Directed by distinguished Beijing-based ​poet Yu Er, and curated by Cheng Xi, ​Mengting Zhuo, Penghang Liu and Yue ​Cao, the inaugural Ruthin International ​Arts Festival will creatively enliven the ​historic North Wales town of Ruthin as a ​dynamic living arts scene - running 28 ​June - 28 July - via an exciting programme ​of site-responsive artistic experiences ​expressed across many disciplines and ​mediums.

The Festival’s theme for 2024 is ​Elsewhere. Read more

This year’s festival brought together a vibrant mix of live events, public art, and ​community engagement. Over 7 days, we hosted a diverse range of artistic expressions ​and reached thousands of people. Here are some highlights:

• 30 live events held over 7 days.
  
• 1 public artwork displayed throughout ​the festival, accessible for 28 days.
  
• 15 contemporary performances, ​showcasing a range of artistic ​disciplines including music, theatre ​and dance.
  
• 8 socially-engaged projects with 125 ​participants
  
• 5 workshops & talks on skill ​development and creative exploration.
  
• 6 original commissions, introducing ​new works specifically crafted for this ​festival.
  

• 1 exhibition, curating both local and ​international video and mixed-media ​artworks..
  
• 203 artists, poets and filmmakers ​participating from 5 continents and 40 ​nationalities, enriching the festival with ​a wide array of cultural insights.
  
• 60,000 audience members, 5,000 ​active engagements (digital and in-​person), reflecting broad community ​involvement and interest.
  
• 9 venue partners in Ruthin, ranging ​from historic sites to modern spaces.
  

WATCH 2024 FESTIVAL FILM HERE

Guided by three thematic principles, The Ruthin International Arts Festival seeks to explore the fertile intersection of cultural diversity and human connection - creating spaces where international creativity can flourish within the local and cultural soils of Ruthin.

RIAF 2024 features artists, poets, directors, and creators from more than 40 countries and regions around the world, with art forms ranging from contemporary performances, installations, sounds, films, poetry, theatre, writings, and social engagement.

More than 50 artists will come to the town of Ruthin in person and present live performances, poetry readings, sharing sessions, workshops, and community practices.

Hosted in and around historic Ruthin locations such as Ruthin Castle, Ruthin Gaol and Nantclwyd y Dre, the Ruthin International Arts Festival explores and conceptualises seven themes across seven days: Liveness, Intervention, Serendipity, Togetherness, Diaspora, Vision, and Good Night.

Yue Cao/ Yuchen Wu/ Xuanni He,

Transformative Landscape, 2023, dance

Vasilisa Forbes, A Room by the Sea, 2024, Moving Image

Jenny Cashmore, not much room, 2024, Moving Image

Glyn Edwards, In Orbit, poetry collection, 2023

Ye Su, NUN Mapping, 2021, participatory painting project

Apply for our community call-outs or ​volunteer to be part of the team!

Scroll down for more details...

100 Poets:

Home curator project

The 100 Poets Project is an innovative component of the Ruthin International Arts Festival that intricately weaves poetry into the daily lives of Ruthin's residents, transforming personal spaces into interactive exhibition sites.

As part of this project, 100 beautifully designed poetry postcards, featuring works from poets across 35 countries, are being distributed to local families. These postcards serve not only as decor but also as a medium for personal interaction and artistic expression within the community.

As a site-responsive action around the theme of Elsewhere, the inaugural Ruthin International Arts Festival features an array of Participatory Arts projects that will invite local residents and festival attendees to create, experience and take action together.

During 28 June - 4 July, you can:

Join an early evening karaoke party at Ruthin Castle wth Richard DeDomenici;

Join an after-lunch walk to write the Chinese character for “LOVE” in cursive calligraphy style in the town centre of Ruthin, with artist and architect Chen Shuyu;

Become part of the chain of Chinese Whispers with artist Tianji Zhao. Pass on a secret message on the street. To Whom? To Where? To What End?

Under traffic lights, whisper T.S.Eliot’s The Waste Land from the beginning to the end;

Prepare a piece of story, fictional or real, and share to artist Ye Su in his interactive painting initiative.

The Open Programme welcomes live performances in many different forms, including, but not limited ​to, theatre, dance, music, and performance art.

Both programmes aim to use art to respond to the local environment, community, history, and ​culture. The goal is to create a creative and sustainable mode of knowledge production and display, ​constructing a critical field to rethink the situations and encounters of individuals or communities ​removed from their original environments.

During RIAF, we will bring the audience from solitary viewing spaces into a collaborative, ​participatory process that activates their sense of experience. In this way, we aim to transform and ​transfer discourse in the public space through spatial intervention of artistic improvisation and ​organic production, creating a live art festival that grows like a plant.

The project is facilitated by London-based performing artist and theater director Keyuan Zhang.

28 - 30 June, various times

Are you passionate about the arts and looking for a way to get involved in your community? We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make our inaugural festival a success.

We particularly need support during our opening week from June 28th to July 4th—a crucial time to kick off the festival with energy and enthusiasm!

We are seeking volunteers for various roles, including event setup, artist liaison, ticketing, and technical support. No previous experience is required—just a willingness to learn and a commitment to making RIAF 2024 a success.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work behind the scenes of a major arts festival, engage with artists from around the world, and gain valuable experience in event management.

​​Sign up now if you are aged 16+ and want to volunteer in a fun, supportive and friendly team. Volunteers will receive training, support, and may access our post-festival wrap party.

Getting to Ruthin...

By Car

Ruthin is well-connected by road, located just off the A494. If you're coming from the motorway network, follow the signs towards North Wales and take the Ruthin exit off the A55. Once in Ruthin, you will find several parking options near the festival venues

By Public Transport

Train: The nearest major railway stations are at Chester and Wrexham. From there, you can catch a connecting bus that will take you straight to Ruthin.

Bus: Direct bus services are available from Chester, Wrexham, and Mold, with stops conveniently located near the festival’s main venues.

By Air: The closest airports are Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport, both of which offer good connections to North Wales. From these airports, you can either rent a car or use public transport (train or bus) to reach Ruthin.

Within Ruthin

The festival venues are centrally located and easily accessible on foot. For those requiring it, local taxis are available for convenient transportation around the town.

We encourage the use of sustainable travel options to help reduce the environmental impact of the festival.

Principle Founder

Ruthin International

arts foundation

Programme Partner

Venue Partners

The Team behind RIAF 2024

Festival Director - Yu Er. Chief Curator - Cheng Xi.

Curatorial Team: Mengting Zhuo – Performance Curator, Violet Yue Cao – Spatial Design, Penghang ​Liu – Moving Image and Installation Curator, Zhou Yu – Film Consultant, Chen Wenxuan – Exhibition ​Production, Xu Zining – Curatorial Assistant.

Community Engagement & Audience Experience: Huang Lanyun and Pei – Community Engagement, ​Keyuan Zhang – Open Programme Coordinator, Theo Stapleton and Marian Rees – Live Interpretation, ​Cathrin Alwen – Welsh Translation.

Media, Design & Documentation: Haolin Xue and Lei Wang – Video Documentation, Chunyang Li – ​Graphic Design, You Liang – Publication, Storytelling PR – Public Relations, Alex Gwyther and Yichun ​Huang – Business Development.

For enquiries and accessibility arrangements,

please reach out to us at:

Email

info@riaf.org.uk

PR ENQUIRIES

Ambrose Kelly: ambrose@storytellingpr.com Fergus Craig: fergus@storytellingpr.com

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