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A r t s
grarts@cf.ac.uk
Quench 04 10 04
The opening of The Gate... Freshly oiled to wet your creative appetites, The Gate swings open for Cardiff’s community Classes at The Gate
A
s from September 11, yet another gateway to the arty world has sprung from Cardiff’s cultural grounds. Situated in Plasnewydd Square just off of Roath’s City Road and in the centre of Student’s ville, I could not resist a visit. Previously a Presbyterian church, this building is absolutely stunning and thanks to architect Rob Cruwys, the interior is no exception. Cruwys has retained the original church features and has blended them with the modern midas touch to upgrade this fantastic building. The Centre houses a Theatre, Dance Studio, Exhibition Galleries, Training Studios and a Café – bar – restaurant. The whole place is soaked in that new refreshing smell and looks absolutely plush and the café is no exception. Serving posh nosh at reasonable prices, one can attend the theatre/gallery and then do lunch darling. Just for the day one may forget that one is une scavvy student! Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Assembly of Wales, and its trustees, The Gate claims to be “a centre for expression and training in the arts.” The centre truly does seem to be dedicated to training people in the realm of the arts. The Gate offers a range of access level, ten week courses for reasonable prices, (which is always a good thing.) Classes range from acting, drawing, singing, writing, pilates, music theory, orchestra, African drumming, Indian classical dance, flamenco dancing, jazz, salsa and breakdance. You name it, The Gate’s got it. The Gate term starts on October 4, so hurry up and get your skates on! At present the gallery hosts an exhibition of nine very talented Welsh painters and is entitled Spirit of Wales. Each painter appears to have a very unique style and interesting ideas to stimulate their work. After November 13, the exhibition is set to
change, so it is definitely worth getting off your lazy student arse and making a visit before then! When I looked around the centre, there was a theatre rehearsal going on (a hundred school kids practising for Raven King – a re-working of The Tempest.) However, being my nosy little self I could not resist having a peak at the theatre. As the door creaked open, everyone looked at me – doh! Anyway, the theatre was quite large and looks set to host some wicked performances. By the time this Quench has reached your hands, Raven King will be a thing of the distant past. However, don’t despair it probably would have been packed out with two hundred sickly smug, smiling proud parents. Also, Extravagance! is coming to The Gate on November 12. Performed by semi – professionals and directed by the teacher of the acting workshop, this should be a complete success. All in all, The Gate is a fantastic gem to add to Cardiff’s cultural trove. Watch out for future exhibitions and performances at the centre, or miss out! Debbie Green
The Gate is easy to find, situated just off City Road (Roath) in Plasnewydd Street.
Act for Fun - 7 - 8pm Wednesdays Indian Classical Dance - 7.30 - 9pm Mondays. Flamenco Dancing - 12.30 - 1.30pm Tuesdays. Streetdance / Breakdance - 5.45 6.45pm Wednesdays. Salsa - 7.30 - 8.30pm Thursdays. Pilates Based Body Conditioning 12.30 - 1.10pm Mondays. Funky Jazz Dancing - 6 - 7pm Thursday. African Drumming - 6 - 7.30pm Fridays. Sing for Fun - 7 - 8pm Mondays. Write for Fun - 7.30 - 8.30pm Tuesdays. Art for Fun - 7 - 9pm Mondays. The Gate Community Chorus 10.30am - 12pm Saturdays (Whilst this is open to all, it is recommended that absolute beginners attend Sing for Fun before joining).