10th Annual Poetry & Arts Festival "Spiritual Writers"

Theme : SPIRITUAL WRITERS - Presentations; Writing Workshop; Art Exhibition; Walking; Poetry Readings; Concert; Collectors Books

By RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Society

Date and time

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 19:30 - Sun, 16 Jun 2024 15:30 GMT+1

Location

Aberdaron, St Hywyn's Church; Crud y Werin School; Sailing Club

Lon y Bryn Aberdaron LL53 8BE United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 30 days before event
Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

Agenda

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Thursday Evening Stations to the Untenanted Cross

Susan Fogarty

Eglwys St Hywyn Church

A walking reflection inside St Hywyn's Church with readings of Thomas's poems focused on iconic features within the building.

10:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Friday. Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry & Spirituality

Hilary Davies

Sarn Y Plas Cottage, Y Rhiw, LL53 8AA

The writing workshop in Sarn y Plas, the Thomases' cottage, will look at how poets in the Christian tradition have encountered personal faith down the centuries. It will then reflect upon how poetry...

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Friday. Spiritual Works of Art by ME Eldridge

Susan Fogarty

Eglwys St Hywyn Church

Using 10 reproductions of Elsie Eldridge's works of art, on display in the Church, this talk will show the creative imagination and flexibility of style that she employed, demonstrating her skill as ...

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Friday. Ann Griffiths & Pantycelyn - Anglican Ancestors of RS Thomas

Nathan Munday

Aberdaron Sailing Club

This presentation explores the spiritual spectres that re-appear in RS Thomas's poetry. The likes of William Morgan, Ann Griffiths , William Williams Pantycelyn and more.

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Friday Evening. "The Vessel Dances in Her Disciplines"

Hilary Davies

Ysgol Crud y Werin School Hall, Aberdaron

Reading and discussing four of Hilary's poetic sequences that explore the nature of personal faith and the intersection with spiritual and theological time and space. Set in the contexts of pilgri...

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Saturday. RS Thomas: Poet & Spiritual Guide

Rev Dr Mark Pryce

Ysgol Crud y Werin School Hall, Aberdaron

The Christian tradition celebrates poetry as a vital source of spiritual inspiration and nourishment. Mark Pryce traces some key spiritual themes in RS Thomas's poetry and locates him as a pre-eminen...

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Jim Cotter Memorial Lecture: (W)riting and Living a Sexual Spirituality

Prof. Nicola Slee

Ysgol Crud y Werin School Hall , Aberdaron

Jim Cotter lived, prayed and wrote out of a desire to integrate his own gay sexuality with his vocation as a priest, pastor, and teacher, as well as to challenge the church to be real about the sexua...

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Saturday. Edwin Muir & RS Thomas: Spiritual Endurance

Prof. Daniel Westover

Ysgol Crud y Werin School Hall, Aberdaron

Muir and Thomas were nationalists who saw their countries as having lost essential identity and spiritual essence under the crush of industry, mechanization and capitalism. Both sought to awaken thi...

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Saturday. Through the Keyhole: Look inside Sarn y Plas cottage, Rhiw.

National Trust

Sarn Plas, Y Rhiw LL53 8AA

An opportunity to look around Sarn y Plas cottage and garden, the retirement home of RS Thomas & ME Eldridge. In 1964 the Keating sisters gifted a lease to the Thomas family, ending in 2016 with the ...

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Saturday Concert - Cor y Heli & Gwenan Gibbard - Great Hymns of Wales

Gwenan Gibbard & Cor Heli

Prof. M Wynn Thomas

Eglwys St Hywyn Church

"Poems from the Soul: Twelve of the Great Hymns of Wales" a book edited by M. Wynn Thomas (2024) sets the programme for the evening. Wynn Thomas will give some insights into his selection. Sung i...

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Sunday Eucharist Service led by the Archbishop of Wales

Most Revd Andrew John

Prof. Nicola Slee

Eglwys St Hywyn Church

Bilingual service in Welsh and English. The Archbishop of Wales the Most Reverened Andrew John will preside. Prof. Nicola Slee of The Queens Foundation Birmingham will preach. Light refreshments ...

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Sunday Lunch - RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Society Members

The Ship Hotel

A convivial cooked lunch with some of the festival presenters and advisory board members. Food choice of seasoned chicken or nut roast with roast potatoes and vegetables. Membership of the RS Thom...

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Sunday Walk: In the Footsteps of RS Thomas

Susan Fogarty

Starting at St Hywyn's Church, this 3 mile walk, over uneven paths alongside the Daron river stopping along the way for readings of his poems. The route leads to the old vicarage through the 'hidden...

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Sunday. Through the Keyhole: Look inside Sarn y Plas Cottage.

National Trust

An opportunity to look around Sarn y Plas cottage and garden, the retirement home of RS Thomas & ME Eldridge. In 1964 the Keating sisters gifted a lease to the Thomas family, ending in 2016 with the ...

About this event

  • 2 days 20 hours

The 10th annual Poetry & Arts Festival celebrates the lives and work of R.S. Thomas and M.E. Eldridge in the Welsh coastal village of Aberdaron where he was the vicar and she an artist.

The programme offers a diverse range of experiences for literature enthusiasts, art lovers and those who want to engage in the landscape, which inspired the poetry of Thomas and the art of Eldridge. The scope of the festival goes beyond these two to include other poets and artists who influenced them.

The first festival was held in 2014, and each year there is a different theme, keeping it dynamic and interesting with speakers from the USA as well as UK. The programme is spacious, allowing time to relax and enjoy all that Aberdaron has to offer.

Aberdaron on the shore of the Irish Sea has a sandy beach, coastal paths and sea sports making it attractive for young and old over the weekend.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best car park for Eglwys St Hywyn Church ?

National Trust carpark in the centre of the village. Porth y Swnt visitor centre.

Is there parking at Ysgol Crud y Werin School

Yes, lots of space in the school yard.

Is there parking at the Sailing Club

Yes, in the field opposite the Sailing Club. NO PARKING on the forecourt of the Sailing Club as itmay be needed in emergency for Coastguard.

Is there parking at Sarn Plas Cottage?

Yes, at National Trust Car Park below the entrance to Plas yn Rhiw LL53 8AA. Turn right out of the carpark, keep right at the end of the wall infront of Bryn Foulk cottage and walk of 200 yards along the old road to the steps leading up to Sarn Plas Cottage.

Where can I search online for local accommodation ?

www.aberdaronlink.co.uk www.felinwales.org www.airbnb.co.uk Aberdaron Advent Camp enquiries@aberdaroncamp.com www.sykescottages.co.uk www.menaiholidays.co.uk

Are all the venues within walking distance in Aberdaron

The church, the school and sailing club are all in within the village, though there is a steep hill to the sailing club and moderate hill to the school. Sarn y Plas where the writing workshop is being held, is 5 miles out from Aberdaron.

Organised by

RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Society
£0 – £65.71