Aberration and partners’ calendar January to March 2026
Click on the red links for details and booking
Tomos Williams at Aberration’s Out of the Frame night, National Library (Anthony Pugh)
🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month UK 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Our workshops are now full but you can book for our main events and those of our partners!
Thurs 12 FebOff the Wall extravaganza, 6.30pm, The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. A fabulous night of queer responses to the Portrait and Power exhibition, where Aberration will take over the gallery after hours.Details & tickets >>
Friday 13 FebThe Monocle, 7.30pm, Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Contemporary dance performance, featuring jazz chanteuse Imogen Banks, with the untold story of Le Monocle – notorious lesbian cabaret in 1930s Paris. Tickets >>
Fri 20 Feb Gayberystwyth Books presents Queer Lit Quarterly at Aberystwyth Arts Centre with authors Emily Garside (Gay Aliens & Queer Folk), Rachel Dawson (Neon Roses), Alis Hawkins (Oxford Mysteries), plus special session on Aberration’s own history and archive. Supported by Literature Wales.Tickets >>
Sat 28 March Film to be announced: Special Aberration screening as part of WOW international film festival at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 5pm approx. Details coming soon!
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)
PROGRAMME: At 6.30pm we will gather for drinks and snacks, then lead into the Gregynog Gallery around 7pm for pop-up talks and performances from artists and our workshop group, followed by fun activities, instant portraits 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
Latest news! Unique presentations from exhibition artists Denver K Shai and Morgan Dowdall just confirmed! 🎉
Everyone is welcome to come along to watch and listen.
If you’d like to be more involved, we’re exploring the theme ‘How would we like to see ourselves in a portrait?’ So feel free to bring an object you would like to include if someone was painting YOU, or to dress up as a living self-portrait, whatever that might mean! Interpret it however you like but here are some ideas: alter ego, future self or shadow self, femme, fairy, butch or bear, dressy or drag, fluid or fixed, or all of the above!
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.
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
