PLAYBACK at The Canopi: TALKS ON TAP
On 16 and 17 September, Creative Cardiff is working in partnership with grassroots music and coworking venue The Canopi to host fringe activity as part of Media Cymru's PLAYBACK festival.
Our pilot Talks on Tap event will form part of this wider programme of activity at The Canopi on Tudor Street, Cardiff, all related to the theme of 'play'.
On Wednesday 16 September 18:00 - 20:00, we've invited four speakers from industry and academia to talk about the power of play in shaping your creative practice. Join us to connect with a range of creatives and academics in Cardiff and the region and learn more about how play can help you dream up new ideas.
Speakers
Hosted by: Dr David Dunkley Gyimah
Dr David Dunkley Gyimah is a filmmaker and Reader/ Associate Professor at the School of Journalism, Culture and Media. His career over three and half decades covers Innovative filmmaking; AI; television and radio in various position at Channel 4, WTN, BBC World Service, Radio 4, Breakfast and Newsight as a reporter, political and news producer and videojournalist.
Presentations by:
Mark James
Mark James specialises in art direction, graphic design, video direction, identity design and branding, collaborating closely with artists, clients and organisations for over 25 years. His conceptual work is inspired by a mix of popular culture and social commentary and has gained a reputation for being humorous, challenging and controversial.
Julia Harris from The Canopi
Julia Harris and her sister Sarah Valentin are the founders of The Sustainable Studio and The Canopi, a vibrant, grassroots space where creativity takes root and ideas come to life. Set up as a Community Interest Company, The Canopi exist to support the next generation of creatives through hands-on workshops, internships, mentoring, and real-world opportunities.
Neale Howells
Neale Howells is an artist from Neath and based in Port Talbot, where he often invites people to his studio to discuss the work and raise questions about what contemporary art is. He has worked with various creative people in wales in music, film and fashion and been represented by the John Martin Gallery. His work has grown through a reputation of creating imaginative provocative works that the viewer can come back to time and time again to see new things, with national and international exhibitions.
Dr Christina Thatcher
Christina Thatcher grew up between a farm and a ranch house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She won a Marshall Scholarship to study in the UK and now lectures at Cardiff University. Her poetry and short stories have been widely published in literary magazines, including Ambit, Poetry Wales, Planet Magazine, The North and The Poetry Review. She has published three collections with Parthian Books: More than you were (2017), How to Carry Fire (2020) andBreaking a Mare (2025). Christina has toured internationally, reading her work in the UK, USA, Canada, Costa Rica, Switzerland and Romania.
Free drink on arrival!
Accessible venue. Take a look at our Accessibility page for more information. Please email us at hi@thecanopi.org if you would like a video call to check out the venue before you arrive.