LOST LIBRARY - Border country - Y LLYFRGELL GOLL

About

Performances start at 11am on 29 and 30 July and 2,3,4,5 and 6 August at Abergavenny Library and finishes in the Visual Arts area of the Monmouthshire and District National Eisteddfod festival site.

Sponsored by the Friends of Abergavenny Library.  Friends of Abergavenny Library Service (F.O.A.L.S.) is heavily involved in consulting about the future of the library building, generating publicity and planning promotional activities.

Local artist Catherine Wynne-Paton seeks to highlight the changes being made to our public libraries and questions what kind of libraries we need for future strength.

LOST LIBRARY Border Country is the first phase in a project raising the profile of Libraries and in particular Abergavenny Library.  This part culminates in seven performances during the Monmouthshire & District National Eisteddfod.

Seedlings of plants featured in the novel Border Country, along with parts of the text will be given away en route from the library to the Eisteddfod Maes; highlighting the role librarians and libraries have in promoting growth in individuals and their communities. 

Discussion on the reduction of library services and the future of libraries just seems far too quiet to Catherine, so she has created an event whose production involves librarians, friends of the library group, musicians, art students, art tutors, a print technician, graphic designer, Welsh speakers, gardeners and a publishing house to name but a few.  And now the final shape of the performance has emerged, ready to roll.

Border Country was written by Raymond Williams (1921-1988), who was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic from Pandy.  His daughter Merryn is delighted with the project and thinks “It’s a wonderful idea”.

Using themes from the book and in particular the presence of gardening throughout, the plan emerged to adapt a 1950’s wheelbarrow as the central prop, for text to be rolled off and the most often mentioned plants to be given out along with the text.  Art student Jasper Cousins designed, made and fitted the text roller to the barrow to hold the printed portion of the novel.

A piece of music composed especially for the performance by musician Mary Tolhurst is inspired by Border Country and will be playing from the barrow as it is wheeled.  Publishers The Library of Wales have donated 10 copies of Border Country towards the project which are now available at the library to borrow.

Abergavenny Library on twitter:  @Abergavennyhub
Connect with the artist on Instagram and twitter: @wynnepaton and visit 
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