Hafod Residency Series Talks 2026
Cassie Vaughan
The Language of Landscape

9 July 2026: 7pm
Doors open 6:30, talk at 7pm

There will be an opportunity to have a drink (Portmeirion wine is now available for a suitable donation) and look at the work before the talk.

Cassie Vaughan completed her MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 2023. She was shortlisted for the Hari Art Prize in 2025.

Cassie lives and works in London and has a studio at Thames-side Studios in Woolwich. Her work is concerned with our disconnection from the natural world and the commodification of the earth’s systems and species. Her paintings explore the psychological impact of living in a world we are changing beyond recognition. She draws upon Glenn Albrecht’s concept of solastalgia and species loneliness, a term coined by Michael Vincent McGinness to describe the isolation we feel as we distance ourselves from other species. Her work is rooted in this atmosphere of fragmentation and the potential for new growth it implies. She sees her paintings as nature based spaces that deliberately disrupt the artifice of landscape and the language we use to exploit the natural world.

This talk is part of the Hafod residency series, in collaboration with Noelle Griffiths. These talks are free to attend, and there is no need to book.

Website: cassievaughan.co.uk
Instagram:@cassie_vaughan_

Brondanw Young Artists Club
First Saturday of the month
Time: 10 - 11:30am

The club aims to give children the opportunity to try diferent materials, work with experienced artists and develop their own art practice.

The club is aimed at children aged 6 and above, older children and teenagers are very welcome, we will do our best to tailor the activities to suit the audience.

Find out more

Collage workshop with Rosie Thorne

10 October: 10am-3pm
Enjoy a day at Plas Brondanw with collage artist Rosie Thorne who will guide you through the almost childlike pleasure of 'cutting and sticking' with a bit of imagination, adventure and patience.

Materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring any colourful/ textural pages from magazines/papers that you see beforehand

It may be useful if you have some ideas/ sketches of a scene you'd like to achieve.

Medium english. This workshop is aimed at adults.

Please bring lunch, or visit the Plas Brondanw cafe, which will be open until the end of October.

Booking

Tuesday 13 October: 5-7pm

Dr Sarah Baylis
1926 and All That: Portmeirion and other experiments

Portmeirion emerged at a time when British society was being profoundly re-shaped in the aftermath of World War One. These were volatile and experimental years of rapid social and cultural shifts. What was the country like when the Hotel first opened its doors, and how did Portmeirion reflect the fast changing, modernising postwar world? Who were its early guests and what was their experience? What was Clough's vision for Portmeirion and what other cultural experiments were happening at this time?

Sarah Baylis is a freelance writer, public historian and heritage consultant living in North Wales. Her book 'Portmeirion: The Architecture of Pleasure', was published by Yale
University Press in 2026.

Booking

Tuesday 20 October: 5-7pm

Matthew Williams
‘Host to the famous'; Michael Trevor-Williams, Portmeirion's Gentleman Manager 1953-1980

This lecture explores Portmeirion's great period of change, when holidays abroad made attracting guests and visitors increasingly difficult. Michael courted film companies, celebrities of the 60s and 70s, and created new events. He also established Portmeirion's reputation for fine cuisine that continues to this day.

Matthew Williams FSA is Michael Trevor-Williams' cousin, and inherited his memories and his fascinating Portmeirion archive. He was Curator of Cardiff Castle for some 30 years, and has recently retired as an Arts Society lecturer.

Booking

Tuesday 27 October: 5-7pm

Debbie Jewson
A.A. Milne at Plas Brondanw: Winnie the Pooh at 100

A. A. Milne was working for the satirical magazine Punch in 1922, when he went on holiday to Plas Brondanw, the home of architect Clough Williams-Ellis. Milne was accompanied by the actor and friend Nigel Playfair and several others. In true Welsh style it rained non-stop, and the guests were confined to the house, all except Milne, who retired to the orangery to develop his new found talent for children’s verse.

Debbie expands on this little known history of Winnie the Pooh’s origins, and shares some highlights from her collection of Pooh books and toys.

Debbie Jewson is an author and collector based in North Wales. Her book '100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh Stuffed Toys: A Collector's Guide' has recently been published. She has appeared on TV several times in connection with her Winnie the Pooh research, and is excited to deliver this talk as part of both Portmeirion and Winnie the Pooh’s centenary celebrations.

Booking

Tuesday 3 November: 5-7pm

Wayne Colquhoun
Tyson Smith's Merman, Portmeirion, Liverpool and Me

This talk brings into perspective the long-established connection between Portmeirion and Liverpool through the association of Clough Willams-Ellis and Herbert Tyson Smith.

Wayne Colquhoun is a specialist in the restoration of historic and listed buildings. He specialises in Art Deco, Art Nouveau and the Applied Arts he also has a general knowledge with over 35 years’ experience. In 2015 he became a specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

Booking

Tuesday 10 November: 5-7pm

Elin Gruffydd
Hercules, the hero who raised the roof

This talk is inspired by its setting: Hercules’ Hall in Portmeirion. Looking at the ceiling , which depicts various stages of the Greek hero’s life, Elin will explore different threads of the myth, from its origins to the famous Twelve Labours. The talk will consider themes of masculinity, social expectations and identity, and examine what it meant to be a hero in ancient Greece and beyond.

Elin Gruffydd is a film photographer from Pen Llŷn who has recently completed a BA and MA degree in Classical Studies through the Open University. In May 2025, she launched her first book: Sweet Melancholy. An odyssey from Enlli to Hydra, trwy lanw, trai a chwedlau, published

Booking

Tuesday 17 November: 5-7pm

Meurig Jones
The Creative and Celebrity Attraction of Portmeirion

Since the beginning, Portmeirion has always attracted creative visionaries, who would be inspired by Sir Clough’s vision and wonderful sense of humour. For many, his ‘working with nature‘ ethos was enthralling. The talk will discuss Portmeirion’s many roles in film, television, and music. The stories will include Danger Man, The Prisoner, and The Beatles.

Meurig Jones is Portmeirion’s Locations Manager and has worked in the Village since 2004. That so many of Meurig’s heroes were inspired by Clough’s vision and then The Prisoner, has been inspiring him to collect the creative and celebrity stories of famous people’s time here, be they at work… rest… or play.

Booking