Vote For ‘Museum At Night’ Event

Rhondda Heritage Park has been shortlisted for the Connect! Awards as part of this year’s nationwide Museums at Night Festival in October – and we need your support. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Voting is now open ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For the last three months, museums and galleries from all over the UK have been submitting a range of creative ideas hoping to entice one of five leading contemporary artists to their venues to create a unique arts event. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council’s Rhondda Heritage Park has been shortlisted alongside Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford; Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park, Warwickshire; Torre Abbey Historic House & Gardens, Torquay; and Fulham Palace, London to host renowned artist Aowen Jin. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Not only has Rhondda Heritage Park been shortlisted in this prestigious competition, it is the only museum in Wales to have got this far! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Joy Rosser, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Libraries and Heritage, said: “To be shortlisted for the Connect! Award is a huge honour in itself, ensuring that Rhondda Heritage Park is recognised among some of the finest museums and galleries in the UK. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our venue is the only one of its kind to be shortlisted in this prestigious art competition. To be selected would not only bring great pride to our County Borough, but to the whole of Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The underground setting at Rhondda Heritage Park would be the perfect place for a painting exhibition of this kind.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Artist Aowen Jim said: “Imagine a gallery that’s filled with magical figurative stories, like the Sistine Chapel, but that can only be seen using UV torches. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As you move the torch around the museum in the dark, all of the paintings on the wall come to life, and they appear and disappear as your beam of light moves from one image to another. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The paintings are inspired by the history and collections of the museum itself, reflected through the eyes of the viewers. I am also interested in using balloons to shape the space, painted with UV ink, which can then create a temporary 3D installation that can be explored with UV torches too.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Chinese-born British artist and social commentator has a unique position as both an outsider and an insider in Chinese society. Much of her work questions why people live the way they do, and she spends years living within a community or embracing a sub-culture to create new insights into contemporary society. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Vote for Rhondda Heritage Park to be a part of the UK Museums at Night Festival in October. Winners will be announced on Monday , May 16. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The artists have been chosen in partnership with the Contemporary Visual Arts Network. Connect! is funded by Arts Council England to support venues to try something different to attract new audiences to their Museums at Night event. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Museums at Night, now in its eighth year, is a biannual after-hours festival of arts, culture and heritage, which sees hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites across the UK open their doors for special evening events. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Last year, thousands of visitors took part in over 800 events at more than 500 venues across the country. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​