Rhiannon is co-founder and co-director of Common Wealth - a site specific political theatre company. She has collaborated and made work with National Theatre Wales, National Theatre (UK) Chapter Arts Centre, Sherman Cymru, Southbank Centre & Circus 2 Palestine.
She writes:
Art can help us see ourselves, understanding who we are and where we come from. It can help us recognise the power we have; it can give us agency. I believe in the power of storytelling, of understanding who you are and where you come from. It gives you strength. It hasn’t always felt like that for me but when you start to practise it starts to make sense. No one can challenge that.
I’m a working class woman from St.Mellons. I was always told my narrative, not good enough, will never amount to anything. I set up Common Wealth as a reaction to that narrative. It’s not easy being working class and working in an elite industry. You fight your own internal battles as well as the external ones. You have to work hard to push through.
That’s why organisations like Creative Cardiff are important: they connect and offer an online platform that opens us up as a city. Networks are important, critical and lead to magic collaborations. It creates a space where it doesn’t matter if you’re from St.Mellons or Cyncoed – you have access. I first heard of Creative Cardiff about five years ago, I was invited to talk on a panel.
They give me a space, on stage to tell my story – it felt rare for that to happen, they trusted me. Opportunities like that change you, give you confidence and help you to understand that of course we all have a story to tell, something to bring and so why shouldn’t someone from St.Mellons be on stage, talking, celebrating what they’re doing.
Creative Cardiff are a linchpin, they offer support, champion, connect and are always there for a cuppa and a chat. That’s important. That’s how the good things start.
