Innovative music exhibition ‘Pop Peth’ and the Sŵn Festival feature in year-long program from National Museum Wales
This is perfect: I love music; and I love exhibitions and projects which are innovative and different. And that's exactly what a new exhibition about to open at St. Fagans: National History Museum is all about...
'Pop Peth' is not curated by National Museum Wales. Instead, they’ve enlisted six guest curators to put together collections of objects which are important to them and that show the influence of popular culture on us all. The guest curators are all connected with music in Wales:
Gari Melville is a collector and specialist on pop music in Wales; Lowri Johnston and Leusa Ffulr are editors of fanzine ‘Dim Ffwdana’; Ashli Todd helps run Spillers Records – the oldest record shop in the world, located in Cardiff; and John Griffiths and Kevs Ford are in the dub reggae band Llwybr Llaethog.
'Pop Peth' will run from August 1 this year through January 10, 2010. Displays include objects from the curators’ personal collections as well as from National Museum Wales, and items range from record covers, musical instruments and songs to videos and I-pods.
'Pop Peth' on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pop_Peth
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/music09/
'Pop Peth' is just one part of National Museum Wales’ music-themed program of events and exhibitions through 2009, which also includes 'Respond', a year-long project. For 'Respond', Welsh musicians are working with curators from all seven of the organization’s museums, resulting in a series of original tracks. The really good news is that music fans from around the world can take a listen to the fascinating music being created as the tracks are available online:
www.myspace.com/amgueddfacymrunationalmuseumwales
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/music09/respond/
A major highlight of National Museum Wales' 'Music 09' project will be the Sŵn Festival, taking place October 22nd through 24th this year at venues across Cardiff. The festival is curated by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and will feature a large number of Welsh bands including Los Campesinos! who are currently touring in America.
So with all these great initiatives showcasing and developing Welsh popular music, there’s certainly no excuse not to take a listen online. Every time I get to visit Cardiff, I love checking out local bands at Clwb Ifor Bach and recently-re-opened Toucan Cardiff; and the ‘Pop Peth’ exhibition is definitely on my “must-see” list for my next visit.