0:00:05 > 0:00:08Tonight we celebrate the work of artists and performers,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12musicians and actors in Wales and beyond
0:00:12 > 0:00:18and the special contribution they've made to the vibrant arts and entertainment scene in 2011.
0:00:19 > 0:00:25Actor Michael Sheen shares his memories of this year's theatrical spectacle, The Passion.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29A truly meaningful event for me and probably something that will
0:00:29 > 0:00:32never be surpassed really for me in my life, I don't think.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38A dramatic change to the architectural landscape of our capital city.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41So far I haven't come across a taxi driver who doesn't love it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And a prize-winning author sets her sights high.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You couldn't put up with bad writing if you had that looking at you.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50He'll be a spur.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01An Easter weekend of warm sunshine brought thousands
0:01:01 > 0:01:05to the streets of Port Talbot to witness what one London critic
0:01:05 > 0:01:09called "the outstanding theatrical event of the decade".
0:01:09 > 0:01:11The Passion starred the town's Michael Sheen
0:01:11 > 0:01:14in a modern day retelling of Christ's crucifixion.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18- Look at me.- More than a thousand people were cast from the community
0:01:18 > 0:01:21to join the professional actors
0:01:21 > 0:01:25and the entire 72 hours was streamed online to reach a global audience.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I see you.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30It absolutely was Michael Sheen's vision.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32He had a clear sense of what it should be.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33He put his heart and his soul
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and every ounce of his immense intelligence
0:01:36 > 0:01:38in it and it showed.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Yesterday we were many.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Today we are one.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50The Passion absolutely deserved every one of its five stars
0:01:50 > 0:01:55and I certainly don't give five stars away lightly.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01This was a show that was on an absolutely epic scale
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and yet it had a extraordinary intimacy about it as well.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So there are times when you were aware that you were amongst
0:02:10 > 0:02:13an audience of 10,000 people
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and yet it felt as though the show was being delivered just for you.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22You have been charged with leading an ideological revolt against
0:02:22 > 0:02:27the Council and the Company and of planning insurrectionist activities.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- Is this true?- If you say it is.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Make an example of him, he's yours.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It was amazing to see the numbers of people for a start,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41but also to be walking through my town, the streets that I'd walked along all my life
0:02:41 > 0:02:45and seeing people I knew around me
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and seeing such a strong sense of community there.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55It allowed for spontaneous acts, too, and that was what was so wonderful about it.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It was really like sort of, I don't know, quite choking.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It was really quite emotional really.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07You felt like you were in the middle of a historic moment.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It was extraordinary.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12The most overwhelming thing we couldn't have predicted
0:03:12 > 0:03:18was how much the people of that town were going to bring to that event.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20They made it historic.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22The barriers or boundaries that are there
0:03:22 > 0:03:26between audience and performers and between what has been rehearsed
0:03:26 > 0:03:31and what is spontaneous, all fell away and something very special happened.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36I think that modern theatre is changing
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and I think one of the things that The Passion
0:03:40 > 0:03:44completely tapped into was the idea that audiences are very hungry
0:03:44 > 0:03:50for theatre that is made with them rather than simply made for them.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54I think one of the things National Theatre Wales
0:03:54 > 0:03:56has been very successful about doing
0:03:56 > 0:04:03is creating a community around theatre and around theatre events.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- His great speech at the end was "I remember". - I remember this place.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11After everything he remembered and this roar from the crowd of recognition.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Absolutely extraordinary.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I remember The Carlton and Pharaohs and Wall Street.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24I remember donkey rides on the beach.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35I can't imagine that anything could ever surpass that for me.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So it will certainly be, you know, the peak experience of my career
0:04:38 > 0:04:43and certainly one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50National Theatre Wales continues a strong programme.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We had a very noisy arrival into the world
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and we've produced a lot of work.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56We've produced 15 shows,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58which for most theatres
0:04:58 > 0:05:02who do three, four shows a year that's six years' work, and we've done it in a year and a half.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The latest was a two-month tour across Wales
0:05:07 > 0:05:10of the theatre's first musical - The Village Social.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14We always said right at the beginning, what we want is
0:05:14 > 0:05:17for the people of Wales to feel ownership over this company.
0:05:17 > 0:05:18- Hello.- Hello.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22It's about making work that really resonates for people
0:05:22 > 0:05:25that they feel a connection to, they feel inspired to go,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28that will transform their experience of where they live,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32of how they think about themselves and how they relate to this nation.
0:05:32 > 0:05:40# Tear you all apart... #
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Welsh artists and photographers continued to be inspired
0:05:47 > 0:05:51by the landscape around them in 2011.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Swansea Valley-based Paul Emmanuel picked up
0:05:53 > 0:05:57the Welsh Artist of the Year award for his fleece paintings,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00while keen amateur photographer Emma Shepherd
0:06:00 > 0:06:04scooped the top spot in this year's Photomarathon,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07a 12-hour challenge on the streets of Cardiff.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Got a camera for my 30th birthday about five years ago
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and I did a few courses, got really into it.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23I'd seen the Photomarathon before and I really thought
0:06:23 > 0:06:27it would be a good creative challenge so decided to give it a go.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30399 other entrants thought the same.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35You have 12 hours and you have to take 12 photographs on 12 given topics.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37You start at ten o'clock in the morning.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Go to the Millennium Centre and pick up your first four topics.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Go off and take them.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46You go back at two and pick up four more, and at six and pick up four more.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50That's the killer, cos you're really tired by six o'clock.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I had to look after my kids for a lot of those hours
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so I thought I may as well get them involved in the photos
0:07:07 > 0:07:11so I got them doing all kinds of things for ice cream
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and sweets and other things they don't normally have!
0:07:17 > 0:07:21With memory cards handed in, Emma faced a six-week wait
0:07:21 > 0:07:24until her winning entries were confirmed.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Yeah, really proud. Yeah, I was really pleased.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Very shocked, couldn't quite believe it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32I thought it was a joke.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35But yeah, it's really given me confidence
0:07:35 > 0:07:38to go off and do some more challenging photography.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42And the winner's prize? A brand new camera, of course.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I'd like to compete again next year, don't know if I'll get anywhere
0:07:46 > 0:07:50but I'd like to do it just for the challenge and it's a really enjoyable day.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The rural landscape of the Swansea Valley inspired Paul Emmanuel this year.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The idea for working with the wool primarily came
0:08:05 > 0:08:08from walking the dogs around the hills,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and looking at bits of fleece that had been caught in brambles
0:08:12 > 0:08:15or in fences which still maybe had
0:08:15 > 0:08:17a bit of sheep marker on.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22So I started thinking about colour and mark making in this landscape
0:08:22 > 0:08:24which is only sheep.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27So I started collecting bits and pieces
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and it was, "This is nuts, there's just not enough of it."
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I was talking to a barmaid in the local and she said,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38"My gran's got a sackful up at the farm and she's going to burn it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42"Do you want it?" It's like, "Great, I can try something now properly."
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And I started working with it
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and first couple of things worked beautifully.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It really felt at that moment
0:08:51 > 0:08:55that this is a form that I'd been looking for a long time.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00This fleece, Penrhiwllwythau, took the title and the £2,000 prize
0:09:00 > 0:09:03with Paul describing his work as "hairdos for sheep"!
0:09:04 > 0:09:08I start off with the raw fleece and then work in an oil pigment
0:09:08 > 0:09:12instead of the sheep marker into its surface.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16And then to really make a difference between the one and the other,
0:09:16 > 0:09:22I comb the fleece out and use human hair-care products
0:09:22 > 0:09:28like hair gels, hair lacquers, things like that to give them their form.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33I've had so much support, really, for what I've been doing.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38It's really offered me further avenues to explore, really,
0:09:38 > 0:09:44and more opportunities for the work so it's been great.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Everything about the experience was fantastic.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Still making a noise in the visual arts world,
0:09:54 > 0:09:55sculptor David Nash.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58His remarkable pieces are now sold worldwide
0:09:58 > 0:10:02but are inspired by the landscape around Blaenau Ffestiniog
0:10:02 > 0:10:04where he made his home 40 years ago.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The best thing that I did
0:10:06 > 0:10:10was to stay here. I think for a lot of sculptors, place,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14location of where they are, is very important. It runs deep.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19And particularly with Blaenau, which is like an enormous sculpture.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23These beautiful diagonal lines have just found themselves
0:10:23 > 0:10:28out of millions of loose pieces which have just been, in a way,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33just tumbled down, thrown away but ended up with a very precise geometric form.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Nash's work in wood was the subject of a major exhibition
0:10:37 > 0:10:41at the Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno this autumn.
0:10:41 > 0:10:47Entitled, Red, Black, Other it was the first of its kind in over two decades.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I've always been aware of possibilities.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52They just wink at me.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53All over the place.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And if I'm alert to them I can catch them.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Challenging budgets aside, Welsh film-makers still managed
0:11:09 > 0:11:13to bring rich and compelling stories to the silver screen this year,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and once again the stunning scenery of Wales provided the backdrop.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- RADIO:- 'The German invasion continues to advance north and west.'
0:11:24 > 0:11:26My name is Captain Wolfram.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29We have established an observation post in this valley.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Resistance is an adaptation of a novel by Welsh author Owen Sheers.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Released last month, it imagines the lives of a rural Welsh community
0:11:37 > 0:11:40living under German occupation.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42GUNSHOT
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Set in Swansea, Submarine tells the story
0:11:48 > 0:11:51of an adolescent boy looking for love.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Also based on a novel by Welsh author Joe Dunthorne,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58it was lead actor Craig Roberts's first feature film.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01To us and a wonderful evening of lovemaking.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- What? Now?- Yeah.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09You're a serial killer.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Patagonia is Cardiff-born director Marc Evans's eighth feature
0:12:15 > 0:12:20and tells the parallel stories of road trips taken in Wales and Argentina.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Released this March, the film saw an acting debut
0:12:24 > 0:12:29for singer-songwriter Duffy, who also performed some of the soundtrack.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's on the long list as the British entry
0:12:31 > 0:12:34for Best Foreign Language Film at next year's Oscars.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45The BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World competition is now recognised
0:12:45 > 0:12:49across the globe as a magnet for the very best in young operatic talent.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54This June, the capital city welcomed 20 shortlisted competitors
0:12:54 > 0:12:58from all four corners, each vying for the coveted title
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and the £15,000 top prize.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03SHE SINGS A HIGH NOTE
0:13:06 > 0:13:10You think of the talent that's been given a platform at Cardiff Singer.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13You think of Bryn Terfel, you think of Dmitri Hvorostovsky,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Karita Mattila who was the very first winner.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20You see them now when you're looking on programmes of opera houses,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23at the Met in New York and Convent Garden.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26That says a lot about Wales about where we put our singers
0:13:26 > 0:13:29at the centre of our culture.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35Four preliminary concerts whittled the singers to a short list of five.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Each required to sing with full orchestral accompaniment.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42# I am the wife of Mao Tse Tung... #
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I got very excited by the performance of Hye Jung Lee,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50the Korean soprano who sang the amazing aria,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I Am The Wife Of Mao Tse Tung, from Nixon In China by John Adams.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56When she just stood there with this little red book
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and this sort of Chinese Communism or this sermon.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It was so, such a fine performance.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09# Oh, a-a-a-a-a-a-a. #
0:14:12 > 0:14:16But the host nation can't claim an advantage
0:14:16 > 0:14:19in this prestigious global competition.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I always feel hugely sorry for the Welsh competitor
0:14:22 > 0:14:24because we've never had a winner.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28We've even had Bryn Terfel in there and he was pipped to it Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32But John Pierce, one of the nicest men you'll ever meet
0:14:32 > 0:14:34with a beautiful light tenor voice,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38he didn't get past his round but did Wales proud.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43As well as the main prize, the competition offers
0:14:43 > 0:14:47an audience prize and a song prize for best Lieder or art song.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52For me, the voice of the week was the American soprano Leah Crocetto.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55She started out as a cabaret singer and discovered these upper notes.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Interestingly, in the wrap party there was a karaoke machine
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and Leah Crocetto just got on there and belting out these show tunes.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08She was equally amazing doing that as she was singing opera.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14In this most partisan of musical events, the audience, viewers
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and even the TV presenter pick their favourites.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I was convinced that Andrei Bondarenko from the Ukraine,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23the baritone, was going to win.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Because I think that's a name, it's difficult to say
0:15:26 > 0:15:29but I think we'll all be having to learn how to say it
0:15:29 > 0:15:32in a couple of years' time because he's really one to watch.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:15:41 > 0:15:46Valentina Nafornita who won, glorious soprano, very young.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50There's huge potential there and she looks like Miss World or something,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52she's beautiful.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56# Longtemps encore
0:15:56 > 0:16:03# Encore! #
0:16:06 > 0:16:07APPLAUSE
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Ten years ago, author John Harrison took a gamble.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18He packed in his job as a town planner for the council
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and went travelling in South America.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24A decade later, that gamble paid off
0:16:24 > 0:16:27when he was awarded the Welsh Book of the Year prize
0:16:27 > 0:16:31for Cloud Road, his account of his five-month adventure in the High Andes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Ned Thomas scooped the same prize in the Welsh language category
0:16:36 > 0:16:42for Bydoedd - Cofiant Cyfnod, his autobiography, entitled Planets - Memoirs of a Time.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45One of the literary world's most prestigious prizes
0:16:45 > 0:16:50is awarded annually in Wales to a published author aged under 30.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54In a ceremony at Swansea's National Waterfront Museum last month,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00Belfast-born Lucy Caldwell scooped the £30,000 Dylan Thomas Prize.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Amazing.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09When they made the announcement, I think my heart was in my mouth.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I was pretty inarticulate I think for the first couple of minutes.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16It's extraordinary the talent we see considering they're young writers.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19But a lot of them aren't first time writers.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22They might be young but they're experienced writers in their field.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And they represent a kind of global writing community
0:17:26 > 0:17:31that's very exciting, post-modern in a way, that's looking at issues
0:17:31 > 0:17:34but through the eyes of various communities and individuals.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39I think that can actually have an effect on writing from Wales.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43We can learn from these extremely talented young writers from around the globe.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I'm thinking he's going to go on my desk.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49But I might have to turn him away.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51He's got quite an intense stare!
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I think you couldn't put up with bad writing
0:17:53 > 0:17:56if you had that looking at you. He'll be a spur.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01One of this year's judges, Rachel Trezise, was spurred to keep writing
0:18:01 > 0:18:05after winning the inaugural Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006
0:18:05 > 0:18:08for Fresh Apples, a collection of short stories.
0:18:08 > 0:18:14Rachel's writing is influenced by the characters in her home town, Treorchy.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18I was 28 when I won the prize. I was carrying a lot of student debt
0:18:18 > 0:18:20so it meant I didn't have to go back to work.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I was working in a seatbelt factory at the time
0:18:22 > 0:18:24as a Sales and Purchase Ledger.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26So I didn't have to go back to the factory.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I could just spend two or three years just writing,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32which was fantastic for a young author.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35The prize brought a lot of pressure.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40As well as a lot of praise and accolade I had to live up to it.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I felt I had to live up to the judges decision,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45prove myself worthy.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49A lot of the pressure came from me but also around me with my contemporaries as well.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I had to prove myself.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Sixteen Shades of Crazy, Rachel's third novel,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59was published in paperback this January.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07My writing tends to be kitchen sink drama, I suppose.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Run of the mill daily life of people in the Rhondda Valley.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's not very high on drama but it's high on character
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and character's reactions to certain things I suppose
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and testimony to the strength of people who live in places
0:19:20 > 0:19:23like the Rhondda Valley where poverty is a big problem.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28"Ellie held her bag, fiddling with the knot. The plastic slippery with perspiration.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32"Nowadays street dealers were only concerned with their profits.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36"There was no time for presentation. Nobody used paper wraps any more.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38"She pushed her fingertip into the powder.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41"Kept it there for as long as it was polite, maybe longer
0:19:41 > 0:19:45"and smeared it over her taste buds absorbing the sweet, glucosic tang."
0:19:45 > 0:19:48" 'What do they call this in America?' she said
0:19:48 > 0:19:50"cheeks already tingling with anticipation."
0:19:52 > 0:19:56I think that writing has moved on a lot for young people.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I suppose young writers tend to write their own lives.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04They're thinly veiled autobiographies
0:20:04 > 0:20:10or things they know or places which they grew up as my book was.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I think young writers are moving a lot faster now
0:20:12 > 0:20:16and picking up international stories I suppose from the media
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and putting their own interpretation and slant on them.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Anyone travelling into the city centre from the north of Cardiff
0:20:26 > 0:20:31will have noticed a transformation in its architectural landscape this year.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
0:20:34 > 0:20:37has completed its £22.5 million redevelopment
0:20:37 > 0:20:42and now boasts a brand new recital hall and theatre,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46rehearsal spaces and public areas for students and visitors alike.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54It was possible before we had this building to walk past the college
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and not notice that you'd done so.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58You can't do that now. You can't ignore it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00We're very proud of the building.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We're very proud of being a national conservatoire
0:21:03 > 0:21:07and just having our name on the door is a big difference.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09For the architects, the re-design had to work
0:21:09 > 0:21:11with the pre-existing college building
0:21:11 > 0:21:14that had to stay open for students throughout.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18The starting point was to design the inside of the concert hall,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20the inside of the theatre.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23The reason for that was to, for the concert hall specifically,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26to get the best possible acoustic that we could.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28To get an acoustic that was excellent
0:21:28 > 0:21:32for all of the different types of repertoire the college perform here
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and public artists will perform here.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37CHORAL SINGING
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We knew that if we didn't get a perfect acoustic,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46for many artists, the building would have failed
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and to build the first purpose built chamber recital hall in Wales,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53there was a huge responsibility on us to get that right.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55We're thrilled with the acoustic.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Many artists who have come and performed here
0:21:59 > 0:22:04in the first few months who've said it's probably the best acoustic they've played in.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07So Wales has got something incredibly special here
0:22:07 > 0:22:08and we really cherish that.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22It's completely transformed our whole life and everything we do.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26There was an amazing moment,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29the first time that the students walked into the building.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Having lived on a building site for two years, there was this extraordinary moment
0:22:34 > 0:22:38when you could see students walking in and thinking, "This is for us."
0:22:38 > 0:22:41But it's also a building other people can come into.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44We run children's courses, summer schools.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48We've developed all sorts of community programmes
0:22:48 > 0:22:52that the general public can come in, of any age, and take part in.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54In our first three weeks of opening
0:22:54 > 0:22:5710,000 people came through the doors.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01That was exactly what we wanted the building to do for us.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06It just feels as if it's been here for a long time
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and it feels perfect for this location.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11My test is taxi drivers
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and I haven't come across a taxi driver who doesn't love it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Barely a mile away, the Sherman Cymru Theatre Company
0:23:22 > 0:23:25will move back into its new space early next year
0:23:25 > 0:23:28after an 18 month, £6.5 million re-development.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Even though we've been away from the building
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I think it's been a really good experience for the company.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It's been a chance to work outside, different spaces in the city.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We've collaborated with different companies
0:23:40 > 0:23:42we wouldn't have worked with before.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So, it's been a real artistic and production challenge.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47You sort of get used to working in a building
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and what the building can offer so being out of it has been
0:23:50 > 0:23:54part of the richness of making this whole project happen.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57With a reputation for encouraging new writing,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01the theatre will open with a new front of house and rehearsal space.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The theatre's got to be designed to be engaging, to be attractive,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06to draw people in.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Part of that process is thinking in terms of
0:24:09 > 0:24:11how do you create a showpiece.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16But you've got to be thinking about practical requirements of the theatre company.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19How do you make sure they can use the building
0:24:19 > 0:24:21in a way they haven't been able to use it before.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30The doors will open in early February with a new production
0:24:30 > 0:24:32by Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru called Sgint.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36There's a bit of nail biting but it's under control.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41I've got nail clippers rather than getting them too near the mouth!
0:24:47 > 0:24:51The Welsh Music scene has remained as vibrant as ever this year
0:24:51 > 0:24:55with some of our biggest names continuing to make an impact.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59BBC Radio Wales DJ Bethan Elfyn delivers her verdict.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04I think there's a few names that really stand out
0:25:04 > 0:25:07in terms of making a mark on the year.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10One of my favourite bands, Manic Street Preachers,
0:25:10 > 0:25:11have been all over it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Here in Blackwood, it is the Manic Street Preachers!
0:25:16 > 0:25:18One, two, three!
0:25:18 > 0:25:20# But you
0:25:20 > 0:25:24# You stole the sun from my heart... #
0:25:24 > 0:25:27What attracted me to the band was just how different they were
0:25:27 > 0:25:31and how many statements they had about life to live it to the full
0:25:31 > 0:25:36and which had a real resonance across Wales when I was growing up and it still does.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38The message is still really important from them.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41For me, the small gigs are the really scary ones.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46It's much easier to play the bliss of euphoria of mass communication
0:25:46 > 0:25:49in something like the Millennium or wherever where we've done that.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55It's much less nerve-wracking than seeing 200 extremely hardcore fans in front of you.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01# A design for life
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- AUDIENCE:- # A design for life... #
0:26:03 > 0:26:07We've seen so many huge bands reunite in the past few years
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and the Manics have always said "we never went away,
0:26:10 > 0:26:15"we kept making albums and we want to celebrate everything we've achieved."
0:26:19 > 0:26:21The Welsh Music Award,
0:26:21 > 0:26:26the first one this year, saw a panel of judges, myself included,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28having to pick from 12 albums.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31There's something so focused
0:26:31 > 0:26:37and really simple about this idea that celebrates just new releases.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41The winner this year was Gruff Rhys who I think was well deserved
0:26:41 > 0:26:45because he's come up with such a beautiful album.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's his third solo album, Hotel Shampoo.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52# I hear footsteps coming from the end of the lift... #
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It was a huge surprise to win the award.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I was really happy to be nominated.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00There's loads of really good records on that list.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It's really nice to hear bands that are established
0:27:03 > 0:27:07like the Manic Street Preachers and Funeral for a Friend
0:27:07 > 0:27:11mentioned in the same sentence as people like Gareth Bonello, Y Niwl.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I thought it was a really strong list
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and it just shows there is space for an award like this.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26Hopefully they'll make people aware of the great records that are coming out of Wales.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Tipping people for 2012 greatness is always very difficult
0:27:31 > 0:27:35because you always feel like you've put so much pressure on somebody.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Just a personal favourite of mine, Cate Le Bon,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43has been touring the States and she's just going from strength to strength.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Gruff Rhys released her album last year
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and hopefully we'll see some new material from her.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And also Jodie Marie has made a bit of a name for herself in 2011.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Been touring with Will Young.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Signed to a major record label
0:27:57 > 0:28:00so I think we'll see more from Jodie Marie.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02# As we're walking home together... #
0:28:02 > 0:28:06'I couldn't possibly tell you what the themes will be next year.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08But I imagine we'll see more reunions.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Let's hope there might be a Super Furries
0:28:10 > 0:28:13or a Gorky Zygotic Mynci reunion in there.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Well, that's just about it for our look back at 2011
0:28:19 > 0:28:22but there is so much more to look forward to next year.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26The Artes Mundi competition will bring cutting edge visual artists
0:28:26 > 0:28:29from around the world to exhibit here in Wales.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And the Cultural Olympiad aims to offer a lasting legacy
0:28:32 > 0:28:36for the arts here as part of London 2012.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39But for now, have a very happy New Year. Goodbye.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk