Photography festival for Mid Wales

Arrangements for a new festival in mid Wales are well underway.
During October and November 2011, FfotoAber will be celebrating the art of photography through a series of exhibitions and events in Aberystwyth.
FfotoAber is the first festival of its kind for Aberystwyth, if not Wales, and is arranged by residents of the town for residents of the town, the local area and visitors from all parts of Wales.
Catrin M S Davies, one of the festival coordinators explains: “During the past few months, a group of local business people, photographers and volunteers have been meeting on a regular basis to arrange an event which celebrates photography here in Aberystwyth. All members of the local community are invited to participate in the range of events and exhibitions currently being organised.
“This annual festival will start during October half term and conclude with the Lens festival at the National Library of Wales on the 18-19 November. We hope that it will provide a focus for the town during the autumn and, in time, bring significant economic, cultural and community benefits to the area.”
FfotoAber will be an opportunity to view photographs in familiar and unfamiliar locations, in galleries, cafés and on the street, whilst also providing plenty of opportunities to participate in entertaining workshops with expert photographers.
Deian Creunant, a member of the coordinating team said: “Photography is an extremely accessible art form and we’re hoping that everyone will want to participate. We’re encouraging professional photographers, amateurs and those who simply fancy having a go at taking photos to be part of the festival. Whether you own a top of the range camera or have a camera on your phone, all contributions to the festival will be encouraged and celebrated through the various channels.
“Whilst arrangements for the festival diary are being finalised, a photography competition for primary and secondary school pupils, arranged in collaboration with the Rotary organisation and the Cambrian News, is currently underway and the winning images will be exhibited during the festival at Canolfan Arad Goch.”
Individuals and organisations wishing to be part of this new venture are encouraged to keep an eye on the FfotoAber website at www.ffotoaber.com, follow on Twitter (twitter.com#ffotoaber) or join the FfotoAber Facebook page.
Letters highlighting the schools competition have been sent to the secondary and primary schools of Aberystwyth. The theme for the competition is ‘Aberystwyth’ and the closing date is the 7 October 2011.
The Ffotomarathon is organised by Canolfan y Morlan and will take place on Saturday 22 October.
Lens is the annual festival of Welsh Documentary Photography at the National Library of Wales. For further details please visit www.llgc.org.uk