10
MAY
10.30am – 4.30pm @ National Opera House
Where Dance Meets Circus Masterclass with Osian Meiler
Step into the world of Welsh folk dance, reimagined through the queer perspective of contemporary choreographer Osian Meilir. In this session, Meilir shares insights from their practice as a choreographer, performer, and maker for the outdoors, offering a glimpse into the creative journey behind Qwerin.
Participants will experiment with techniques that twist, transform, and subvert tradition; discovering new ways of engaging with cultural forms through guided exploration. This workshop invites artists to come together in a space that celebrates culture, identity, and community by fostering connection, curiosity, and creative exchange.
9 MAY – FESTIVAL DAY
10-11.30am @ National Opera House, Jerome Hynes Theatre
Street Dance Takeover
Skills Workshop
11.15-12pm @ Trimmer’s Lane
Rolling! – show 1
by Mónica Muñoz
Can you build a world alone? How do you set the rules to make the game more fun?
ROLLING!
A dancer tries to make sense of the world playing with carboard tubes: rotate, transport, pile, spin, drop, connect… Accompanying him a percussionist: Live music and dance in a dynamic and captivating combination, blending the energy of live musical performance with the expressive and explosive movement of an extraordinary dancer.
ROLLING! Is a process of Trial and Error to find out how things work engaging the body and every day materials in a challenging and fun way. From an almost infinite selection of possibilities, new worlds emerge, expand and are discarded…
12-1pm @ Trimmer’s Lane
Street Dance Takeover
1.30-2pm @ Bullring
Miss Mary – show 1
by Kristyn Fontanella
Miss Mary is an Irish tradition which no longer exists. The travelling dancing masters of Ireland. An outdoor solo dance, created and performed by Kristyn Fontanella, Miss Mary traces the footsteps of migrating Irish dance masters. Traveling through streets, parks and fields, embodying the land and its stories, she arrives at a gathering of people, she invites them to exchange and listen.
She asks them where did you come from, how do you move, and will you dance with me?
Miss Mary gathers ancestors, nostalgia and community, sharing the stories that live within us all.
2.30-3pm @ Bullring
Qwerin Bach – show 1
by Osian Meilir
‘Qwerin’ is rooted in community. It highlights the value of shared experiences and the importance of having a space that brings people together. Following years of lockdowns where bars, clubs and venues had been closed, spaces for social interaction were limited and people found themselves isolated in places to which they did not belong, our need to find a sense of community was heightened more than ever. Commenting on notions of Queerness and Welshness, ‘Qwerin’ combines the weaving and flowing patterns of Welsh folk-dance with the pulsating energy of Queer nightlife. ‘Qwerin’ aims to unite people through a joyous and liberating performance of music and dance, celebrating culture, identity and community.
3.30-4.30pm @ National Opera House (foyer)
Street Dance Takeover
All Ages Battle
5-5.30pm @ South Main Street
Rolling! – show 2
by Mónica Muñoz
Can you build a world alone? How do you set the rules to make the game more fun?
ROLLING!
A dancer tries to make sense of the world playing with carboard tubes: rotate, transport, pile, spin, drop, connect… Accompanying him a percussionist: Live music and dance in a dynamic and captivating combination, blending the energy of live musical performance with the expressive and explosive movement of an extraordinary dancer.
ROLLING! Is a process of Trial and Error to find out how things work engaging the body and every day materials in a challenging and fun way. From an almost infinite selection of possibilities, new worlds emerge, expand and are discarded…
5.30-6pm @ South Main Street
Qwerin – show 2
by Osian Meilir
‘Qwerin’ is rooted in community. It highlights the value of shared experiences and the importance of having a space that brings people together. Following years of lockdowns where bars, clubs and venues had been closed, spaces for social interaction were limited and people found themselves isolated in places to which they did not belong, our need to find a sense of community was heightened more than ever. Commenting on notions of Queerness and Welshness, ‘Qwerin’ combines the weaving and flowing patterns of Welsh folk-dance with the pulsating energy of Queer nightlife. ‘Qwerin’ aims to unite people through a joyous and liberating performance of music and dance, celebrating culture, identity and community.
6.30-7pm @ South Main Street
Miss Mary – show 2
by Kristyn Fontanella
Miss Mary is an Irish tradition which no longer exists. The travelling dancing masters of Ireland. An outdoor solo dance, created and performed by Kristyn Fontanella, Miss Mary traces the footsteps of migrating Irish dance masters. Traveling through streets, parks and fields, embodying the land and its stories, she arrives at a gathering of people, she invites them to exchange and listen.
She asks them where did you come from, how do you move, and will you dance with me?
Miss Mary gathers ancestors, nostalgia and community, sharing the stories that live within us all.
7pm @ Sky & the Ground
Afterparty
