The Year of Wales will officially open on Saturday the 2nd of August with a gala celebration and exhibition to showcase the rich and ancient culture of Wales at the international Celtic festival.

The gala evening will be a feast and fusion of ancient and contemporary Welsh traditions presented by the Welsh/Breton poet, rapper and TV presenter, Aneirin Karadog, who will give his own introduction to the Brythonic culture linking Wales and Brittany. He will be joined by writer and art critic Siân Melangell Dafydd, born and brought up in Snowdonia and currently living between Paris and Wales.

The first half of the evening will delve into the roots of Welsh traditions, with performances of music and dance by, Clerorfa, a fifty-strong folk orchestra of harps, fiddles, flutes, Welsh hornpipes and bagpipes, directed by two of Wales’ top traditional musicians, Stephen Rees and Robin Huw Bowen. Dawnswyr Môn along with Huw and Bethan Williams will bring the percussive beats of Welsh clog dancing to Clerorfa’s rich sound. Other musicians include the trio Sidan and one of Wales’ finest choirs, Dowlais Male Voice Choir.

The second half will feature young and emerging performers such as Bethan Nia (Winner of the Celtic Connections Open Stage competition 2008) with Helina Rees, and Creative Wales 2008 Award Winner, singer song writer, Richard James. 9Bach, who have distilled over 200 years worth of songs to create a honey-dipped sound, will round off a memorable evening.

"Welsh culture, more than ever before, is developing a strong international reputation, and has a wealth of artists who are already positioned on a world stage. Now is the time for Welsh art and artists. The world is getting excited about our culture and traditions through the quality of work being produced by our contemporary artists and musicians, and the strong international reputations they are building. Ours is a cultural tradition steeped in history, but it is a living, vibrant culture that our creative people are able to communicate in very contemporary ways." Eluned Haf, Director, Wales Arts International

Two Welsh artists will be featured in the Euro-celtic art exhibition. In the Hon collaboration with leading Welsh writers and poets, Iwan Bala explores cultural identity and the way it exists within the wider world. His work makes use of recurring motifs such as the twin faced Janus, a Romano-Celtic deity that unites past, present and future in its gaze. At the opening of the exhibition on Saturday 2nd August, one of the collaborating writers, art critic Siân Melangell Dafydd, will introduce the "Hon" exhibition. John Uzzell Edwards’ work is to do with Pure Painting, not picture making, and has been driven by an exploration of early Welsh forms. His exhibition is inspired by the aesthetic quality of Welsh quilts and blankets that has given such a purpose and energy to this new body of work.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said, 'Wales has such a strong cultural identity and creativity, that we want to showcase the best of Wales across the Celtic world.  The Festival Interceltique Lorient is very big in the cultural world and visitors to the Festival will be able to enjoy the work of some of our finest musicians, performers and artists.  More than half a million visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to learn more about Wales as an ideal tourism, business and educational destination.  That should bring big benefits for Wales and will further strengthen the links between Brittany and Wales.

The Year of Wales Gala celebration will take place at 21.30 on Saturday the 2nd of August at the Grand Theatre in Lorient.

Many more artists from Wales will perform at various other venues as part of the Lorient Festival including at the Year of Wales Pavilion. A full programme can be accessed below.

The visual art exhibition and the Gala evening are supported by Wales Arts International, a partnership between British Council and the Arts Council of Wales.

Festival Interceltique Lorient official website