Adam E. Holton

Found Out There - Public Typist

As a Public Typist I improvise stories on a typewriter inspired by the words people give me. I ask you to give me three words, one name and five minutes of your time. I type the story and it's yours to take away.

I do this in public to create a space where you can be curious and playful. I hope it also serves as a reminder that being open to the unexpected can be fun.

Each story is unique and typed on a pay what you feel basis.

28 - 30 June

various times and locations - ask info point

Lanyun Huang/Shuyi Wang/Zhuyang Liu/Francis Moore

Y Cylch Somatic

We invite you to an improvise sound art installation. This event is open to all. Whether you’re an artist, a local, or a visitor, we welcome you to join us in creating a vibrant and inclusive community performance. No prior experience needed—just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to engage!

Artist will also provide simple and accessible small musical instruments (hand drums, rainsticks, shakers, etc.) at the venue for participants to use，you are also welcome to join us with any spoken words！

28 June - 4 July

various times and locations - ask info point

Wenxuan Chen / LI Yu / Jiayu Zhang / Sihan Lin / Yuuki Horiuchi / Diogo Gama / Holli Xue / Lei Wang

Stuicase Project

It is a project that discusses action, space, mobility. Artists would take their "suitcases" from where they lived (maybe London, or a city in China, or a city in Europe) to a small town in Wales that they didn't know about, Ruthin, and eventually collide with the spatial field of this town. The artists create based on the information provided about the small town of Ruthin, place their works in suitcases, and finally arrive in the town to transfer their works into the urban sculpture landscape of this town, in order to explore the question of the artist's identity, the state of uncertainty - the suitcase as a symbol that can move at any time, but also has its multiple constraints, that is, the restraint in motion and the release after arriving at the destination. This state of affairs is a portrayal of the general life of artists.

intervention: 28 June

exhibition: 28 June - 4 July

Ruthin Castle

Richard Dedomenici

Caerioci!

live art / participatory project

Caer (Welsh pronunciation: [kɑːɨr]) meaning "stronghold", "fortress", or "castle"

Carioci (Welsh pronunciation: [kæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki]) meaning "karaoke"

Artist and karaoke enthusiast Richard DeDomenici invites you to an early evening karaoke party at Ruthin Castle.

The event will launch Richard's labour-of-love project to make karaoke versions of songs by 1990s Welsh-language boyband Mega. Other fans (or members) of the boyband Mega are especially welcome. Free drink for all participants!

A free drink for all participants!

29 June

Ruthin Castle

chen shuyu

Walk Through Love

participatory performance

"Walk Through Love" is a performance art piece that integrates community engagement, cultural exchange, and historical significance.

The performance unfolds in Ruthin, involving two residents—an elderly person and a child aged 6-8 years old—alongside the artist. Starting at St Peter Church, a prominent landmark in Ruthin, the journey concludes at Ruthin Library. Symbolism of Love: As the trio walks together, they follow a winding route through the town, tracing the path to form the Chinese character for "LOVE" in cursive calligraphy style on the map of Ruthin. This character draws inspiration from the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu from the Ming Dynasty, resonating with the historical context of Ruthin Castle's construction period.

1 July

various locations - ask info point

ANDREJ BAKO

Sound Walk in Ruthin

workshop / walk

As a Public Typist I improvise stories on a typewriter inspired by the words people give me. I ask you to give me three words, one name and five minutes of your time. I type the story and it's yours to take away.

I do this in public to create a space where you can be curious and playful. I hope it also serves as a reminder that being open to the unexpected can be fun.

Each story is unique and typed on a pay what you feel basis.

2 July 15:00

various locations - ask infopoint

Tianji Zhao

Chinese Whispers

participatory performance

Since the pandemic, face-to-face interactions have been replaced by monologues on social media in the form of text or sound.

During the festival, volunteers are invited to whisper contents extracted from my private messages on WeChat to random strangers they encounter in the public space of Ruthin as they go about their daily lives. Whoever happen to come across such a message is welcome to pass it on in a similar manner.

2 July

various times and locations - ask info point

funa ye

Chasing the Dragon Ritual

workshop

Join us in Ruthin for a unique two-day workshop exploring folk fabric arts and dragon lore! Participate in creating a community dragon tapestry, crafting props, and engaging in a playful parade and light role-play.

We welcome 15-30 people of all skill levels. Bring your old clothes, keepsakes, and more for personalisation. Music performers are encouraged to join and enhance the final parade. Artistic and performance skills are a plus but not necessary. Come share your creativity and enjoy a collective artistic journey!

workshop 2-3 July, presentation 4 July

DVSC / Naylor Leyland Centre

Glyn Edwards

Poetry Workshop: Nature and Ecopoetry

workshop

We'll investigate several poems featured in the North Wales Wildlife Trust magazine 'Wild Words' to explore the subtle differences between nature poetry and ecopoetry. There will be opportunities to brainstorm ideas, experiment with new forms, and to pursue the festival's theme 'Elsewhere' in your own writing about the natural world.

Whether you're an experienced nature poet or would like to attempt an ecopoem for the first time, you'll be welcome. The whole world is waiting.

workshop 3 July 14:30-18:00

DVSC / Naylor Leyland Centre

Wang Baoju

Whispering:The Waste land

participatory performance

5 to 10 volunteers, each holding a copy of The Waste Land, will stand under traffic lights and whisper the poem. Though it seems like a whisper, the collective sound will be amplified, creating a blend of whispers that become an ensemble and a roar. This setup will fully realise the sense of the scene and the image for the later video documentation.

The United Kingdom was Eliot's other place, but this great poet predicted: Here and elsewhere is The Waste Land.

3 July

various locations - ask infopoint

Dr Saba Zavarei

Ruthin Ramble

workshop

Ruthin Ramble is a site-specific and participatory art project that aims to create an alternative way of wandering through Ruthin. It uses techniques of drift, storytelling, psychogeography, and walking as art practice to defamiliarise residents from their everyday spaces, and rediscovering those places in new ways.

workshop 4-5 July

DVSC / Naylor Leyland Centre

ye su

NUN Mapping

participatory performance

The "NUN (New United Nations) Map Survey" project was initiated by artist Ye Su, who continues to invite people around the globe to share real/fictional stories. Stories are submitted to the artist through online conversations, offline gatherings, email submissions, and on-site writing. The artist then acts as an image-producing medium for the project, drawing the stories by hand and then post-processing them into postcards for the storytellers.

4 July

Manorhaus Ruthin

click to see detailed event schedule