Pop-Up Festival Comes To Theatr Felinfach

​TOSTA Pop-Up Festival will be hosted at Theatr Felinfach on the last weekend in June (24-26 June). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

TOSTA is a festival that aims to celebrate the language and culture of seven Celtic and European countries – The Basque Country, Galicia, Scotland, Ireland, Fryslân, Cornwall and Wales. The project will combine the promotion of artistic creation and the celebration of linguistic and cultural diversity in an international project. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The project has already visited Ireland and will head next to Cornwall and then to Theatr Felinfach in Wales. This will be the only venue in Wales that the festival will visit. It will arrive at the venue in the shape of sea containers – a ‘cultural cargo’ – which will include a stage, radio station, an art gallery and much more. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A number of partners from native language communities have been working together for about two years developing the idea and the vision and securing that the project is brought to fruition. The project celebrates the languages and cultures of the seven regions through art and music. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dwynwen Lloyd Llywelyn, Head of Theatr Felinfach, said: “We are very excited to welcome TOSTA to Theatr Felinfach after such a long time in the planning. The weekend will be a unique and exciting opportunity for the whole family to celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures together.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The onsite gallery will exhibit work by artists from each of the seven participating countries, including work by Welsh artist Luned Rhys Parri, who spent time developing work in Galicia. On Friday night (24 June) there will be an opportunity to enjoy the music of the famous band from the Basque Country, Oreka TX as well as local band Raffdam. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Saturday (25 June) will bring more live music, and more opportunities to visit the TOSTA art gallery, and to take part in art workshops. Visitors will also have the chance to be part of a human mosaic – a tamer version of a flash-mob! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The musical line-up for Saturday night (25 June) is; Cardi-gan, Argyfwng Canol Oed, Plu, Twm Morys and the TOSTA-Banda which is an international collaboration consisting of various members of the famous international band Oreka TX as well as musicians from each of the seven TOSTA-regions, including Gwilym Bowen Rhys (Y Bandana, Plu) representing Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The word ‘Tosta’ is used to describe the bench in a boat, and is a word that is present, with small variations, in many minority languages along the European Atlantic coast. This is also the symbol that ties all the countries together across the seas. The project is also part of Donostia / San Sebastian 2016 European Capital of Culture celebrations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​