FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF WELSH CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND AMBITIOUS PAN-WALES STORY,
GALWAD: A STORY FROM OUR FUTURE
● Anthony Matsena, co-artistic director of Matsena Productions, will be Lead Choreographer for the project working with Associate Choreographer, Louise Stern
● Innovative ‘writers’ room’ approach to scripting GALWAD led by Welsh writing team inc. Emily Burnett, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Jamie Jones, Darragh Mortell, Marvin Thompson and Hanna Jarman
● Open call for Assistant Choreographer and six new writers
With just six months to go until GALWAD unfolds across digital and broadcast platforms and live performance in Wales, the creative team behind this major Welsh cultural event are starting to be revealed.
GALWAD: A STORY FROM OUR FUTURE, part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, will see Wales’ boldest talent in screen, performance and creative technology create a multi-platform story with participants across Wales to unfold in real-time over a week – exploring a possible future in 30 years’ time.
Blending conventional forms of storytelling (audio drama, TV drama and live performance) with creative technology, citizen journalism and social media, GALWAD will take place in the last week of September 2022.
Choreography and movement direction
As Lead Choreographer on GALWAD, Anthony Matsena will devise and direct the choreography and movement direction across the project. Matsena will be working with Associate Choreographer, Louise Stern, an artist and writer who grew up in an exclusively Deaf community and who uses various forms of language to explore communication.
Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and raised in Swansea, Matsena is a choreographer, performer and director working between mediums of dance, theatre, music and poetry. He co-founded Matsena Productions with his brother Kel in 2017 and together they make work around black stories while using their different skills in African dance, hip-hop, theatre and poetry.
He was Sadler’s Wells Young Associate in 2018 and is an associate artist with National Dance Company Wales (NDC Wales). Forthcoming projects include ‘Codi’ with NDC Wales, a residency at Swansea’s Mission Gallery, and ‘Shades of Blue’ at Sadler’s Wells, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Dance East and Taliesin Arts Centre.
Anthony Matsena says: “Growing up in Swansea, I always dreamt of being involved in something epic and truthful in my hometown. I’m so happy that my dream is now unfolding right in front of me, and I couldn’t be prouder to be waving the Welsh flag alongside a stellar team - who have given me the space and tools to flourish.
“GALWAD doesn’t just rest on myself, Louise and the growing creative team to deliver ground-breaking work. It also calls on the people and communities of Wales to bring their stories and passion to the project. That’s what’s most exciting about this. I’m truly grateful and can’t wait to see what we create together.”
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