We Are Cardiff Film Launch

While I don't live in Cardiff any more, I often miss the thriving cultural community and still keep up with what's going on there. One of the most interesting local projects that I followed while I was there was We Are Cardiff, which documents residents' stories through pictures, videos and writing. Around this time last year, I visited the Roath State of Mind exhibition, which put Roath residents on the walls of the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse, and their stories on the tables. Now the project culminates in the Portrait of a City film, which launches at Chapter Arts Centre on 7 July at 12:30.

For just £6 you get not only a documentary introducing the wonderful, diverse array of characters who populate Cardiff, but tea and Welshcakes, live acoustic music and a raffle with prizes donated from the likes of Chapter and I Loves the 'Diff. It promises to be a really fun afternoon, a celebration of all the hard work that has gone in to the project in the last three years. Tickets are available exclusively at wearecardiffportraitofacity.eventbrite.co.uk 

Roath State of Mind @ Waterloo Gardens Teahouse

So as I said yesterday, today I went to see the Roath State of Mind exhibition at Waterloo Gardens Teahouse.

Exhibition is perhaps an overstatement. It's a collection of photos on the walls, like the one below. To accompany these are laminated stories of ordinary people from Roath and their experiences of living in the area. This hyperlocal project is part of the wider We Are Cardiff, which brings together portraits of people from all over the city. The idea behind the project was to counteract the bad press that Cardiff was getting as Britain's premier binge-drinking hot-spot.

While there aren't that many pictures up in the exhibition, and you can read the stories online, I recommend a trip to the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse anyway. The selection of tea is amazing - although not great for the indecisive! We had a lychee infused oolong tea and a delicious sweet potato cake (like carrot cake, but nicer) and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful (we really needed a tea expert to help us decide!). Then as you're enjoying your tasty tea you can read about the exciting experiences of our fellow Cardiffians. 

The exhibition runs until 2 July 2012.