A great week of entertainment at Pontio in Bangor includes:
Films: Allelujah (12A), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (12A), Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (PG)
Events for the community include Yoga, BLAS – Pontio’s arts participation project for local children, Vertical Dance and a free community workshop about improving the experience of living with dementia.
For more information and to Book for all events visit the Pontio website here: https://www.pontio.co.uk/
Cinema:
Allelujah (12A)
Friday 24-Thursday 30 March
Richard Eyre’s all-star adaptation including Judie Dench and Jennifer Saunders of Alan Bennett’s acclaimed play about a hospital for the elderly under threat of closure, is a lively, witty and often strikingly acerbic critique.
Broker (12A)
28+29+31 March
A young lady decides to give up her newborn child to a church for adoption but discovers an active group that steals these children for sale. She catches the group red-handed and joins them on an exciting road trip to find customers ready to buy the child. Things don’t go smoothly since two lady cops are hot on their trail, and things get complicated.
Y Sŵn (12A)
Monday 13 – Wednesday 29 March
From the team who brought you The Feast comes to a true story of how S4C was established. In 1979, when Margaret Thatcher’s first government breaks a promise to establish a Welsh language television channel, a wave of civil disobedience follows. One man – Gwynfor Evans – threatens to starve himself to death unless the government comes good on its manifesto pledge. The reimagining of one of the most colourful chapters in contemporary Welsh history.
English subtitles for every screening
NTLive: The Life of Pi
Thursday 30 March, 7pm
Sunday 2 April, 2pm
Puppetry, magic and storytelling combine in a unique, Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel. Filmed live at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End and featuring state-of-the-art visuals, the epic journey of endurance and hope is bought to life in a breath-taking new way for cinema screens.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (12A)
Friday 31 March – Thursday 6 April
Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (PG)
Saturday 1 – Thursday 6 April
Marcel, a 1-inch-tall shell, lives with his grandmother, Connie, the only resident of their town after their neighbours’ sudden, mysterious disappearance. When discovered by a guest amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of fans and hope of reuniting with his long-lost family.
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Studio Theatre
Dementia Opera – Y Bont (The Bridge) Saturday 1 April 7pm
What if you were edging away from the ones you love?
How could they bring you back?
The Bridge/Y Bont is a new one-act opera from Edward Wright and Marian Bryfdir which explores the nuances of living with dementia for both the individual and those around them: the highs, the lows, and the many unlikely in-betweens.
The Bridge/Y Bont is a collaboration between an experienced creative team and a well-established dementia research programme, IDEAL. Research and real-life experience meet in this Arts Council of Wales-funded project, into which people with dementia and carers have input.
“Finding the joy”—as a man is edged into a darkness he cannot control, his loved ones learn to create moments of love, understanding, self-worth and even humour to help him cross the bridge between shared realities and his own mind. The score explores the range of emotions experienced on the dementia journey, as an individual moves from early diagnosis through alternative therapies, all the while facing mixed communication from both family members and professionals. Welsh baritone Kiefer Jones plays the lead.
This performance is in Welsh. 45 minutes
Following the performance, there will be a dual language Q&A with the creative and research team for those who would like to stay. Not all presenters speak Welsh, so there will be some translation.
There is also a free community workshop linked to this event, happening at 4pm before the opera. Click here to read more and book your free ticket.
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Community Events:
How can we improve the experience of living with dementia? A community workshop
Saturday 1 April 4 – 5pm
This event for people living with dementia and their carers.
Book your free ticket to come and discuss dementia in your local community. This interactive workshop is led by Dr Catherine Charlwood (IDEAL dementia research programme) and Emma Quaeck (Gwynedd Council Dementia Co-ordinator).
We will share some findings from the IDEAL dementia research programme and give you resources from the Living with Dementia Toolkit, but we really want to hear from you. In keeping with the theme of the opera ‘The Bridge / Y Bont’, we will ask what you think can help you to stay connected to your local community, and what could be improved.
Come along for an interesting chat and a chance to share your stories!
The artwork is by Gail Gregory, who lives with dementia.
Blas
BLAS is Pontio’s arts participation project offering children and young people various experiences of the arts. There are three aspects to BLAS, firstly, weekly drama workshops for children and young people, from school year 3 to 13. Secondly, health and well-being arts projects with children and young people. Thirdly, youth arts projects in conjunction with professional companies that visit Pontio.
Launched in January 2013 following a successful bid for funding from Arts Council of Wales, Blas has gone from strength to strength undertaking a number of projects with inspiring practitioners and Bangor’s enthusiastic children and communities.
The project is run by Pontio Arts Development Co-ordinator, Mared Elliw Huws and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and the Widening Access programme at Bangor University
Weekly Drama Workshop
The weekly workshops are returning to Pontio Studio!
Weekly drama and performance workshops to develop confidence, stage presence, performing skills and have fun!
Where: Studio, Pontio
When: Every Monday and Wednesday night – Term Time
Monday: 5:00pm – 6:00pm – Years 3 and 4
Mondays 6:15pm – 7:15pm – Years 5 and 6,
Workshops are held mainly in Welsh. It is not essential to be fluent, and we welcome everyone of all language ability.
For more details email Mared: m.huws@bangor.ac.uk
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Yoga with Ceri Lloyd
Mondays, 8pm
£8.50 / £45 for 6 sessions
Dates
27 March
3, 17, 24 April
Yoga session held through the medium of Welsh, with Ceri Lloyd. A perfect opportunity to learn Yoga and Welsh at the same time! Sessions are suitable for beginners and mats will be provided, or you can bring your own equipment.
A new partnership between Menter Iaith Bangor and Pontio
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Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence and Pontio presents Lunch on the Fly
Monday 27 March
Monday 3 April
Monday 17 April
12pm
Stiwdio
TICKETS
£6 for 1 session
£40 for 8
This is a fun session in which you can have a go at vertical dance. Starting with an easy warm up, you will then try to stand on and jump off a vertical floor using waist harnesses. You will be guided through some simple positions, and then you will fly!
Wear comfortable clothing with snug layers around waist and top of legs.
Age: 16+
Limited capacity – space for 12 people only
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National Dance Company Wales Dance for Parkinson’s
NDC Wales is excited to launch new Dance for Parkinson’s classes in Bangor!
No experience necessary
Studio £3.50
Tuesdays, 1.30pm – 2.45pm
Dates
21 March, 28 March, 25 April, 2 May, 9 May, 16 May, 23 May, 6 June, 13 June, 20 June, 27 June, 4 July
Dance for Parkinson’s classes are fun and informal.
Dance has been proven to develop confidence and strength, whilst temporarily relieving some participants of symptoms in everyday life. Classes are creative and promote feelings of freedom from the physical and social constraints of having Parkinson’s.
We are an Affiliated hub of English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme.
Classes are 90 minutes long, and all you’ll need is a chair.
English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme has been running since 2008. We are proud to be part of the Dance for PD membership, to support Dance for Parkinson’s Partnership and People Dancing and to have an affiliation with Parkinson’s UK. ENB’s national Dance for Parkinson’s programme enjoys close links with Parkinson’s UK and the European Parkinson’s Disease Association EPDA.
