Diffusion in a Day/Weekend!

Throughout October, Turning Point: Diffusion Festival 2021 has exhibitions across Cardiff and Newport, not to mention events such as talks and screenings — there’s a lot to experience! Are you struggling to put together a plan of how you will visit our venues and takeover sites? Read on for the handy guide we have prepared for you to experience just some of what Diffusion Festival has to offer in one weekend. Grab your Diffusion Festival map and get your walking boots on!

Day 1 — Cardiff

Let’s begin at Ffotogallery’s HQ (1) on Fanny Street in Cathays! This is where we are exhibiting More Than a Number is a part of Ffotogallery’s Photography and Africa series, which looks to explore our thinking of Africa caught between modernity and tradition, and how different cultures can produce meaning through images. Take in art from 12 creatives from various locations in Africa, before walking down Fanny St to Cathays Terrace.

On Cathays Terrace you can experience three of our takeover sites in collaboration with JackArts. First, we have Holding On by Lydia Panas (A) at the corner of Cathays Terrace and Corbett Rd. Then walking down Senghennydd Rd, nearer to Cathays Train Station you’ll see Christopher Street 1976 by Sunil Gupta (B), followed by Tin Works by Hilary Powell (C) on the corner of Corbett Road and St. Andrew’s Place. From there you can walk to Newport Road Bridge, the site of Paul John Roberts’ Cardiff Central Market (D), before heading to the next venue, Queens Arcade (2).

At Queens Arcade you can spend some time taking and celebrating queer art by Sunil Gupta and Allie Crewe, as well as experience ‘The Iris Club’: a screening of short films by LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, as well as ‘happy hour’ and live events through our collaboration with The Iris Prize. Make sure to check out The Iris Prize website for all details on their 2021 programme — they have events at venues all over Cardiff, including the University of South Wales and Chapter Arts Centre!

On the top floor of our Queens Arcade venue you can see Nik Roche’s debut exhibition in two parts, The Budgie Died Instantly/It’s Hard to Report a Stolen Bike, Stolen. Learn about the utopian-presenting Festival of Britain through Lions & Unicorns by John Crerar and Maryam Wahid’s Motherland — a close-to-home exploration of the Pakistani diaspora.

From Queen’s Arcade you can head through the shopping centre to our St David’s venue (3), situated next to The Apple Store, where there's plenty of art to engage with and be immersed in! Including Tim Georgeson’s Truth in Fire, a response to the catastrophic bushfires that ravaged the Southeast Coast of Australia in the summer of 2019-20. This is where Lydia Panas’ Holding On is exhibited, alongside Natura Consonat by Mary Farmilant, <Truth DeQay> by Richard Jones, and I’m afraid of violence, but I’ve often submitted to it by Gareth Phillips. But that’s not all! There’s group exhibitions by The Ink Collective, UCan Productions, and RNIB Cymru who have teamed up with Sight Life and Ffotogallery. UCan Productions, RNIB and Sight Life enable Blind and Partially-Sighted artists and creatives to share and exhibit their art. See the Diffusion website for all exhibition details.

Exit the back of St Davids onto Churchill Way to see our JackArts takeover site for Where’s My Space (E), a digital exhibition showcasing work from Abby Poulson, Chelagat and Gilbert Sabiti. From there head to the next takeover site on Adam St (F) to see the billboard for Tim Georgeson’s Truth in Fire, outside the Motorpoint Area. At the corner of Lloyd George Avenue and Herbert St is the takeover site for Atomic Ed by Janire Najera (G) — which is also the exhibition at the next venue on Penarth Road, CultVR! (4) Atomic Ed tells the story of nuclear scientist turned anti-nuclear activist Ed Grothus, who worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory that developed the atom bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This project promises to be highly immersive, with VR headsets and interactive, archival exhibitions.

Last but not least, head to our final takeover site with JackArt on Clare Road (H) to see the billboard celebrating More Than a Number: the exhibition you started the whole day off at Ffotogallery!

Don’t forget to keep hydrated and well fed throughout the day! If walking is too much for you, then it might be the perfect day to take an Ovo bike out for a ride. There’s also plenty of public transport options — see the Cardiff Bus website for all timetables. Some venues can be travelled to by train: visit our Bayarts Venue in Cardiff Bay (5) by walking or taking a train to the nearby station!

Day 2 — Newport

A new day, and a different city full of art! If you’re arriving in Newport from Cardiff then you may be starting off at Newport train station. From the station you can head to the first exhibition of the day: a public showcasing on Commercial St of Jamila Jarczak’s Women of Newport (6). From there, our Friars Walk site (7) is just around the corner: home to group exhibitions Many Voices, One City (Unit 1) and Newport/Lab (Unit 2). At Unit 1 you can expect to see work by Newport legends and regulars Ron McCormick, John Rea & Huw Taffryn Walters (and, while Unit 2 boasts work by Clémentine Schneidermann, Lua Ribeira, and much, much more!

The nearest venue, just next to Friars Walk, is the Red Lion Pub (9), at the corner of Charles St and Stow Hill. Why not have a pint and a chat with the locals in one of the last remaining traditional pubs in Newport, and seeing Ron McCormick’s Last Orders exhibition. You might even see Ron there! Then carry on down Stow Hill to reach CWTSH (10).

CWTSH is a wonderful library, as well as community resources and arts centre where there are classes for creative writing and also open mic events! You can browse their book collection while wondering through Devotees of Rock. All pictures were taken by Paul Adrian Davies, of rock and punk fans he has met over the years.

Finally, loop round to Barnabas Arts House (8) on New Ruperra St, just off George St. For the month of October Barnabas Arts House is home to community-based projects, such as a pop-up portrait studio hosted by Rhys Webber and Fez Miah. Antonia Osuji and Maryam Wahid are leading workshops with Coffee & Laughs, a charity and friendship group for women of all ages, faiths and cultures. Get involved by having your portrait taken for an exhibition, or even get involved with the Coffee & Laughs group! When you’re ready, you may easily walk back to Newport City Centre by walking back up Commercial St.

And that’s it! Please tag Ffotogallery and Diffusion festival in any pics you take at our venues, events and takeover sites! For all details on exhibitions and events, please visit our website.