Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, 5pm Dydd Gwener, 5 Mehefin 2026
Ymunwch â Norena Shopland ac Aberration, mewn cydweithrediad â Gwasg Parthian, wrth iddynt lansio cofiant newydd Norena ar y bardd Eingl-Gymreig Katherine Philips: My Love All Love Excels.
Mae Katherine yn nodedig am sawl peth – y fenyw gyntaf i gael drama wedi’i chynhyrchu’n fasnachol; bardd Rhyfel Cartref deunawfed ganrif o fri; rhywun a dorrodd reolau barddoniaeth; un o feirdd benywaidd nodedig cyntaf y byd; un o’r cyntaf i ysgrifennu am atyniad i’r un rhyw, mae’r rhestr yn mynd ymlaen.
Yn y digwyddiad yma, daw stori ryfeddol Katherine yn fyw drwy ddarlleniadau barddoniaeth, cerddoriaeth a sgyrsiau a fydd yn diddanu a syfrdanu, gan ddangos i ni pam y dylai Katherine Philips gael ei hystyried fel un o feirdd gorau Cymru.
Portrait & Pride gallery tour 24/4 >> Tour of the National Library’s portrait exhibition highlighting the queer stories behind some of the pictures. Aberration & NLW
Queer Lit Quarterly 8/5 >> Four fabulous LGBTQ+ authors in one night! Gayberystwyth Books supported by Aberration
Balchder Mach Pride 16/5 – follow them on socials! A packed day of celebratory LGBTQ+ events at the Owain Glyndwr Centre, Machynlleth, including ‘Cwtsh Corner’ with Queer Tales from Wales.
My Love All Love Excels: Book launch 5/6 >> Norena Shopland launches her new biography of the woman-loving-woman poet, Katherine Philips. Supported by Aberrationand Parthian
1pm Friday 24th April 2026, Gregynog Gallery, The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth SY23 3BU
Join Jane (Aberration) and Phoebe (The National Library of Wales LGBTQ+ Forum) to start Aber Pride weekend with an informal tour of the Portrait and Power exhibition, celebrating some of the Queer stories behind the portraits. FREE.
There will be a chance to carry on the conversation in Pen Dinas café after the event.
1pm Dydd Gwener 24ain Ebrill 2026, Oriel Gregynog, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Aberystwyth SY23 3BU
Ymunwch â Jane (Aberration) a Phoebe (Fforwm LHDTC+ Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru) i ddechrau penwythnos Pride Aber gyda thaith anffurfiol o’r arddangosfa Portread a Phŵer, gan ddathlu rhai o’r hanesion cwiar tu ôl i’r portreadau. AM DDIM.
Bydd cyfle i barhau’r sgwrs yng Nghaffi Pen Dinas ar ôl y digwyddiad.
Queer Lit Quarterly is a special evening for book lovers to hear LGBTQ+ writers speak about their work. There will be a chance to buy books and have them personally signed by the authors. Hosted by Gayberystwyth Books with the support of Aberration.
ROSIE WILBY
Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, author, speaker, journalist and broadcaster. Obsessing about breakups ever since a girlfriend dumped her by email, Rosie embarked on a quest to investigate, understand and conquer the psychology of heartbreak.
Her nonfiction books The Breakup Monologues, accompanied by a podcast of the same name, and Is Monogamy Dead?, longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize, combine humour, heartache and science to take a very queer look at relationships. She’s now working on a novel based on her experiences in the comedy world.
J.S. STRANGE
J. S. Strange lives in Wales surrounded by books and cats. With an interest in the occult, the esoteric, and the paranormal, he often finds himself waiting for Halloween, or thinking how he can make his home more supernatural.
He is the author of The Boyfriend Academy: In a world rebuilt on order and obedience, Dylan must decide: will he become the man the academy wants – or the man he really is?
J.S. is also working on gay murder mysteries.
SACHA COWARD
Sacha Coward has worked in museums and heritage for over ten years. He has run LGBTQ+ focused tours for museums, cemeteries, archives and cities around the world. Queer As Folklore is his first book. It explores the hidden queer history of myths and monsters, travelling across centuries and continents.
Leaving no headstone unturned, Sacha takes you on a wild ride through the night from ancient Greece to the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race, visiting cross-dressing pirates, radical fairies and the graves of the ‘queerly departed’ along the way.
MALCOLM PRINCE
For twenty years, Malcolm Prince was Paul O’Grady’s radio producer at the BBC. In a new biography, Paul O’Grady – Not The Same Without You, Malcolm writes about the mercurial star we knew as both drag act Lily Savage and the nation’s dog-loving agony uncle.
Malcolm writes:
‘It’s been a privilege to bring his remarkable story up to date and, just like Paul O’Grady, this book is heartfelt, candid and even has a little bit of bite.’
Join Norena Shopland and Aberration, in association with Parthian Books, as they launch Norena’s new biography on the Anglo-Welsh poet Katherine Philips.
Katherine has many accolades – the first woman to have a play commercially produced; a seventeenth-century Civil War poet of distinction; someone who broke the rules of poetry; one of the first notable female poets in the world; one of the first to write of same-sex attraction, the list goes on.
Katherine’s extraordinary story will be brought to life with poetry readings, songs and talks that will amuse and amaze, and will show why Katherine Philips must be regarded as one of Wales’ best poets.
(PAST EVENT) We watched the latest international LGBTQ+ films and chose this one just for you!
Manok is a delightful, funny, politicised queer movie and a celebration of community. Join us at 5pm on 28 March at Aberystwyth Arts Centre cinema for this one-off screening followed by Q&A on screen with director Lee Yu-jin all the way from South Korea! Yujin will be chatting to our own Helen Sandler about the making of the film, with a chance for you to ask her questions.
What happens when middle-aged lesbian bar owner Manok retreats from Seoul city life back to her hometown in the country? Will she settle down for a quiet life? Not exactly…
A fabulous Aberration takeover of the gallery after hours!
Noson arbennig! Off the Wall is a playful, creative, thoughtful and celebratory evening of spoken word and performance to an audience of LGBTI+ people and allies, at The National Library of Wales. Inspired by the Portrait & Power exhibition, bringing the portraits ‘off the wall’, and asking ‘How do we want to be seen?’
Aberration’s Out of the Frame evening at National Library, July 2025 (Anthony Pugh)
Latest news! Unique presentations from exhibition artists Denver K Shai and Morgan Dowdall especially for you! 🎉 Plus amazing brand-new performance pieces from radical cabaret artists Poppy Cock and Penny Comequick! Queer Tales from Wales (Jane Hoy with Colin Audigé-Soutter and Simon Robson) zhoosh up a story from the history books, and Kitty O’Blitherin brings the art ‘off the wall’. With new queer performances emerging from our recent workshops (presented by The Off the Wallers – Alex, Avi, Hannah, Inge, Mila, Miles), music from Elaine Turnbull & Amy Ellen, and your host Helen ‘Aitch’ Sandler guiding the way through these delights.
PROGRAMME: At 6.30pm we will gather for drinks and snacks, then lead into the Gregynog Gallery around 7pm for the tour with pop-up talks and performances, followed by fun activities, sketching by Hilary Reed and more. A chance to look round the whole Portrait & Power exhibition at the end. Finish around 9pm. Event mainly in English with some Cymraeg.
Everyone is welcome to come along to watch and listen.
If you’d like to be more involved, we’re playing with the theme ‘How would you like to see yourself in a portrait?’ So you can bring an object you would like to include if someone was painting YOU, or dress up as a living self-portrait! Or come in your civvies and just enjoy the ride!
Evening includes new writing from group workshops (now fully subscribed). See below…
Off the Wall workshops
Sat 31 January & Sat 7 Feb 10.30am to 1.30pm: Two inspiring linked workshops for LGBTQ+ adults where we will respond to the portrait exhibition with new writing and performance. Click to see details >>
With thanks to NLW/LLGC for their enthusiastic partnership working & financial support.
About Aberration
Aberration is a series of exciting events with an LGBTQ+ theme. We aim for a friendly community space. Everyone is welcome at our public events including open-minded straight friends and allies. (Some smaller group workshops are specifically for those who are / think they might be LGBTQ+) Events are very much trans-inclusive as well as highlighting lesbian, gay and bi lives and culture, and other queer identities – all under one rainbow! Your friendly hosts are Jane Hoy, Ruth Fowler and Helen Sandler. For Off the Wall we are joined by talented creative practitioner Cath Rigler (who performs as Kitty O’Blitherin).
For LGBTQ+ History Month 2026, Aberration invites you to be part of a thoughtful, joyful group that will create new writing and performance pieces together
In these two linked workshops we’ll share our responses to the paintings and photographs in the Portrait & Power exhibition.
Two Saturdays: 31 January & 7 February 2026, 10.30am to 1.30pm at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
More information
In a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, we’ll create new writing and performance pieces together which will then become part of the programme at our fabulous Off the Wall Extravaganza Night.
These group workshops for LGBTQIA+ adults will be facilitated by Helen Sandler and Jane Hoy of Aberration, and community arts supremo Cath Rigler (who performs as Kitty O’Blitherin).
In the first session, on 31 January, we will visit the Portrait & Power exhibition in the gallery and discuss responses to the stunning paintings and photographs on display. Through writing exercises you can respond to a portrait (or portraits) with significance for you as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In the second session, on 7 February, we will shape our writing into short performance pieces for the upcoming Off the Wall evening (12 Feb). Individual and group pieces will magically emerge. Anyone who doesn’t want to perform doesn’t have to!
Helen and Cath at previous AberrationJane and Cath at last National Library event
SIGNING UP
The workshops are now fully subscribed but if you have signed up and want to ask a question, please email aberrationcymru@gmail.com with the subject line Off the Wall Workshops.
THE SMALLPRINT…
Workshops are on 31 Jan and 7 Feb, and the evening event on 12 Feb. We've changed the criteria and although it would be great if all participants came to everything, it's not compulsory!
Workshops are FREE (small expenses budget available). Limited places.
Ar gyfer Mis Hanes LHDTC+ 2026, mae Aberration yn cyflwyno noson o lawenydd a pherfformiadau cwiar cyffrous wedi’u hysbrydoli gan arddangosfa Portread a Phŵer.
Jan Morris gan Michael Tomlinson; Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru
Noson wych yn yr oriel!
Mae ‘Off the Wall’ yn noson chwareus, hwyliog a chreadigol o ddathlu trwy berfformiad gair llafar gan Aberration i gynulleidfa LHDTC+ a’u cyfeillion. Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan arddangosfa Portread a Phwêr, bydd y portreadau’n dod yn fyw, a bydd y cwestiwn ‘Sut ydyn ni eisiau cael ein gweld?’ yn cael ei drafod.
Aberration: ‘Out of the Frame‘, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Mis Gorffennaf 2025 (Anthony Pugh)
Nos Iau 12 Chwefror, Llyfrgell Genedlaethl Cymru: 6:30pm. Dod at ein gilydd am ddiodydd a thamaid i’w fwyta, yna fyny i Oriel Gregynog am 7pm ar gyfer sgyrsiau byr a pherfformiadau gan artistiaid a’n grŵp gweithdy, gyda portreadau-ar-y-pryd a mwy.
Gyda: Denver K Shai, Morgan Dowdall, Poppy Cock, Penny Comequick, ‘Queer Tales from Wales’, Kitty O’Blithering a mwy! 🎉
Bydd cyfle i edrych o gwmpas arddangosfa Portread a Phŵer ar y diwedd. Gorffen tua 9pm. Digwyddiad trwy gyfrwng y Saesneg yn bennaf gyda pheth Cymraeg.
Dere fel rwyt TI wastad wedi dymuno cael dy weld – yn hunan-bortread byw. Dehongla hyn fel y mynnot; neu dere â gwrthrych sy’n bwysig i ti. (Croeso cynnes i’r rhai mwy swil hefyd!)
Dydd Sadwrn 31 Ionawr & Dydd Sadwrn 7 Chwefror 10:30am i 1:30pm: Dau weithdy ysbrydoledig ar gyfer oedolion LHDTC+ ble byddwn ni’n ymateb i’r arddangosfa bortreadau trwy eiriau a pherfformiad. Cliciwch i weld manylion ac i gofrestru >>
Am Aberration
Mae Aberration yn gyfres o ddigwyddiadau cyffrous gyda thema LHDTC+. Ein nod yw creu gofod cymunedol cyfeillgar. Mae croeso i bawb i’n digwyddiadau cyhoeddus, gan gynnwys ffrindiau a chynghreiriaid sydd â meddwl agored. (Mae rhai gweithdai grŵp llai yn benodol ar gyfer y rhai sydd / sy’n meddwl y gallent fod yn LHDTC+). Mae digwyddiadau’n gynhwysol iawn o ran trawsrywedd yn ogystal ag amlygu bywydau a diwylliant lesbiaidd, hoyw a deurywiol, a hunaniaethau cwiar eraill – i gyd o dan un enfys! Eich gwesteiwyr cyfeillgar yw Jane Hoy, Ruth Fowler a Helen Sandler. Ar gyfer Off the Wall mae’r ymarferydd creadigol talentog Cath Rigler yn ymuno â ni.
It’s time to queer up the museum collection – and you can be part of it!
‘Pockets of Pride’ is a series of three creative workshops for LGBTQI+ people where we will come together as a group to put a queer spin on traditional Eisteddfod purses.
These purses were small prize bags – often elaborately decorated – given to winners of Eisteddfod competitions in the past. The winners would proudly wear them throughout the festival week.
In our playful sessions, you will be supported to stitch, fold and stick a pouch, pocket or purse. Each piece will have its own unique ‘purse-onality’, reflecting your own stories!
The group’s creations will form part of a new permanent LGBTQI+ display at Ceredigion Museum.
When and where do the workshops take place?
For LGBTQ History Month 2026 on three consecutive Saturdays: 21 February, 28 February and 7 March, from 10.30am to 2.30pm.
Venue: Aberystwyth Bandstand (on the seafront). The venue has good disabled access.
Who are the Pockets of Pride workshops for?
Anyone identifying as part of the LGBTQI+ community and who can commit to all three purse-making workshops. You don’t need experience of sewing or craft, and all materials are provided.
Workshops are free and include light refreshments. Participants will receive a £50 voucher (multi-store gift card) each week in recognition of your contribution.
Places are limited and will be allocated to the first eight people to sign up.
How do I book my place?
UPDATE: FULLY BOOKED – WAITING LIST ONLY!!
First make sure you’ve read this information carefully, then send an email headed ‘Pockets of Pride’ to Carrie: museum@ceredigion.gov.uk
Details of Workshops
SESSION ONE:
What Do You Prize as a Queer Person?
Together we’ll explore what you hold dear – the values, stories and identities that shape you. Through creative exercises, we’ll begin to imaginatively shape the spirit and intention behind your own handcrafted purse, pocket or pouch.
The museum’s curator, Carrie Canham, will join us to give the context of the project, which is inspired by the historical Eisteddfod purses in the current collection. She will share how our creations will contribute to a new LGBTQI display.
SESSION TWO:
Sew your own way
Working with our hands and hearts; we’ll choose fabrics and threads, and start cutting, sticking, assembling and stitching. With guidance and support from Rose and the group, you’ll bring your design to life.
SESSION THREE:
Stitch and finish
Adding the finishing touches to complete our pockets and purses, we’ll explore ways to display them as part of the exhibition at Ceredigion Museum, celebrating our queer creativity. Together we’ll reflect upon and document the process with photographs and words.
Who is facilitating the workshops?
Rose Thorn has worked as a community artist within health and education settings; she is passionate about the therapeutic uses of the arts with people who often feel disempowered. Her own practice has focused on textiles.
Her last collaboration with Ceredigion Museum was with ‘Voices from the Edge’, a global majority group that explored their responses to colonial objects loaned from the British Museum. This culminated in a group exhibition where her hand-sewn drape, called ‘Wake’, explored the movement of people across the seas.
Rose is also a Playback Theatre performer and trainer, which honours personal stories by instantly ‘playing-back’ what the audience shares. Her interest in the body, breath and mind continues with teaching local yoga classes.
Run by Ceredigion Museum in association with Aberration
