Many Welsh or Wales based arts graduates are finding this current period especially difficult. Their usual opportunities to meet agents, prepare for final year exhibitions or productions may take place later in the year or sadly not at all. To raise awareness of the diverse talent graduating this year GTC is offering any Welsh or Wales based graduate the opportunity to be showcased on our website. If you are interested, please do get in touch.

Please note this interview contains Monologue Mix Up videos, some of which feature strong content.

Hi Meg great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?

I’m an actor and writer born and bred in Cardiff. An NYTofGB member, Sherman Youth Theatre alumni, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 2020 graduate and founder of Monologue Mix Up.

So, what got you interested in the arts?

Growing up my parents always made sure we were engaged with the arts, whether that was going to the theatre, the circus, painting on the wall in our back garden, we were always exposed to the arts and influenced to be creative ourselves.

Can you tell us about your creative process?

Process is always a funny one, as is creating. It really depends. I usually write from an instinct, a thought, an image, I just begin and continue. I try not to censor myself or stop and look back until I’ve reached a natural conclusion. Then I’ll go through it, reading it to myself to see how it feels to speak and usually make some edits based off of the way it feels more natural to be spoken. When it comes to acting, it’s such a malleable process that depends on who and what I’m working on. Especially if it’s theatre and we are in rehearsals for weeks, my process will be influenced and guided by those around me – the other actors, the director etc.

As a young Welsh artists graduating during a very difficult period what investment and support do you think is required to enable your career to develop and prosper?

I’m hope that as the graduating year during this time, we will be have an opportunity to be heard. Whether this is through, as we are seeing now, people in the industry giving up their time to do 1-2-1s and making the effort to meet graduates, or through projects like Monologue Mix Up, where we make our own platforms and provide space for other artists in the same position. I think the more our community make an effort to engage with the work of new graduates, the more hope we have for our future careers, connections and creativity.

A range of arts organisation and individuals are now working online or finding new ways to reach out to audiences. Have you seen any particularly good examples of this way of working?

It’s so inspiring to see how much work is being put online. The free streaming of shows and those with pay what you can schemes make art so accessible to wider audiences who may not have had the opportunity to interact with this work before. I’m loving seeing all the new work being produced through avenues such as the Sherman Theatre’s TEN project – giving new writing the chance to be developed and distributed throughout this difficult time.

If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?

More funding for the arts within schools. School is such an informative time during your life – you’re constantly learning and developing new skills and evolving as a human being. I think if the arts were given more of the time and energy they deserve in schools we could be teaching our children the benefits of listening – to ourselves and others – of empathy, dedication, communication and creativity. Keeping the creative child within all of us is is key to a happy life.

What excites you about the arts in Wales?

The community in Wales is just incredible. Everyone is so supportive of each other’s work and growth that it’s truly beautiful to see. The range of places art exists is also so exciting – from the pub theatre, to the outdoors, to the warehouses. There seems to be no bounds to where art can exist in Wales.

What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?

Seeing the support from other grads, creatives and human beings for the work produced and put out through my project Monologue Mix Up has been truly inspiring. It really reflects how much stronger we are when we come together to build each other up and support one another’s work and success.

Thanks for your time Meg