Melville Centre Abergavenny

Poetry Cafe
2023-05-23 10:30 - 12:00 (Europe/London) | Monmouthshire
Social group for beginner Poets
For beginners – this is a chance to come and spend some time with words; find your voice, share ideas and develop your work.
We encourage you to bring along poems that you are working on as well as those by other authors, which inspire.
This is a group where people come together, simply for the love of poetry!
Price: Donation to cover cost
Teas and coffees available to buy

Black Mountain Jazz Session - Jonny Bruce Organ Quartet
2023-05-21 19:30 - 22:30 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Brilliant trumpeter Jonny Bruce and his new Organ Quartet

Jonny Bruce is a superb trumpeter, based in Bristol but with a national reputation. He is fluent in the whole history of jazz trumpet as he demonstrated some years back in his Trumpet Kings project, in which he covered pieces from Louis Armstrong through to Freddie Hubbard. For this Hammond organ based line-up Jonny has put together a more hard-bop and Blue Note style set, including tunes from Horace Silver, Roy Hargrove and Stan Getz.

Joining Jonny in the front-line is the highly rated tenor saxophonist Greg Sterland who will be playing at the club for the first time. The line-up is completed by two young musicians who make a big impression; the superb keyboard player Guy Shotton and on drums it’s Alex Goodyear, who is becoming one of the most in demand players on both the Bristol and Cardiff scenes.

Tickets available from The Black mountain Jazz Box Office

Poetry Upstairs
2023-05-16 18:30 - 21:30 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Established Monthly Poetry Session in the Melville bar, hosted by Ric Hool. Bringing local and international poets to Abergavenny to celebrate the art of words and the story of our time that is expressed by current poets. £5
This Months Guest Poets:
Xavier Panadès has produced a striking bilingual collection of poetry that explores the world of Catalan exile, where the themes of the environment and belonging mix with intensely personal experiences and wider political reflections.
Catalan born Xavier Panadès I Blas was brought up in a peasant family and educated to the revolutionary values of solidarity, justice, and freedom. This led to Xavier to have been involved in social-political and environmental movements since the mid-1980s.
Xavier has been instrumental in the internationalisation the culture of the Catalan Lands. He has been stunning audiences for the last 20 years with his explosive performances in Catalan around the globe.
He is known for his passionate performances of poetry and stories.He is the author of the book of poetry in The Ear of Eternity (Francis Boutle: 2019), and his work is regularly published in international journals. Xavier is also a great interpreter of poetry in Catalan, Castilian, and English and his live interpretations are often backed with music.
Kelvin Corcoran lives in Brussels. He is the author of numerous books of poetry, including New and Selected Poems, For The Greek Spring from Shearsman, and most recently Facing West, 2017, the Medicine Unboxed sponsored Not Much To Say Really, 2017, Article 50, 2018, Below This Level, 2019 and The Republic of Song, Free Verse Editions/Parlor Press, (America) 2020, and Orpheus Asymmetric, 2020. 2023 will see the publication of his Collected Poems and Transparent Blue of Everything, a collaboration with the artist David Rees.
The sequence ‘Helen Mania’ was a Poetry Book Society choice and the poem ‘At the Hospital Doors’ was highly commended by the Forward Prize jury 2017. His work is the subject of a study edited byAndy Brown, The Writing Occurs as Song, 2013 and is discussed in The Return of Pytheas: Scenes from British and Greek Poetry in Dialogue, Paschalis Nikolaou, 2017. Kelvin Corcoran has also edited an account of the poetry of Lee Harwood in Not the Full Story: Six Interviews with Lee Harwood, 2008. He’s the co-editor with Robert Sheppard of The New Collected Poems of Lee Harwood.
Jonathan Richards is a former general practitioner and Health Board Clinical Director. He has been writing poems for twenty five years. He participated in the Masters in Writing course at the University of South Wales in 2015-2017.
He was commended by the Hippocrates Poetry Competition in 2019 for his poem ‘Rapids’.
His poems have appeared in anthologies including Red Poets, These Are The Hands, The Saccharin Poetry collection Vol 1 and Onward/Ymlaen.
His first collection was River Days, a collaboration with an artist Ruth End. Published in 2019. His second, published in June 2022, is Fall, Falling, Fallen.

FOLK TALES - Race The Rain
2023-05-12 19:00 - 21:30 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Race The Rain are a Brecon-based band, playing powerful and uplifting indie folk.
Led by Rose Segal, Race The Rain came together in the Black Mountains and conjure the magic of the landscape through ethereal vocals, driving bass and earthy percussion.
Drawing influence from both obscure sources and more renowned acts, such as Ben Howard, expect a passionate and engaging evening of powerful music!
Rose Segal – Vocals
Matt Lodge – Guitar
Jack Segal – Double Bass
Jon Pilgrim – Keyboard
Shane Healey – Percussion
Jamie Langford – Drums

Instagram – racetherain_music

Facebook – Race The Rain

Black Mountain Jazz Session - YETii
2023-04-30 19:30 - 22:30 | Monmouthshire
BMJ welcome ‘Yetii’ for this very special one off gig.
Yetii are an acoustic jazz trio playing original compositions. The music combines flowing melodies with expansive group improvisations, interlocking grooves and evolving soundscapes.

“instinctive and impressive ★★★★” The Jazz Mann
“a trio of fluent and wildly inventive improvisers” London Jazz News
“this is music that becomes like a friend as you journey with the trio through contrasting moods, textures, and tonal colours” At the Barrier (Album of the Year)
“their own impressive brand of improvisation-rich, acoustic, Scandi-flavoured jazz” Bristol247

Expect an intimate set featuring several brand new compositions as the band look forward to their second album release later this year.

Alex Veitch – piano
Ashley John Long – double bass
Alex Goodyear – drums

Find out more here
Doors at 7:30pm. Performance begins at 8pm

Celebrating Greenham Common: A Craftivism and Memory Share Coffee Morning
2023-04-30 09:30 - 13:00 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Join us for a Craftivism & Memory Share Coffee Morning hosted by Greenham Women Everywhere and Scary Little Girls!

Drop in to the cafe area between 9.30am – 1pm for a relaxed session sharing memories and stories from Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp.

We will be joined by local Greenham Women, Greenham Child Rebecca Mordan and local crafter Pat Besson from Stop and Stitch, who will be running a radical stitching workshop.

All materials and vegan refreshments provided.

Accessibility:
The Melville has disabled parking space, rear door for wheelchair access (please call if required 01873 853167), and a disabled toilet.

If you have any access needs you’d like to speak to us about please email hello@greenhamwomeneverywhere.co.uk

Open Micers Life Stories
2023-04-29 19:00 - 2023-05-20 22:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
A series of evenings delving into the histories of our local musicians presented by Richie Rich
Sat 29th April, 6th, 13th & 20th May. 7pm. £4
In this series, The Melville Theatre will welcome popular performers seen around venues over the years. Hosted by local personality, Richie Rich, this series will give everyone the chance to find out the musical journeys of local musicians. Performers will be showcasing material as well as participating in an Q&A.
“I am intrigued, as many other people will be, to uncover the origins of these musicians. This promises to be a great series of entertainment for all!” – Richie Rich

Abergavenny Writing Festival Finale Night
2023-04-22 19:00 - 22:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Writing Fest Finale Night! Comedy, music and words
Tickets are £13.01 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
Starting with some ‘Wordplay Cabaret’ from Mark Blainey; poetry, songs and stories from Alex Wharton and lo-fi alt-Indie music with Folk and Americana influences from Rona Mac. Join us for an entertaining and inspiring evening with our stellar finale night line-up! Each performance will be punctuated with a break and the opportunity to share the buzz with fellow audience members in the Melville bar.
Mark Blayney
Wordplay Cabaret: Yoga for seagulls! Michael Caine! The world’s first poetry magic trick! A quickfire blast of comedy, poetry, poetry-comedy and comedy-poetry from the award-winning MARK BLAYNEY. Einstein! A vicar who loves Kylie! The poet laureate goes to the zoo! Get your seat early, because otherwise, someone else will sit in it.
‘I laughed – then frowned as I realised none of these poems rhyme’ – JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH
Mark Blayney is a writer and performer based in Cardiff. His work spans comedy, fiction and poetry. Mark writes fiction, poetry, scripts and journalism. His novella Two kinds of silence won the Somerset Maugham Prize, his poetry has been longlisted for the National Poetry Competition and my journalism won a Wales Media Award.
Alex Wharton
Alex Wharton is an award winning writer and performer of poetry for adults and children. His First Book of poetry for children ‘Daydreams and Jellybeans’ was shortlisted for the Wales Book Of The Year Award 2022, The North Somerset Teacher’s Book Awards, The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards and was named as a National Poetry Day recommended read.
He is widely published in the sector and has collaborated with Literature Wales, Cadw, The National Dance Company Of Wales, Welsh Government, British Council of literature, Welsh Libraries and many schools, trusts and festivals including Hay Festival and Edinburgh International book Festival.
In 2021 Alex was commissioned by Hay Festival to create a poem with children that would be read to Her Royal Highness, Queen Consort at a ceremony held in Hay-On-Wye. Alex’s second collection of poems ‘Red Sky At Night: A Poet’s Delight’ will be published with Firefly Press in 2024.
Rona Mac
Rona Mac is a trailblazer for expression within music. She is a queer Singer-Songwriter bringing us lo-fi alt-Indie with Folk and Americana influences, crafted in her caravan home-studio in west Wales. Her music comes raw and unfiltered, aching with the kind of nostalgia that comes with rural, rugged places. She weaves satisfying guitar-driven riffs with hooky melodies and she shows the ability in her sophisticated lyricism to reach out to people and make them feel. Her strive for depth and grit evokes the singer-songwriter movement of late 90’s as well as contemporaries such as SOAK, Marika Hackman and Holly Humberstone.
Despite music composition and performance being prominent in her life from a very young age, Rona Mac’s project as a solo musician began in 2020 and she has since released a DIY Debut Album ‘Sheelah’ and EP ‘Shades Of Ham’, exhibiting her captivating talent with music production. Her personal highlights of 2022 are plays on primetime BBCRadio1, BBC6Music and Radio Wales, performing at 6music Fest and Boomtown, and getting featured in Clash magazine. Funded by PRS foundation Women Make Music and Help Musicians UK, she will be releasing a new album in 2023, as well as collaborations with artists Dan Bettridge, Minas and Wil Owen.
https://www.ronamacmusic.com/

Events take place at Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny, NP7 5UD. Plan your journey here (link opens in new tab)

Abergavenny Writing Festival
2023-04-22 10:00 - 22:00 | Monmouthshire
A whole day of workshops and performance at The Melville

10:00 – Noon. Place and Landscape in Your Fiction – workshop with Katie Munnik & Tyler Keevil.
Tickets are £16.26 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
Many writers see plot as paramount, while others claim character is the key. The importance of setting in writing fiction is often overlooked, or viewed as secondary. In this two-hour prose fiction workshop, award-winning Welsh-Canadian authors Katie Munnik and Tyler Keevil will examine the ways place and landscape can enhance our stories. Through sharing examples from favourite works, and reflecting on their own writing practice, they will encourage participants to consider how they use place in their writing, and offer advice on making it more effective. The workshop is open to aspiring and emerging writers of all levels and experience – and it only requires a pen and notebook, and some creative enthusiasm!Katie Munnik is a Canadian writer living in Cardiff, UK. In 2017, she won the Borough Press Open Submission, and her debut novel The Heart Beats in Secret was a USA Today Bestseller. Her second novel The Aerialists was published in April 2022 by HarperCollins.
Tyler Keevil grew up in Vancouver, Canada and moved to Wales in his twenties. He is the author of several novels and the short story collection, Burrard Inlet. He has received a number of awards for his work, including the Wales Book of the Year People’s Choice and the Writers’ Trust of Canada Journey Prize. He lives in Abergavenny and is the director of the Creative Writing MA at Cardiff University. His most recent books are No Good Brother (The Borough Press) and Your Still Beating Heart (Myriad Editions).
10:30-11:15am – Hamed Amiri’s Journey: from Afghanistan to Cardiff, a bestselling book & theatre production
Tickets are £5.42 (including booking fee) and be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Hamed Amiri is the author of the bestselling book and the theatre production of The Boy With Two Hearts. Hamed will share his story of fleeing Afghanistan with his family when he was just ten years old and their perilous journey to seek refuge in the UK in an attempt to prolong his brother Hussein’s life. Why he was driven to write about this and the subsequent adaptation of his bestselling book to theatre production.
Making a promise to his brother has been Hamed’s new mission in life. To share the story with the wider audience and showcase diversity in a truly unique version, while ensuring his late brother’s legacy lives on through the journey and reliving his contribution to the NHS.
Currently working as a senior leader in the tech sector while an influencer in the education sector. Hamed has learned the key ingredients to break down the perception in society and has become a role model to the younger generation, which was recognized when he was awarded “Inspiring the next generation.”
All ticket proceeds for this event will be donated to https://daringtodream.wales/ Supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of patients in Wales
12:15 – 13:15 – Amser Cinio gyda Lowri Haf Cooke
Tickets are £7.59 (including booking fee) and be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Ymunwch â Lowri am sesiwn fywiog o flasu a sgwrsio am bopeth yn ymwneud â bwyd. Ar y fwydlen, bydd sôn am wahanol flasau, nostalgia, atgofion, teithio, gramadeg bwyd a chyfle i ofyn unrhyw gwestiynau fel adolygydd bwyd.Ar hyn o bryd, mae gan yr awdur o Gaerdydd nofel, a dau lyfr bwyd ar y gweill ac mae hi hefyd yn gwneud gwaith creadigol gyda gwahanol ysgolion. Hi oedd golygydd cyntaf a sefydlwr y cylchgrawn Taste/Blas. Mae hi hefyd yn ysgrifennu i gylchgrawn Barn, Y Dinesydd a Croeso Cymru/ Visit Wales.
Llyfr diweddaraf Lowri yw Bwytai Cymru (Gwasg Gomer) dathliad o’r 50 bwyty gorau yng Nghymru. Hi hefyd yw awdur Canllaw Bach Caerdydd – llyfr sydd yn tywys y darllenydd o gwmpas Caerdydd. Ei llyfr arall yw Caffis Cymru adolygiad o gaffis gorau Cymru.
Ar ôl ennill gradd mewn Daearyddiaeth a Chymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth aeth Lowri ymlaen i ennill M.A ym maes Theatr, Ffilm a Theledu.
Mae Lowri hefyd yn wyneb a llais cyfarwydd ar S4C a Radio Cymru yn adolygu ffilmiau. Felly dewch a’ch tips sinema ynghŷd a’ch chwant bwyd i’r sesiwn hwn!
13:30 – 14:30 – Comedy Writing with AberLaugh
Tickets are £7.59 (including booking fee) and be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Have you ever wanted to try stand-up comedy but no idea where to start? Join local comedians Huw Davies and Mike Reed for a short workshop/discussion where you can learn more about the South Wales Comedy Scene, how to get started and even have an opportunity to try some of your own material.Huw Davies has been performing and compering for several years across South Wales and runs a popular monthly stand-up comedy night (Aberlaugh) at the Kings Arms Hotel in Abergavenny.
Mike Reed is a British Comedian of the year semi-finalist and has gigged all over the UK, from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Hawthorn Community Centre.

15:00 – 17:30 – Finding a Voice – Creative Writing Workshop for Women
Tickets are £16.26 (Including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Liz explains what to expect from the session: “I welcome those with some writing experience and those new to writing. Working with a group, I use a creative process which starts with your individual experience and develops this into writing which resonates with others. The session will include creative exercises to stimulate and develop your writing and shared examples from different published writers to inspire you. This workshop builds on previous sessions, but is equally valuable as a stand-alone session.”
About Liz Pearce
Liz has over 30 years’ professional experience as an actor, writer and facilitator, working in education, the community, theatre, TV and radio. Her work is diverse, due to her drama background, and she writes drama, prose, poetry and poetic monologues. She also facilitates creative writing workshops, encouraging writers to find a unique voice of their own.
For further information please visit www.elizabethpearce.co.uk

15:30 – 16:30 – Readings from Where the Birds Sing Our Names
Tickets are free but pre-registration is required – register for tickets here (link opens in new tab)

Editor Tony Curtis is joined by contributors Rhian Edwards and Chris Meredith to read from Where the Birds Sing Our Names, the remarkable anthology of poems about childhood, parenting and birds, published in support of the Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice in Sully which serves the whole of south Wales. All the proceeds of this book go directly to the charity and copies will be on sale at the reading.
www.tyhafan.org/
Rhian Edwards www.rhianedwards.co.uk/
Chris Meredith https://christophermeredit9.wixsite.com/website
Tony Curtis http://tonycurtispoet.com/

16:30 – 17:30 – Illustrating text with Adam Hayes
Tickets are £7.59 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Join Adam Hayes for a workshop on developing an image from a short piece of text. As an illustrator, Adam often only receives plain text [from an author or agent] which he then needs to read and work out for himself what the accompanying image should be. The session will be based around; reading the text and working out how best to apply an image to enhance it. Adam will give examples before the group gets started. Participants will be invited to pick a piece of text, perhaps just a sentence or a paragraph – some very simple & some more challenging – all of them plain text and without much context, think about which part of the text you want to illustrate and sketch out as many different ideas as you can on separate sheets of paper. Pick out your favourite ideas and create your final illustration!
Adam Hayes is a typographer and illustrator. He works on a broad range of projects from quick editorial illustrations to large-scale international campaigns. Since his graduation from the Royal College of Art in 2006 he has developed a solid roster of clients that include Apple, Google, Honda, Ikea, Shake Shack and Whole Foods – whilst also devoting time to personal projects.
https://mrahayes.com/info

17:45 – 18:45 – Memoir Writing in an Hour with Jude Rogers
Tickets are £7.59 (including booking fee) and be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Want to turn your life story, or someone else’s, into a compelling narrative? Where – and how – do you start? How do you give shape to your experiences? How do you make the past come alive?Critically acclaimed memoir writer and journalist Jude Rogers is here to help with a lively hour of tips, lessons learned and short exercises to help you make your writing breathe and sing.
Jude Rogers is the author of the acclaimed memoir about music, memory and growing up, The Sound Of Being Human: How Music Shapes Our Lives, published by White Rabbit Books (“Fascinating” – Ian Rankin; “What a joy” – Ruth Jones). A teacher of memoir writing for the Arvon Writing Foundation, she is also a busy freelance journalist regularly working for The Guardian, The Observer and BBC Radio 4. She lives in Monmouthshire with her husband and son.

Abergavenny Writing Fest - Events for Young People
2023-04-22 10:00 - 18:00 | Monmouthshire
Events for Young People

All events take place on Saturday 22nd April 2023 at Melville Centre for the Arts.Tickets are per child, accompanying adults are free (parents / carers – you are welcome to join your child or wait in the nearby café area)

10:15 – 11:15 – Illustration with Max Low
Tickets are £4.34 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
Join Max in an exploration of illustration, and how you really don’t need to be good at drawing to be a good artist (which Max has spent a career demonstrating).Max Low is an illustrator, animator, writer, photographer, teacher and occasionally washes the dishes. Max loves un-perfect things, absurdity and imaging what an Alien would think if they had just landed on Earth. He is most known for illustrating The Mab, a retelling of the Welsh saga The Mabinogion, but is also the author and illustrator of the Ceri & Deri series.
Suitable for age 4 +

11:30 – 12:30 – Magnificent Mash-Ups with Claire Fayers
Tickets are £4.34 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)

Can you imagine Cinderella in space? Who’d win in a fight between unicorns and dinosaurs? Mash-ups are great fun to write and can send your imagination off in all sorts of strange directions. Claire Fayers has made a career of mixing different genres and stories in her books. Join her for a wild and wacky session creating your own mash-up masterpieces.
Claire Fayers grew up in South Wales where, thanks to her local library, she developed a lifelong obsession with myth and magic. Her previous books include the award-winning Accidental Pirates duo, Storm Hound, and Welsh Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends, nominated for the Carnegie medal. When she’s not writing, she spends her time visiting schools and libraries to share her love of stories. Recommended for ages 7-12 (please note this is only for guidance)

13:00-14:00 – Dreigiau Drwg a Bwystfilod Barus gyda Huw Aaron
Tickets are £4.34 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
Dewch i chwilio am Boc y ddraig, hela angenfilod gyda Gwil garw, a chreu bwystfilod doniol a direidus eich hun gyda’r arch-ddwdlwr ei hun! Dewch â phensil! (Oed – 4 – 10)
Wedi ei leoli yn Nghaerdydd mae’r awdur, y darlunydd a’r cartwnydd Huw Aaron. Mae Huw wedi dwdlan a sgriblo ar draws cannoedd o wahanol lyfrau – fel arfer gyda chaniatad! Rhai o’r ffefrynnau yw cyfres ‘Ble mae Boc’ a ‘Sbarc a Seren.
Huw Aaron Dreigiau Drwg a Bwystfilod Barus (Bad Dragons and Greedy Beasts)
Come to search for Boc the dragon, hunt monsters with Gwil garw and create funny, mischievous monsters with the arch-doodler himself! Bring a pencil! (Age 4 -10)
Cardiff-based author, illustrator and cartoonist Huw has doodled and scribbled across the pages of hundreds of books – usually with permission! Favourites include the Find the Dragon series, and Seren a Sbarc.

14:15-15:15 – The Power of Poetry with Connor Allen
Tickets are £4.34 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
Come and discover the power of poetry and words as Children’s Laureate for Wales Connor Allen makes poetry cool again and empowers you along the way.
Connor is the current Children’s Laureate of Wales. Since graduating from Trinity Saint David as an Actor, has worked with companies such as Sherman Theatre, Tin Shed Theatre and National Theatre Wales. He is a member of National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and was also the winner of Triforce’s Cardiff MonologueSlam, representing Wales at the London winners edition.
As a writer he was a member of the BBC Wales Welsh Voices and The Welsh Royal Court writing groups and has written for BBC Wales, BBC Radio 4, Sherman Theatre, Literature Wales and Dirty Protest. Connor’s work is heavily inspired by elements of his own life such as grief, love, masculinity, identity, and ethnicity. Most recently he wrote and starred in the Wales Millennium Centres production The Making of a Monster, Won the Rising Star Wales Award 2021 and was a Jerwood Live Work Fund recipient. He is associate artist of his hometown theatre The Riverfront in Newport. Recommended age range 10+

15:30 – 16:30 – Family Singing Session with Tanya Walker
Tickets are £4.34 (including booking fee) and can be purchased here (link opens in new tab)
An opportunity for all ages to have fun singing songs in harmony from all over the world! Inclusive, inspirational, connecting singing sessions for the whole family. Includes fun voice & body warm ups & tips on how to look after & find your most natural self-expressed voice. Songs will be taught by ear and participants will build the confidence and freedom to sing in beautiful harmony with other voices as well as leaving the session feeling inspired and uplifted!Tanya is a professional choir & singing workshop leader, musician and singer-songwriter/performer with over 38 years of experience, based in Brecon. She leads five community choirs in Wales and also works as a vocal and performance coach and singing workshop leader for all ages. Her choirs & amp sessions are for EVERYONE who loves to sing and no experience is necessary!
As well as sessions being an opportunity for participants to learn fun, engaging body and voice warmups & learning to sing as a group, Tanya’s workshops utilise music and singing as a way of enhancing feelings of wellbeing, health, happiness, self-acceptance & confidence in participants.
Suitable for all ages.

Spoken Word Open Mic - Part of Abergavenny Writing Festival
2023-04-21 19:00 - 21:30 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
As part of Abergavenny Writing Festival we’re celebrating inclusivity and diversity in the world of writing in Wales.
The Writing Festival kicks off social proceedings with an accessible spoken-word open-mic event here in the cosy and easy to access bar area. The event will be hybrid so both audience and participants are able to join either in person or via a zoom link. There will be closed captioning and BSL interpretation for the performance.
This event is delivered with the support of write4word through its ‘Press Speak Not Delete’ project, creating a hybrid of physical performance and digital channels to develop a more diverse and accessible arts sector.
The open-mic programme is limited to 8 participants in the physical venue and 8 participants on-line. Performance slots are 4 minutes in length.
General entry £5, entry for participants is also £5 but includes an additional complimentary ticket for a friend or family member. Please contact dominic@write4word.org to book a slot.
Click this link to buy tickets

Writing For Fun
2023-04-20 08:00 - 2023-06-22 17:00 | Monmouthshire
3rd Thursday of the month, 10am – 12pm (20th April, 18th May, 22nd June)
Explore your Creativity with words. It’s an opportunity to get writing in a friendly and supportive group. Suitable for all, come and try some writing exercises and practice with oodles of encouragement! New members welcome!
Contact Pat Smail on 07977 116876

Advanced Welsh Classes
2023-04-19 09:00 - 2023-07-19 13:00 | Monmouthshire
Develop your Welsh speaking, writing and listening classes in this advanced class hosted by Learn Welsh Gwent.
Wednesday’s 8:30am – 12pm (term times)
For those learners who have completed the intermediate level course and also for those who are familiar with the main language patterns, this is an opportunity to come together and enhance your language skills. Classes are informal and fun and hosted by tutor, Rhys Jones
For info, visit learnwelsh.cymru

TRAM LINE BLUES feat. Howlin' Mat
2023-04-13 19:00 - 21:30 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
INTERNATIONALLY TOURING BLUES MAN, HOWLIN’ MAT HEADS TO THE MELVILLE
A BLUES musician who has performed everywhere from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert.
Howlin’ Mat – a singer, guitarist and storyteller who travels thousands of miles a year playing the music he loves joins us in the Melville Bar on Thursday 13th April 2023.
Mat performs up to 200 shows a year and his escapades include him opening for the Happy Mondays, spending an evening with Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones on an Island 130 miles inside the Arctic Circle in the middle of winter and having a birthday party with a notorious biker gang.
Armed with his guitars and a slide on his finger, Mat follows in the footsteps of his musical heroes such as Mississippi Fred McDowell and Muddy Waters and onstage he combines his musical talents with hilarious tales of his time on the road.

THE ABERGAVENNY LIP READING GROUP
2023-04-04 10:00 - 2023-06-13 14:00 | Monmouthshire
An opportunity to develop your lip-reading skills, gain confidence and spend the morning with like-minded language enthusiasts.
Tuesday’s 10am – 12pm (termtimes)
A wonderful chance to help yourself and others around you with hearing difficulty.
Contact Angela Lewis on 07798 517695

Tai Chi
2023-04-03 19:00 - 2023-06-26 20:00 | Monmouthshire
Beginners Tai Chi
Monday evenings 7 – 8pm
A great way to start the new year! This practice helps to improve and maintain strength, balance,
coordination, flexibility, concentration and breathing.
The Li Style Tai Chi is also known as the “Square Yard Short Form” Style, as it’s actions can be performed within a
small confined area, making it very accessible for all. In this style, movements are performed slowly,
gently and smoothly, immediately helping to improve health and mental wellbeing.
All enquiries to Keith on 01873 831241 or email leefamilyarts@gmail.com
Click here for more information

Abergavenny Film Society - Bangla Surf Girls
2023-03-29 16:30 - 22:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Bangla Surf Girls
29 March 2023 Rating 15
Screenings: 4:30pm, 7:30pm
Guest Tickets £5
Bengal (2021) 86 minutes
Director: Elizabeth D. Costa
Elizabeth D. Costa’s Bangla Surf Girls shows us the struggle with being pressured into conforming to tradition despite your aspirations and the resilience in young women to push against the social tide. At times brutal with its honesty, this beautifully compelling documentary is fantastic. Shobe, Aisha and Suma break away from the drudgery of their lives by joining a surf club in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The girls fight family pressure and social judgement for a few hours on the waves. They gain confidence as their natural skills and prowess gain attention and praise. Soon they are poised to make history as the first women surfers in Bangladesh. The odds are stacked against them but the girls refuse to give up. Balancing the freedom of the waves with the restrictive realities of their circumstances, we experience the thrill and struggle of coming of age in a developing country.
Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2022 – Best Feature
Click here to view trailer

BLACK MOUNTAIN JAZZ SESSION feat. Hot Club Gallois
2023-03-26 19:30 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Conjuring up the swirling dance halls of 1940’s Paris!
At this month’s Black mountain Jazz Session, we are delighted to feature Hot Club Gallois, who combine a heady mix of Django Reinhardt classics, swing-flavoured jazz standards and Hot Club Gallois originals.
Hot Club Gallois bring you the hottest pics of the swing era. An irresistible mix of fiery violin, lyrical vocals, virtuosic guitar and stomping bass, you won’t want to stay in your seat!
Tickets Available from blackmountainjazz.co.uk

FOLK TALES
2023-03-23 19:00 - 22:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Piskey Led + Bryony Sier
Quarterly Folk Night at The Melville Centre.
This month we are joined by the almighty ‘Piskey Led’…
In Cornwall, to be ‘piskey led’ means to be led astray by faeries or pixies, known in the Cornish dialect as ‘piskeys’. Myth has it that when walking home from the town, poor souls would be tricked into wandering off into the wilderness by these mischievous little creatures. In reality, folk looking for an excuse to explain their errant behaviour would blame it on the piskeys, or lost drunkards would think themselves tricked by them, inspiring the local saying: ‘piskey led is often whiskey led!’.
In the spirit of leading people off the beaten track, Cardiff-based folk band Piskey Led play music that conjures a kaleidoscopic mix of traditions and styles, drawn from Ireland, Cornwall, and England. With Cornish flautist Katie Lower, Lancastrian double-bassist Josh Goodey, and Irish guitarist and mandolin player, James Bower and Chris Mercer, they promise an incandescent show with a set-list hard to forget.
Support comes from Merthyr based acclaimed folk-pop artist, Bryony Sier.

Poetry Upstairs
2023-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
An evening of Poetry at The Melville
“Poets are outsiders; activists, outlaws, revolutionaries unimpressed by a sanitized world”
A local institution, Poetry Upstairs has been a staple of the Abergavenny Poetry Scene since 1992.
Thirty years on and the readings continue, open to all who wish to pass through or remain with one
of the longest regularly running poetry reading series in Wales. If you’ve never been… do come along
and be part of the The Abergavenny Poetry Scene.
Click here to view guest Poets

Tai Chi Qi Gong
2023-03-09 11:00 - 2023-07-20 12:00 | Monmouthshire
Beginners Day Time 5 Week Course.
The Tai Chi Qi Gong 18 (Shibashi) Exercises are very easy to learn. They are all performed from an upright position, using slow, soft flowing actions that are coordinated with the breathing. This then benefits the relaxation and develops strength, balance, flexibility and concentration
Tai Chi Qi Gong is suitable for all ages.
For course start dates and to book your place, please contact Keith Ewers on 01873 831241

Black Mountain Jazz Presents The Dave Jones Quintet
2023-02-26 19:00 - 22:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
The Dave Jones Quintet plays The Music of Kenny Garrett
Jones has long been a fan of the music of the great ex-Miles Davis saxophonist/composer Kenny Garrett, particularly since hearing him on his late 1990s ‘Songbook’ album and live in London. That album featured Kenny Kirkland on piano (Dave’s favourite pianist), and so began the process of discovering Garrett’s other music, both older and newer.
Now in 2023, it turns out that Andy Hague (drummer in Dave’s Quartet) has a great set of charts for a wide selection of Garrett’s tunes, including November 15 and Brother Hubbard from ‘Songbook’, and some favourite tunes from other albums including Boogety Boogety, Chief Blackwater, Native Tongue, and of course A Hole in One.
Jones is now utilising Hague’s horn-playing skills again, following a similar move for the ‘Crime Scenes and Subterfuge’ production music album (2020) and on gigs to promote Jones’ ‘Unfinished Sentences’ album (from 2021). Add the impressive Ben Waghorn/Dan Newberry (saxes, flute), Ashley John Long/Chris Jones/Nick Kacal (bass), and Ryan Thrupp/Alex Goodyear (drums) to complete the Quintet from a pool of great players, and their collective skills, experience, and credits make this a project to watch out for…
Ben Waghorn (saxes and flutes for NYJO, Tommy Chase, Slowly Rolling Camera and Keith Tippett, Goldfrapp, Kasabian and Portishead), Ashley John Long (bass for John Law, Brandon Allen, Geoff Eales, Alan Barnes, Scott Hamilton, and London Philharmonic Orchestra), Andy Hague (trumpeter for Portishead, his own bands, and Be-Bop Club in Bristol regular), and pianist Dave Jones has released numerous critically acclaimed albums, performed internationally, and has TV composition credits including ‘The Big Bang Theory’, the US Open Golf Tournament, ‘The Today Show’, and ‘Location, Location, Location’.
Watch the Dave Jones Quintet here
Tickets £8 – £16

The Tap Dancing Mermaid
2023-02-23 14:00 - 15:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
We’ve all heard thousands of stories written about The Moon but now the time has come to hear his magical, mystical story about a young tap dancer who he watches at night.
Mixing up tap dance, stunning puppetry, live ukulele-ing and a beautiful story, The Tap Dancing Mermaid is the
smash hit solo production from Tessa Bide Productions Ltd and it will make you want to stick
50ps to your shoes and join in!
Gather round, gather round for the Moon’s magical, mystical story about a tippetty-top tap dancer who he has been watching at night. Marina Skippett creeps out of her house every night to shuffle and stomp on the boardwalk to the sounds of the sea. She can’t tap dance at home anymore since her evil, tractor-sized Aunty banned it, threatening to feed Marina’s dinners to the dog! But then, one moonlit night, Marina meets a mysterious, watery boy called Leo
swimming in the sea and her life is never the same again!
The “truly amazing one woman power house” Tessa Bide brings you her celebrated devised solo production, called “just everything a children’s theatre experience should be” (Childplays). There are stunning puppets, original live music to sing along to and tap dancing that will make you want to stick 50ps to your shoes and join in! For everyone aged 3 to 133.
Click here to take a peek at The Tap Dancing Mermaid
Tickets:
Adult: £9
Children (up to 12yrs): £5
Family (2 adults & 2 children): £25
Call 01873 853167 or email melvillecamanager@gmail.com to reserve your ticket.
Limited Tickets. Tickets on a first come first served basis.

Breast Cancer Now
2023-02-16 09:30 - 13:00 | Monmouthshire
The Breast Cancer Now Moving Forward course provides supportive, open conversations
in a safe and confidential space for those who have finished their breast cancer treatment.
You’ll find the tools you need to feel more empowered, confident and in control. Ready to
move forward with your life. These sessions are great to share experiences and gain tips,
or just listen to others.
The course takes place on two half day sessions on 9 February and 16 February 2023.
To register to attend the next course please complete the online referral form.
Click here to find out more and register

Love Bites
2023-02-11 19:30 - 21:00 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
An evening of entertainment to tickle your funny bones and provide an alternative to the Valentines Day satin hearted madness.
Dishes of drama with all the flavours of love; bitter, sweet and sour.
Click here for tickets

Folk Tales - SOLD OUT
2023-01-28 19:00 - 22:00 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
An Evening of Music in association with The Landworker’s Alliance featuring singer songwriter Kite Iya.
With her unique blend of ethereal vocals and jazz driven, electronica inspired finger picking, Kita Iya sings of
the human experience and conjures the magic that lies between reality and imagination.
Approaching traditional folk with a contemporary style, Kite’s sound showcases her deep spiritual connection with these islands
and her experiences in both Andalucía and New Zealand.
Come and enjoy a night of nourishing song with good folk and fine wines at The Melville Bar.
All donations to support further music sessions at The Melville

BMJ
2023-01-25 19:00 - 22:30 | The Melville Theatre, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Monthly Black Mountain Jazz session
Feat. BMJ collective with saxophonists Dan Newberry and Alex Clarke
Join the Black Mountain Jazz House band with 2 rising star sax players for a lively and fun night.
The BMJ Collective draws on a number of talented young professional musicians performing regularly in the South Wales and neighbouring areas. Between them they can offer a wide variety of line-ups and the opportunity to invite guest performers to join them. Joining the BMJ Collective for this performance are rising young stars, saxophonists Dan Newberry and Alex Clarke.
Tickets:
Standard – £14
Friends of BMJ – £12
Under 16’s – £8
Also, check out BMJ concert celebrating Women in jazz in Wales at The Borough Theatre, a collaboration with Arts Council Wales. Thursday 9th February.

New Poets Poetry Cafe
2022-12-20 10:30 - 12:00 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
With the renowned and charismatic Ric Hool, The New Poets Poetry Cafe is a series of
4 sessions hosted in The Melville Cafe/Bar. For the writer, this series is for anyone
interested in developing their poetry. This group is also open to those poetry enthusiasts
that do not write but want to learn and share in their passion.
Each participant brings one self-penned poem plus copies of that poem for discussion during
the first 45 minutes; after a short break the poems of an exemplar poet will be introduced.
Sessions will run on Tuesday’s:
20th December
17th January
21st February
To book your spot, please call 01873 853167 or email melvillecamanager@gmail.com

Monthly Volunteer Lounge
2022-12-13 09:30 - 12:00 | Melville Centre Cafe-Bar, The Melville Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5UD, United Kingdom
Tuesday 13th December from 9:30am – 12pm
Our monthly volunteer lounge is a chance for all of us to connect, share ideas and plan future
events and activities together. We would love to see you there and talk about how your time
and expertise are so integral to making this place flourish.

The Future Is Us Exhibition
2022-12-07 08:00 - 2022-12-15 17:00 | Monmouthshire
Film Screening and Exhibition for ‘The Future Is Us Project’
Until 15th December
Tuesday & Thursday’s 1 – 4pm
‘The Future Is Us Project’ was a Monmouthshire Arts based project to empower and listen to young people
between the ages of 10 and 25. Through engagement and participation, it aimed to give them a platform to
project their views, and posed questions around whether or not their voices are heard.
Do they have a seat at the table?
Culminating in a celebration event on 16th July with dance and drama performances around Abergavenny,
the event was captured on camera and we are delighted to share with you the results! Click HERE for more!
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, you are invited to view the exhibition in our gallery and share in a
diverse array of media including printing, photography and installation. Accompanying this, is a looped
screening of the film that documented the project and final event on 16th July in venues around Abergavenny.
The film includes stunning dance performances, artist interviews and messages from the young people who took part.
For more Information, please call 01873 853167 or email melvillecamanager@gmail.com
