Amdan/About Utopias Bach
arbrawf sy’n archwilio
/experiments that explore
syniadau i’r dyfodol
/ideas for the future
“I think the work of transformation is thinking of what are the smallest things we can do - not the biggest technological fixes, but the smallest gestures that we can begin to make, that would fundamentally reconfigure our relationship with the future”
- Dr Natasha Myers
Cyflwyniad
Mae Utopias Bach yn gasgliad penagored, amrywiol sy’n dod ag artistiaid a chymunedau at ei gilydd i ail-ddychmygu, arbrofi, archwilio, cwestiynu a rhoi cynnig ar ffyrdd o wneud y byd yn lle gwell i fodau dynol a mwy na bodau dynol ar lefel graddfa-fach.
Dros y 5 mlynedd diwethaf ydan ni wedi gweithio mewn mwy nag 20 o leoliadau daearyddol o Ogledd Cymru i Malawi, gan gynnwys mannau cymunedol, strydoedd mawr, tafarndai, orielau, amgylcheddau gwledig a threfol. Mae’r ‘arbrofion’ hyn wedi amrywio o waith blwyddyn o hyd gyda chymunedau daearyddol, i rwydweithiau cyd-ddysgu cynhwysol, preswyliadau a pherfformiadau cyfranogol, gwyliau bach a chamau gweithredu ar y ddaear ar raddfa fach.
Mae ein hegwyddorion yn gydweithredol iawn ac yn canolbwyntio ar hygyrchedd ac amrywiaeth. Ydan ni’n dysgu’n barhaus sut i weithio gydag ymwybyddiaeth, gofal a pharch i’r amgylchedd, ei gilydd a phob bodau dynol a mwy-na-dynol. Mae hyn wedi cynnwys fformatau cyfarfodydd hybrid arloesol i alluogi cyfranogiad ar-lein y tu hwnt i anghenraid y pandemig Covid.
Cryfder Utopias Bach yw nad yw'n ymwneud â methiant na llwyddiant, terfynau amser a chanlyniadau. Yn lle hynny, trwy archwiliad dwfn, creadigol o gwestiynau a dychymyg, mae Utopias Bach yn ganolog i berthnasoedd parhaus, amrywiol, cynhwysol sy’n herio’r status-quo yn greadigol.
Introduction
Utopias Bach is an open-ended, diverse collective that brings artists and communities together to creatively re-imagine, experiment, explore, question and try out ways of making the world a better place for humans and more-than-humans at a small-scale.
Over the last 5 years we have worked in more than 20 geographic locations from North Wales to Malawi, including community spaces, high streets, pubs, galleries, rural and urban environments. These ‘experiments’ have ranged from year-long work with geographical communities, to inclusive co-learning networks, participatory residencies and performances, mini festivals and small-scale on-the ground actions.
Our principles are strongly collaborative and centre accessibility and diversity. We are continually learning how to work with awareness, care and respect to the environment, each other and all humans and more-than-humans. This has included pioneering hybrid meeting formats along with Rewilding the Artist to enable online participation and accessibility beyond the necessity of the Covid pandemic.
The strength of Utopias Bach is that we are not about failure or success, deadlines and outcomes. Instead, through deep, creative exploration of questions and imagination, Utopias Bach is at heart about ongoing, diverse, inclusive relationships that creatively challenge the status-quo.
Dan ni’n Fefus
Mae’n rhaid i ni ddechrai meddwl am Utopias Bach fel planhigyn mefus, gyda’r ‘planhigyn y fam’ Collaboratory yn magu planhigion bach (Arbrofion) tan eu bod yn ddigon cryf i fyw’n annibynnol (neu’n gwywo’n ara’ deg), tra’n ‘hadu’ syniadau mewn llefydd eraill, pellach.
Mae bob agwedd wedi cael ei dylunio i gyrraedd ymhellach na’n lefel sylfaenol, yn creu prosiect sydd wastad yn newid, yn cael ei arwain a’i deilwra i anghenion y rheini sy’n cymeryd rhan.
Mae croeso cynnes i chi
We are Strawberry
We have come to think of Utopias Bach like a strawberry plant, with the ‘mother plant’ Collaboratory nurturing offshoot plantlets (Experiments) until they are strong enough to live independently (or that gently wither away), while ‘seeding’ ideas further afield.
Each aspect is designed to reach further out at grassroots level, creating a Utopias Bach that is always becoming, lead by and tailored to the needs of those taking part.
You are warmly invited to
How to take part
Collaboratory: We think of this as the ‘mother strawberry plant’, a place (virtual, face-to-face and hybrid) where we come together to share ideas and activities, work through any difficulties, get inspired, learn new things.
Events: Warm welcome to all. See calendar for events.
Community experiments: Utopias Bach experiments reach out into different communities, each one designed in a different way, often involving an artist and a ‘community connector’. Have a look to see if you would like to join one… or suggest a new experiment
Create on your own: Even if you don’t want to be part of the Collabatory, or a community project, we invite you to be part of Utopias Bach, perhaps imagining or making or just noticing your own.
Sut i ddod yn rhan
Cymuned: Dan ni’n meddwl am hyn fel ‘planhigyn y fam fefus’, lle (rhithwir ac yn y byd go iawn) lle gallwn ddod at ein gilydd i rannu syniadau a gweithgareddau, gweithio trwy anhawsterau, cael ein hysbrydoli, dysgu pethau newydd. Agored i bawb.
Digwyddiadau: Croeso cynnes i bawb Gweler y calendr ar gyfer digwyddiadau.
Arbrofion cymuned: Mae arbrofion Utopias Bach yn estyn allan at gymunedau gwahanol, mae pob un wedi eu dylunio mewn ffyrdd gwahanol, yn aml yn ymwneud ag artist neu ‘gysylltydd cymunedol’. Cymerwch sbec i weld os hoffech chi ymuno ag un. Neu ddechrau un eich hun.
Pobl: Hyd yn oed os dach chi ddim eisiau bod yn rhan o’r Gymuned, na phrosiect cymunedol, dan ni’n eich gwahodd chi i fod yn rhan o Utopias Bach, dychmygu efallai neu gwneud neu sylwi ar eich pen eich hun.
Pwy ydan ni
Rhwng Mis Mehefin 2021 a mis Medi 2022, roedd gan Utopias Bach ei gefnogi gan bartneriaeth rhwng Lindsey Colbourne, Samina Ali, Wanda Zyborska, Lisa Hudson, Julie Upmeyer, Prosiectau Plas Bodfa.
Mi wnaethon ni bethau fel rhedeg y wefan, ceisio dod o hyd i adnoddau ar gyfer y prosiect, gweinyddy sylfaenol, cadw llygad ar ‘ble mae’r celf’ a pha mor dda dan ni’n gweithio ar ein hegwyddorion.
Who are we?
Between June 2021 and September 2022, Utopias Bach was supported by a partnership between Lindsey Colbourne , Samina Ali, Wanda Zyborska, Lisa Hudson and Julie Upmeyer, Plas Bodfa Projects.
We did things like running this website, trying to find resources for the project, basic administration, keeping an eye on ‘where is the art’ and how well we are working to our principles.
Partneriaeth Utopias Bach Partnership, 2021
As of August 2022, our Arts Council Wales funding came to an end (see below) and we have gone back to our original unfunded selves, led by the Collaboratory.
O fis Awst 2022, mae ein cyllid Cyngor Celfyddydau wedi dod i ben ac rydym wedi mynd yn ôl i’n rhai gwreiddiol heb eu hariannu, dan arweiniad y Collaboratory.
People with named roles (you are invited to create and name a role for yourself!)
Lindsey Colbourne (A Keeper of the Compost)
Wanda Zyborska (A Trickster and Seeker of Where is the Art in Everything)
Lisa Hudson (Cartographer)
Kar Rowson (Head of Noticing)
Iain Biggs (Ensemble Practice)
Sarah Pogoda (The Weather)
Gaia Redgrave (See-er of the Unseen)
Ellen Davies (A Collector of Sounds)
In addition, various people run individual ‘experiments’ - you can see the full list here
Cyfarfod Collabatory Meeting, 5.5.21
Cyllid
Yn Mehefin 2021, roeddem yn llwyddiannus yn ein cais i’r Cyngor Celfyddydau am arian Cysylltu a Ffynnu. Mi wnaeth yr arian hwn cefnogi’r partneriaid craidd, y rheini’n ymwneud ag arbrofion yn y gymuned neu ddogfennu/dysgu, ein cyfarfodydd Collaboratory, ac ein Awdur Preswyl, Seran Dolma a Arsylwr, Frances Williams.
Dan ni eisiau bod mor dryloyw a phosib am ein cyllid: dyma crynodeb:
Funding
In June 2021 we were successful in our application to the Arts Council Wales Connect and Flourish fund. This money supported the core partners, those involved in community experiments and documenting/learning, our Collaboratory meetings and our Awdur Preswyl, Resident Author, Seran Dolma and ‘Participant Observer, Frances Williams.
We want to be as transparent as possible about our funding: here is a summary of how our money was spent:
#pethaubychain - Marc Rees/Wales Arts International. Click on the image to read the feature/watch the video
