A project exploring what home means to people in the local area is culminating with an event in Aberystwyth later today.

Home & Hinterland, a national project where three Welsh universities are linked to three arts centres, is running projects, exploring what home means to people.

Aberystwyth University has been linked to Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Additionally, Bangor University has been linked to Pontio, and Swansea University has been linked with Taliesin Arts Centre.

Aberystwyth project producer Anna Sherratt has enlisted three local artists, Jesse Briton, Eddie Ladd, and Rebecca Smith Williams, to work “with different community groups around themes of saying goodbye, recovering from the pandemic, and living with our monster”.

The project is culminating later today (Saturday, 12 March) in Aberystwyth bandstand, from 10am to 11.30am, with a public party for parents and carers of babies born during the pandemic and their families.

Anna explained: “Rebecca has been working weekly since November with a group of parents and carers of babies born during the pandemic, having been inspired by her own experiences of becoming a mother during this time.

“There has been weekly coffee and cake, chats about what it’s like to be a parent, sharing thoughts on the role of care in society, and arts activities like photography, a magician, poetry and portrait drawing, and lots of toys for the babies.

“On Saturday, 12 March, from 10am to 11.30am in the Bandstand, this project will culminate in a public party for parents and carers of babies born during the pandemic and their families, with free coffee, cake and arts activities for all as well as a play area.

“We hope this will be a proper celebration of the things we didn’t get to celebrate during lockdowns!”

Anna added: “Jess has been meeting with students, societies and local swimming groups, as his starting point was noticing how integral Aberystwyth beach was to people’s wellbeing during the lockdowns, with swimmers going out early every morning, fires at night, and students and community members walking there every day.

Jesse organised an event, Tân Morgana/The Burning of Morgana, on Saturday, 26 February.
Jesse organised an event, Tân Morgana/The Burning of Morgana, on Saturday, 26 February. (Jesse Briton)

“He spoke to different societies and groups, including the Lockdown Lobsters, Salty Dips, Carpe Diem, the Running Society, the Re-enactment society, and individual students in order to put together an event that was a way of saying good, both for students leaving Aberystwyth, or finishing degrees, and for the wider community to have the opportunity to let go of other things they might have been holding on to.

“The event, called Tân Morgana/The Burning of Morgana, took place on Saturday, 26 February and involved making a stone ship out of pebbles on the beach, a viking burial ceremony, poetry, food and a very cold swim!

Eddie Ladd met with choirs and community groups to make Iâs
Eddie met with choirs and community groups to make Iâs (Eddie Ladd)

“Eddie has been meeting with choirs and community groups across Ceredigion to put together “Iâs”, a trip through the county with an ice cream van that plays the Emyn / Hymn that the villages and towns are named after.

“Choirs will meet the ice cream van in different locations (starting with a small procession in Lampeter) throughout the day to sing with it, and then have some ice cream.

“The tour ended in Aberystwyth on Saturday, 5 March, where we lit up the dark with our cheerful van!”