Happy Birthday Dylan!
POETRY activities and themed crafts will be among the fun in a family-friendly birthday bash for Swansea’s most famous son.
To mark what would’ve been Dylan Thomas’ 105th birthday, an afternoon of free, tutor-led activities has been organised for the city’s Dylan Thomas Exhibition between 1pm and 4pm on Tuesday October 29.
Born in 1914, Swansea-born and raised Dylan is widely regarded as the one of the world’s most influential wordsmiths of all-time. His millions of fans across the planet include former American Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, the latter of whom opened Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre in 1995.
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “Our celebration of Dylan’s life and legacy plays a key role in Swansea’s rich cultural offer.
“Dylan called his home a ‘an ugly, lovely town’ and even now as we’re celebrating its 50th birthday as a city, one of our greatest icons continues to put Swansea on the map across the world.
“He was proud of his local links and often drew on local landmarks and people to inspire his work.
“It’s important we continue to celebrate our links with him; we want to inspire people across the city and beyond to make reading, literature and creativity a part of their everyday lives.
“The activities taking place on what would have been Dylan’s 105th birthday are an example of all the work we do throughout the year to share his brilliance with people of all ages and backgrounds.”
The family-friendly Dylan Thomas Exhibition includes an interactive 3D timeline exploring Dylan’s life and work, audio recordings of his work, an animal trail for younger visitors, and a deconstructed shed installation that focuses on Dylan the writer by exploring his methods of composition and his creative relationships.
Based in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter, the exhibition and the associated Dylan Thomas programme was named Best Family Friendly Venue in the UK 2018 in the Fantastic for Families Awards.
Dylan’s Birthday Bash celebrations will mark the beginning of an exciting half-term activity programme at the Dylan Thomas Centre and beyond – including a Spooky Stories workshop at Oystermouth Library.
This post is also available in: Welsh
