberts' painting Roses In A Jug

He joined the Swansea School of Art on a part-time scholarship in 1928. In 1949 Roberts participated in an Arts Council of Great Britain touring exhibition of the work of contemporary Welsh artists. He exhibited in London throughout the 1950s and by the early 1960s exhibited predominantly in Wales.

His meeting with Josef Herman in 1945, and subsequent work in collaboration with the Polish-born artist, gave Roberts a new artistic impetus.

Working alongside Herman, Roberts developed his own unique style that focused on the medium of painting or drawing to capture an emotional experience, rather than the straight rendering of the subject in front of him. He died in March 2000 aged 92.

Will Roberts RCA - A Commemoration runs at the Attic Gallery from 4-18 September 2010.

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The shortlist for the , the world's largest international gay and lesbian short film prize, has been announced by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys.

The Iris Prize Festival will take place in Cardiff from 6-9 October, and film-makers from the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Israel, Singapore, Norway, Australia and Spain are all vying for the prize, valued at an impressive 拢25,000.

Production shot from Reid Waterer's shortlisted film You Can't Curry Love

The list of the 30 shortlisted entries . The winner will be announced during the Iris Prize Awards show on Saturday 10 October.

Matthew Rhys, a patron of the Iris Prize, said: "The shortlist for the 2010 Iris Prize once again represents the best of the best.

"Half of the short-listed films have been nominated by our partner festivals - film festivals from around the world that have their fingers on the pulse of upcoming gay and lesbian filmmaking talent. I'm confident that amongst this year's shortlist we have yet another winner deserving of the Iris Prize."

Photograph of director Juanma Carrillo, who is shortlisted for his film Cannibals

Six feature films have been selected for the festival, and are eligible for the Iris Prize Best Feature Award of 拢1,000.

The festival will get under way with the world premi猫re screening of one of these films. Kick Off is the latest offering from award-winning writer/director Rikki Beadle-Blair, which follows the exploits of a gay five-a-side football team.

The other five feature films are Violet Tendencies by director Casper Andreas; JC Calciano's Is It Just Me?; BearCity directed by Douglas Langway; The Owls by Cheryl Dunye and Nana Neul's My Friend From Faro.

The jury in charge of selecting the winner from the 30 short films selected for the 2010 Iris Prize was also recently announced.

Those on the panel include the winner of the 2009 Iris Prize Eldar Rapaport, Welsh actor Sue Jones Davies, author Alan Hollinghurst and Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the former EastEnders story producer who masterminded Syed Masood's battle between faith and sexuality. Rebecca Matthews, the Director of , will chair the jury.

Let us know if you plan to attend this year's , or if you've attended a previous Iris festival tell us about your experiences.

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Following our previous blog post about Gwent Theatre losing its appeal against the ' decision to withdraw its funding, the theatre is planning a public campaign to save itself from closure.

The theatre group says that unless there's a sudden change of heart by the Arts Council of Wales it'll start issuing redundancy notices this month.

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Art lovers in north Wales are being given the opportunity to get a rare glimpse into the creative and often private world of artists this September with the .

Maud Telastuo in her Ruthin studio 漏 Simon Proffitt

Helfa Gelf began in 2006 in Conwy, and with each subsequent year it has expanded to Denbighshire, then Flintshire and to Gwynedd.

Now in its fifth year, the annual open studio event had an unprecedented number of applications in 2010, bringing the total number of artists taking part to 171, with 125 studios opening their doors to the public across north Wales.

The project aims to make art more accessible to the community, and to get visitors involved in the creative processes that take place in the artists' studios

Workshops are also set to take place within a number of the studios so that visitors are able to try anything from painting and collage to lace making.

Sabine Cockrill, project coordinator for Helfa Gelf/Art Trail says: "I really think there is something to suit everyone.

"Over three weekends in September, you can call in on painters, sculptors, photographers, jewellery makers, woodworkers, potters, textile artists, glass makers, basket weavers, digital artists and many more, each one with a highly individual skill."

Artist Lisa Carter at work in her studio in Llannefydd, Conwy 漏 Simon Proffitt

Helfa Gelf / Art Trail runs from 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26 September in Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire. For more information .

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OK, hands up if you fancy watching a postmodern web-based sitcom about an ageing actor trying to make it as an Elvis tribute act.

No wait - don't run away. All Shook Up! is a film-within-a-film, a mockumentary by director Jamie Adams which stars Brian Hibbard, Siwan Morris and Richard Elis, and features cameos from Joe and Enzo Calzaghe.

All Shook Up! was filmed in Cardiff, Porthcawl and Newbridge, and charts the efforts of filmmaker Norman Leslie (played by Elis) to capture the progress of actor Brian Hibbard (played by, well, actor Brian Hibbard) as he enters the Porthcawl Elvis Festival 2010.

On the day he meets Hibbard for the first time, it is clear that Leslie's true subject is his loving yet dysfunctional family. The film-maker falls for Hibbard's daughter Priscilla Anne (Morris), learns about the secret ambitions of anti-social son Dafydd (Alexander Vlahos), and has to deal with frustrated philosopher wife Joan (Ri Richards).

Described as "a very Welsh journey of love, loyalty, and lyric," it "wears its heart on its sleeve and praises the wonderful idiosyncratic characters that exist here in modern Wales". The series is showing from 10 September until 31 December, although the website is still to go live. There's more information on their and , and you can watch a teaser trailer on .

In a previous blog post we gave a summary of the quite frankly huge list of productions that had planned for 2010.

Some of the events have now been successfully completed, but this week sees the National Youth Theatre of Wales (NYTW) begin their touring production of new play, Diwrnod Heb Ei Debyg / No Other Day Like Today.

Production photo from No Other Day Like Today 漏 Sean Malyon

No Other Day Like Today is the result of months of research and writing by a group of young writers, supported by award-winning playwright Manon Eames, who contributed their voices, ideas, hopes and dreams to produce a challenging script.

During the early stages of writing, Manon and NYTW Artistic Director Tim Baker encouraged the young writers to look at the structure of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood.

This new play is set in the imaginary town of Llanhynallallacarall and follows the colourful characters of the town during an eventful 24 hour period, as seen through the eyes of young people. It combines story-telling and dialogue with music, movement, and audio-visual effects.

Production photo from No Other Day Like Today 漏 Sean Malyon

Members of the National Youth Theatre of Wales are aged between 16 and 21 and are drawn from all over the country. Over 200 young people auditioned for the 2010 Youth Theatre.

No Other Day Like Today will run at the on 3-4 September, at , Mold, on 7 September and at , Newport, on 9-10 September. Visit the for further information.

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