We are recruiting new board members to help us write the next chapter of our omidaze story. Deadline to apply 30 November. Email [email protected] if you would like an informal chat www.omidaze.co.uk/blog/join-th...

Well the sun shone, and tea, conversations and creativity flowed. Thank you so much to everyone who came. We loved hosting you in our stunning capital city. Tomorrow we do it all again by the sea in beautiful Porthcawl. #OneConversationAtATime

⏱️THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!!⏱️ Only 1 WEEK until we hit the road and bring The Talking Shop on Tour to YOU! 🫖 Free cups of tea 🎨 Free creative activities for all ages Joins us in Cardiff, Bridgend, Cwmbran, Newport & Merthyr Tydfil 🗓️28th July - 1st August ⏰ 11:30 am - 3:30pm Everyone’s invited!

Creatives & Artists in South Wales - come visit The Talking Shop on Tour 28 July - 1 August. Bring your flyers & information for your shows, exhibitions, readings, events, workshops, gigs etc & we will share them with the public.

Very excited about taking the tea trolley & sofa on the road. Huge thanks to Cardiff Capital Region for making this tour possible #EveryonesInvited

📢FINAL STOP ON TOUR… Our 5th and FINAL location is… 📍MERTHYR TYDFIL, Penderyn Square, Castle St 🗓️1st August ⏱️11:30am - 3:30pm We can’t wait to bring The Talking Shop back to Merthyr Tydfil- and this time, we’re hitting the road on tour!🚐 Everyone’s invited!✨ #oneconversationatatime

📢NEXT STOP ON TOUR…‼️ The Talking Shop on Tour location 4️⃣ is… 📍NEWPORT 🗓️31st July ⏱️11:30am - 3:30pm From Cardiff ➡️ Bridgend ➡️ Cwmbran- We’re beyond excited to be bringing The Talking Shop on Tour to Newport! Catch us in Bridge Street between HSBC and Natwest. #everyonesinvited #newport

🚐 The Talking Shop On Tour Join us from 28th July – 1st August as we look at and talk all about Equality Plans - and we want to hear from YOU! Each day, we’ll be asking: 💭What actions do you want to see for better equality & inclusion? 👥 How should public bodies involve communities more?

The Talking Shop on Tour keeps rolling!🚐☕️ We’re excited to announce our next stop on the tour is… 📍CWMBRAN 🗓️Wednesday 30th July Come along and join us for free creative activities all day! The conversation and information is free and so is the tea! ☕️🎨🗳️ Everyone’s invited!✨ #cwmbran

Next stop for The Talking Shop on Tour is…🚐 📍 BRIDGEND! 🗓️ 29th July ⏱️ 11:30 am - 3:30pm Swing by for a cuppa, free creative activities, conversation, information and democratic deliberation ☕️🎨 #everyonesinvited #bridgendcountyboroughcouncil #porthcawl

🚐 Guess what? We’re BACK — and on the move! The Talking Shop on Tour is hitting the road this summer! We’re bringing the kettle, conversation, and creativity with us to towns and cities across South Wales🫖🎨🗣️ 📍 First stop: Cardiff 👀 Next stop? Stay tuned… #everyonesinvited #cardiff

The Talking Shop is packing up and popping up in a town near you! 🗣️☕️🚐🎨 Come and join us from: 🗓️July 28th- August 1st ⏰ 11:30am - 3:30pm 📍Cardiff 📍Bridgend 📍Cwmbran 📍Newport 📍Merthyr Tydfil The conversation is free and so is the tea! Everyone’s invited! ✨ #oneconversationatatime

Today marks five years since George Floyd was killed by police. Our June 22, 2020 cover “Say Their Names,” by Kadir Nelson, illustrated how Floyd’s murder embodies the history of violence inflicted upon Black people in America. nyer.cm/UmfefJw

@openuniversity.bsky.social return to The Talking Shop next week for the 'Cabinet of Curiosity' ✨ Bring along an object that holds meaning to you as we creative a unique collection together... @paulftremlett.bsky.social @preciouschatd.bsky.social

Happy International Women's Day to all the women of Blackwood & the Welsh Valleys, Wales & the world. Huge thanks to Size of Wales for organising yesterday's event and totally inspiring talk from Deborah & Helen from Uganda about Climate Action & Gender Equality. #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction

Next week at The Talking Shop. Crochet bookmarks, clay making, journal creations, Wales Broadcast Archive screenings, patchwork, crochet club and creating storybooks through expressive drawings and mark making. There's something for everyone, pop in for a cuppa and join us. Everyone's invited!☕

Heidi is returning on Monday for the second part of our creative Storybook Series 📚 Next week, we have a special session in collaboration with @openuniversity.bsky.social exploring Democracy through Expressive Drawings to create your own unique storybook! #everyonesinvited #oneconversationatatime

Celebrate International Women's Day with us with Petals & Poetry in @thetalkingshop.bsky.social this Saturday #IWD2025

Really looking forward to this. Do join us if you are in or near the Valleys. #IWD25

Fantastic day yesterday with our visual storytelling workshop with our creative host Osian in the morning and @librarywales.bsky.social Wales Broadcast Archive in the afternoon with footage from the archives of Blackwood and beyond. Everyone’s invited! #blackwood

Thank you to Tracy Harris for our final playwriting workshop of our three part series. Our visitors explored how to shape personal moments into powerful stories through character development, storytelling structures and themes that can deeply connect with your audience. Well done to our visitors👏🏻📝

Huge thanks to @gwentpcc.bsky.social for joining us in @thetalkingshop.bsky.social on Monday for the 3rd in our'Meet Your Elected Representatives' series. Great conversation & so much information. Get in touch with your PCC. They are there to represent you & hold the police to account on your behalf

Really delighted to be hosting this for #IWD25 #AccelerateAction with our collaborators Size for Wales

Next Week At The Talking Shop... Books, Lanterns, Screenings, Cuppas and Conversations. With something happening everyday of the week and so many hosts to meet, it's the perfect time to pop on down, say hello and try something new! Everyone's invited. #Blackwood #OneConversationAtATime

Join us for a creative workshop where every piece really matters. Draw, paint and create your own personalised square celebrating your power, before joining together to create a vibrant patchwork banner that celebrates our collective strength 💪🌍 #oneconversationatatime #welcometoyourvoteweek

Delighted to be collaborating with Size of Wales to celebrate #IWD2025 & to be welcoming Deborah to @thetalkingshop.bsky.social #Blackwood #EveryonesInvited #OneConversationAtATime

If you live in Gwent in Wales join us on Monday 3rd March in The Talking Shop Blackwood for this conversation with @gwentpcc.bsky.social

Playwriting workshop with @tracy797893 yesterday - so great to see everyone’s creative ideas coming to fruition! Tracy is back with another playwriting workshop on Tuesday 4th March - sign up via our Eventbrite or drop us a dm 🎭📧 #TheTalkingShop #Playwriting #CreativeWorkshop #Workshop

CREATIVES OF CAERPHILLY COUNTY, VALLEYS & BEYOND...We've got a studio space at The Talking Shop, Blackwood and we'd love you to use it, for free! Theatre, art, dance, workshops...get in touch today to book by emailing [email protected] #EveryonesInvited

In good news we have just secured funding to finish making & testing The Talking Shop on Tour this month & next. It will be ready to tour this summer! 🌞🥳

It's time to write your own story... ✏️ In the final of a three part creative workshop series, join professional writer Tracy Harris next Tuesday to bring your own stories to life through playwriting! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-p... #everyonesinvited #blackwood #playwriting

What a super Saturday inside The Talking Shop with nearly 50 visitors old and new, young and old. Our creation station will be available throughout half-term. All ages and abilities are welcome. "It's like Blackwood's front room" - Talking Shop Visitor Open Mon-Sat 9.30-5.30

“Be careful. When a democracy is sick, fascism comes to its bedside, but it is not to inquire about its health.” Albert Camus

We're here for Independent Producers as well as organisations. 🤝 We negotiate sector-wide agreements, minimum pay rates and conditions, allowing members to focus on their creative work while ensuring fair treatment for management and creative teams.

We are finally back open & normal service has resumed. Come see us in #Blackwood at @thetalkingshop.bsky.social We have fab new exhibition in too 👇

“It’s really important to understand that we can’t have a full picture of what’s going on in the US and around the world if we stop making data available,” Gilmour says. “I don’t want to start thinking about or listing the risks if we don’t have this data, because it imperils our way of life.”

‘Airport expansion is palpably at odds with the government’s climate commitments. Its own advisers, the Climate Change Committee, have repeatedly said there should be no net expansion.’ Rebekah Diski on the blog: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/ja...

We are seeking new Trustees to join Nottingham Playhouse's Board. If you're a passionate advocate for the arts with particular expertise in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion or Finance, we'd love to hear from you! The deadline for applications is Mon 10 Feb. Apply here: bit.ly/NPJobOpp

📢 WE ARE HIRING 📢 ⁠ There’s still some time left to apply for our Director of Finance and Administration position. This role is suited to a dynamic leader with a passion for the arts who can provide strategic oversight and expert advice #ArtsJobs

Radical publishing notion, right here: if your publishers are making a living from publishing and selling your books, then you, the author, should be making a living from writing them.

A 60-seat pub theatre is to open in Cardiff promising to be a "home to fringe theatremakers" in the Welsh capital 👇#TheatreNews #TheatreSky

WE ARE RE-OPENING!!!!! WEDNESDAY 5th FEBRUARY The kettle will be on from 9.30a.m We have some lovely activities lined up including a celebration of Welsh Language music day, an introduction to philosophy, lino printing and a session led by our friends at Blackwood Miners Arts Development team.

Another truly awful decision. @cardiffuniversity.bsky.social cutting their school of music. We despair. Please sign. chng.it/mk9MPkFq2r

Dear Talking Shop Visitors We have had to unexpectedly close the shop due to an ongoing problem with the electricity provider Yu Energy. We’ll remain closed for the rest of the week whilst we switch providers and re-open ASAP. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for this inconvenience

The Talking Shops’ aim is to increase cultural & democratic participation. The more we increase any access to the arts, culture & creativity the more well-being, mental health, community cohesion increases for everyone and polarisation, isolation & loneliness decreases. #everyonesinvited

Another fantastic Lino printing session with Faye & Wales Millennium Centre🎨 We have 2 sessions left of our free lino printing workshops on Friday the 17th and 24th January. Either drop in or sign up in the shop! #everyonesinvited #oneconversationatatime #blackwood #linoprinting #thetalkingshop

Week commencing 13th January @thetalkingshop.bsky.social For the full programme please visit www.the-talking-shop.co.uk

The shop is alive with the sound of MUSIC 🎶 For Welsh Wednesdays this week, join host Rhod for a free bilingual singalong session. All abilities welcome, just bring your creativity... 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #oneconversationatatime #blackwood #everyonesinvited