Mini Mag Covid-19 & The Cardiff Community Issue 2021

alt.Cardiff December 2020 Issue 1

If it’s offbeat and in Cardiff, then it’s in here

How the Welsh indie music scene is surviving the pandemic The facts about funding and the industry’s hope for future, featuring Welsh Music Prize finalists Silent Forum

How the digital art exhibition ‘Made from Home’ tackles lockdown Cardiff M.A.D.E’s exhibition supports mental health and the creative community

Beanfreaks Cardiff closes city cetre shop in January 2021

by Polly Angelova

The aptly named Made from Home digital exhibition features works produced by Welsh creators during the pandemic, including stunning acrylic paintings, collages and digitally edited hand drawings.

Throughout the summer, the collective showcased pieces from the digital installation on their social media platforms. They say their aim was to break down barriers created by the isolation of lockdown and unveil the creativity behind closed doors.

Like most women faced with lockdown, Hannah found herself reflecting on her appearance and noticing how trivial past anxieties seemed without the social outings.

A newly found freedom to experiment with colourful, cosy outfits comes through vividly in Hannah’s work for the exhibition.

But it’s not just about a shift in aesthetics. “Painting has always been a form of escapism for me and it helped me through my toughest times in lockdown,” the artist shares.

Through her art, Hannah has come to terms with the situation by turning the negativity of the pandemic into something positive.

As an artist, she is used to being resilient and adapting to new situations. “I knew that I had to keep working in order to keep some sense of normality in my life,” Hannah declares, echoing the way many of us feel about lockdown.

Art as therapy Hannah Short, one of the artists featured in the Made from Home lineup, shared with us what it was like working away from her studio, with her home surroundings as the main source of inspiration.

M.A.D.E with mental health in Mind Recognising the importance of art to mental health, Cardiff M.A.D.E have pledged £1 per Made from Home submission and 10% of their sales commission to Mind.

Following a tumultuous year and the gradual decline of the high street, the sustainable shop Beanfreaks will close its St Mary Street branch in January.

Victoria Perks, director of Beanfreaks, claims: “There can be no doubt city centre stores have been affected far worse than local community shops.” She cites the decline in shoppers as one of the contributing factors for the health food store closure.

But there’s more to the story than lockdown fallout. Shopping habits have changed over the past few years, the Beanfreaks owner says, with more shoppers buying locally or online.

In the 33 years since the St Mary Street store first launched the high street has changed, Victoria claims.

What was once a thriving shopping spot is now dominated by restaurants.

“We are more fortunate than a lot of businesses,” Victoria points out. The owners of Beanfreaks have enjoyed both the support of their landlords and a loyal customer base.

Beanfreaks is not abandoning the city centre forever. According to Victoria, “Cardiff City still has a very warm place in our hearts” and a new central location is a future possibility.

Alpha Online is a digital community created by the Citizen Church in Cardiff to encourage friendly and open discussion about faith.

Their aim is to reach unchurched members of the Welsh community.

“Personally, I’m just keen for us to change some of the … misconceptions and stereotypes of church,” shares Ryan Forey, the Citizen Church vicar.

This digital format of faith is rather popular with younger generations.

“We definitely seem to be engaging most with Millennials and Gen Z,” says the vicar. “Currently half of our congregation are students.”

He attributes the interest in the Citizen Church to the widespread loneliness among people from all ages and paths of life.

The original version of Hannah’s art can be found on www.hannahshortart.wixsite.com/website

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he Cardiff-based artist collective strikes back against the mental strain of coronavirus-induced isolation by showcasing beautiful art produced in the confines of lockdown.

Citizen Church is taking faith online with a new digital intitiative

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News

How fitness instructor Wendy TurndUp the local lockdowns Turnd Up Fitness instructor Wendy Tartarai talks about lockdown and taking her classes online during the pandemic a responsibility she really loves, and one that made the pandemic even more devastating for her.

Four classes lost to lockdown

The recent firebreak lockdown found Wendy much better prepared.

Backed up by technology and past experience, she jumped on Zoom right away and kept her community moving.

Still, there’s nothing like the real thing. “It was crazy, the live classes would get so full,” says Wendy. “I loved having so many people, because the energy is really high.”

With gyms shutting for lockdown in spring, Wendy went from running Beyond dance,Wendy is upskilling as a personal trainer four classes a week to none endy Tartarai is overnight. But despite the demand bubbling with from her trainees, she couldn’t energy, which helps simply move to Zoom. her thriving career as a Turnd Up Fitness instructor. The fitness dance class created by Shekira Johnson combines RnB, hip hop and dancehall music, and can burn as many as 900 calories in an hour – a Taking classes online could mean Personality matters feat Wendy herself certainly manages, a drop in subscribers for Turnd Up For Wendy, a friendly environment is judging by her post-workout snaps.

Fitness On Demand, the digital key, and she feels like part of the group.

Originally from Greece, the petite sessions by Shekira. But when “I have fun in the class,” she adds 24-year-old brunette has lived in lockdown stretched on, it became energetically. “I don’t see it as work.”

Cardiff for three years. She has a clear that more virtual sessions would It’s all about inspiring people and varied dance portfolio to show for bring new people to the community. boosting their confidence. herself, including dabbling in belly “What you feel inside, you put out – dancing, Latin dance, and the popular Doing it for the girls people can feel it. If you’re not a good Dominican social dance bachata.

Even with Shekira’s blessing, the person, it’s harder to succeed as an “I’d always wanted to combine situation was strange. “I wasn’t sure instructor,” she muses. dance and fitness,” Wendy explains. about online classes at all,” Wendy Once she was qualified as a Turnd Up confesses. After all, people go home to The next steps Fitness instructor, she kept perfecting relax, so she worried they wouldn’t be Despite the growing demand for her technique, until a leg injury motivated to join the class remotely. her classes, Wendy’s future plans are incapacitated her for a month.

Eventually, Wendy embraced the low-key. She gives 100 percent to each Wendy’s Turnd Up Fitness break new format for the sake of the girls in session, but also values carving time came when she filled in for the Zumba her community. “I had 20 people on out for herself. teacher at JD Gyms. “There were Zoom,” shares Wendy. “I was nervous, That said, PT work is definitely on 40 people there! But I had practiced because technology can go wrong, but the cards. After all, she already has so these routines so much, and I was so the classes went very well.” many followers who love her. ready for it,” she shares. After that demo, over 30 people showed up for the first official session.

After just two years as an instructor, the feeling you get from the music Wendy has a dedicated Turnd Up how music connects people together expressing the music and the beat through your body Fitness following. In fact, she runs all dance classes in JD Gyms Cardiff –

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If you’re not a good person, it’s “harder to succeed as an instructor

3 things you love about dancing?

Interview

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Will Welsh independent music join

the Covid-19 death toll When it comes to financial support, musicians don’t get enough attention

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ince the pandemic started, the arts have once again fallen victim to the stereotype that a creative career is not a “real” job, and musicians are getting the brunt of it. But this time it’s more than judgemental relatives urging them to get a ‘stable career’. Without sufficient funding, independent musicians might become another casualty of lockdown.

Unlike many establishments which reopened when lockdown ended, the nature of gigs makes social distancing harder to introduce in music venues.

And for musicians, no gigs means no shows, no income, no publicity, and no record sales.

There is some support for the creative industry. On 11 November Welsh Government announced story by Polly Angelova additional funding for arts and culture.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Music Prize went ahead online, The flip side of the funding showcasing new talent despite the various challenges this We hear from Sam again in August, shortly after Welsh year has presented.

Government pledged financial support for the arts. Speaking But can the government money keep independent to the BBC about Welsh Music Venues, she shared that the musicians afloat? Is digital-first a worthy substitute for original government funding was insufficient. live shows? Here’s what the numbers, the experts and the “We cannot do gigs under social distancing,” Sam musicians themselves say: complained. “At 2m the venue has a capacity of 17. It isn’t financially viable.”

The state of the Welsh music scene Since then, Welsh Government has offered a £10.7m In Spring 2020, Welsh Government announced grassroots support package for arts and culture. But how much of that music venues funding aimed at supporting venues and money would independent musicians actually get? freelancers affected by Covid-19. The statement also According to professor Paul Carr from the University acknowledged that the live music industry is intrinsic to the of South Wales, many freelance musicians didn’t qualify for success of Welsh independent musicians. government support schemes. In his Welsh music industries Samantha Dabb, manager of Le Pub, who cancelled over report, the professor highlighted important findings from 50 performances in the first three months of the pandemic, the Musicians’ Union. shares that view. “Grassroots music venues are vital to …

The Union revealed that 70% of musicians could only the future of Welsh music,” she said in the press release. take on a quarter of their usual workload, nearly half were looking for employment in other industries, and over a third were completely out of work.

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In Depth

will be keen “toPeople immerse themselves into the music scene The musicians behind the music In a regular year, Welsh Music Prize finalists Silent Forum would have released a new single by now, shares lead singer Richard Wiggins.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 restrictions have kept them from practicing and forced them to “bring [themselves] into other people’s living rooms.”

Everything Sold at Once

Destroy//Exist describes Silent Forum as a combination of post punk and indie rock (Credit:The Shoot)

The fallout of gig cancellations The struggle of music venues has far-reaching consequences for independent musicians.

In an article announcing this year’s Welsh Music Prize shortlist, cofounder John Rostron claimed: “The entire live music sector has been decimated.” 2020 has been devastating for musicians, who rely on live shows to generate album sales and grow their fanbase, he pointed out.

Luckily, bodies like Help Musicians offer support when opportunities

to earn are limited. Their Financial Hardship Funding is an alternative to government funding which helps musicians “make ends meet”.

Chief executive James Ainscough warns: “There are still many thousands struggling to make ends meet.

“This year, perhaps more than ever, we have all valued the comfort music has brought but without further financial support, we risk losing so many of the musicians behind the music.”

Their short docuseries cheekily titled Everything Sold at Once (a play on their album title Everything Solved At Once) has been a great substitute for the exposure of live shows, and a way to get their personality across on social media.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Music Prize nomination has bumped Silent Forum’s streams and sales, says Richard.

And, according to bass guitarist Oli Richards, “[the recognition] will have a ripple effect when gigs are back on.”

Welsh Music Prize finalists

The nomination was a coming of age moment (Credit:The Shoot)

The guys consider themselves a Welsh post punk band, even if none of them are Welsh. Seeing their band name on the WMP shortlist was an acknowledgement that Silent Forum are a legitimate part of the scene.

In Depth

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Future of independent music Looking ahead, Oli feels a mix of dread and optimism. On one hand, people will be keen to immerse themselves into the music scene. Silent Forum themselves are eager to attend gigs and perform again – an appetite which many undoubtedly share.

However, Oli fears the appetite alone might not be enough without infrastructure. And with Cardiff steadily losing its indie venues even pre-pandemic, building the music scene back up could take a lot longer than it’s taken to destroy it in the span of 2020.

Ultimately though, the band feel positive about the future of independent music. “Venues might struggle,” says Richard enthusiastically, “but there would hopefully be a lot of people eager to spend money.”

The light at the end of the virus In an interview with Wales Online local musician Georgia Ruth shared that she is hopeful about how musicians are coping in 2020, because “there is such resilience … spirit and an energy [within the industry].”

John Rostron from Welsh Music Prize shares Ruth’s sentiment in his BBC interview. “Covid-19 hasn’t quashed our appetite for … discovering new music,” he says.

“Streaming and buying new records has been a lifeline for performers to reach audiences.”

The band have only managed three meetups since March, instead of getting together several times each month, like previous years (Credit: Silent Forum)

Breathing new life into their music Silent Forum are releasing a hit song remix

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Streaming and buying new records has been a lifeline for performers

The band have just released a remix of their hit single How I Faked The Moon Landing by Charlie Francis.The anniversary release is packaged together with a bonus B-side track of their previously unreleased song Don’t Overcook It, which they recorded alongside their debut album.

Both tracks are available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and most other music platforms.

By all accounts, these are rocky times for the Welsh music industry. But between the government support and private organisations banding to help freelance musicians, the overarching mood is hopeful.

Musicians, it seems, are biding their time until they can dive head first into producing and performing again. Until then, they are relying on all of us to stream and share their music, as much as we’re relying on their music to get us through the pandemic. 

Silent Forum embody the music industry resillience (Credit: Jaydon Martin)

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In Depth