From the 7-9 October this year, the idyllic village of Betws-y-Coed, set in the foothills of Snowdonia National Park will once again play host to the Snowdonia Arts Festival.
The Snowdonia Arts Festival(SAF) developed from the 2009 Betws-y-Coed Arts Festival and has grown year of year with the support of local businesses, willing volunteers and funding bodies.
Betws-y-Coed is known as a centre for holidaymakers and outdoor enthusiasts, but in Victorian times the village was the location of Britain’s first artists’ colony and coming of the railway lead to the development of Betws-y-Coed into the centre of tourism that we know today. David Cox spent his summers in the village at the Royal Oak Hotel and other noted landscape painters joined him. Later, respected artist Clarence Whaite made his home in the Conwy Valley, attracted by the landscape and culture of North Wales. In 1882, Whaite and other colony artists were instrumental in the founding of the Royal Cambrian Academy in Conwy and the coming of the railway into Betws, paved the way for the development of Betws-y-Coed into the centre of tourism known and loved many today.
Jon Davies of Alison Gallery and one of the SAF committee said, “The SAF has visual arts are at the heart of it, we all felt we wanted to build an event that encompassed a wide range of disciplines including formal exhibitions, workshops, music, dance, poetry, literature, street performance, and so on. The festival is still small, but as we approach this third event we can feel it growing and attracting more support and attention as we go. This year we are delighted to welcome textile artist Josie Russell, artist and poet Liz Ashworth, musician Rachel Hall – who has assembled a group of young musicians to perform an afternoon of “Riverside Classics”, the Gwynedd and Clwyd Association of Craft workers’ Marquee, plus several other visiting artists alongside those that are based in and around Betws-y-Coed all year.
As the festival continues to grow we are all focused on developing an event that celebrates all we have to offer in this beautiful area, that benefits all the local community, and that has quality at its heart.
On a personal note, Betws-y-Coed is one of my most favourite places to visit in North Wales. Taking the twisty windy road over the mountains and passed the falls is always rewarded with breath taking views, interesting noises, clean fresh air and of course a little something to tantalise the taste buds at the Alpine Café, that before I go on to spend my pennies in one of the many great places to find something useful and beautiful.
To find out more about the Snowdonia Arts Festival here.
