8 December

Swansea gets first ever artist-in-residence

The two centuries-old Canal is this month welcoming its first ever artist-in- residence.

The Arts Council of Wales, Addo and Glandŵr Cymru - the Canal & River Trust in Wales - are pleased to announce the appointment of Cheon Pyo Lee, who will take up the six- month position starting this month.

The role aims to celebrate both the heritage and historical significance of the canal, which dates back to the late 1700s, as well its current relevance to local communities and contemporary Welsh culture.

Cheon Pyo Lee was born in Korea but grew up in Paraguay, and currently lives and works in New York. He has an MFA from the School of Art, Yale University having gained a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. He has an international practice that encompasses exhibitions, awards and residencies, including the Queens Museum, New York and Atelier Mondial Studio Residency in Switzerland.

The residency will be based at a workspace in Hafod, in the Tawe Valley, allowing Cheon the opportunity to produce work inspired by the local community and surroundings of the canal.

This is the fourth artist in residence on Wales’ waterways – following the appointment of Alan Goulbourne (Monmouthshire & Canal), Mair Hughes () and Andrew Dodds (North Wales). The programme is run in partnership between Addo, Glandŵr Cymru and the Arts Council of Wales to explore how contemporary arts can play a new role in conserving, animating and re-interpreting the waterways in Wales.

Tim Eastop, executive producer of Glandŵr Cymru’s Arts on the Waterways programme, said: “We’re delighted Cheon has been appointed and we’re looking forward to seeing what he produces. He’ll be the first ever artist-in-residence for the Swansea Canal, it’s a coup for us to have him working in Wales. It’ll be great for him to get started and really involved with the community to explore and animate the canal. Wales’ have such a rich history, and links to local industry and culture. They are arguably never more relevant than in today’s society, offering a space to escape, slow down and consider the world in a

Canal & River Trust T 0203 204 4514 E [email protected] W www.canalrivertrust.org.uk Twitter @CanalRiverTrust Patron: H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. Canal & River Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with company number 7807276 and registered charity number 1146792, registered office address: First Floor North, Station House, 500 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1BB

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different way.”

Cheon added ‘I am excited to be the first resident Artist on the Swansea Canal. I look forward to learning from this historically rich site and also experiment with new approaches towards art making. Generous support from the sponsors will allow me time and space to enjoy and contemplate the beautiful scenery of Wales and also provide an opportunity to develop new projects that would involve the local community.’

Tracy Simpson from Addo said ‘We are very much looking forward to working Cheon on the project. He will bring an international perspective to the artist in residency programme, which we and are partners are excited to be part of.’

Originally opened in 1796 and 16 miles long, currently just five miles of the Swansea Canal are fully navigable, from to and from Pontardawe to Ynusmeudwy. However, it remains a well-used, green and pleasant walking and cycling route, nestled at the bottom of the steep-sided . The Swansea Canal Society was formed in 1981, and currently hires canoes at Clydach as well as playing a huge role in maintaining the navigable canal and working towards restoration of the remaining sections, with the support of Glandŵr Cymru. For more information visit https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/swansea-canal

For more information about Arts on the Waterways visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy- the-waterways/waterway-arts

Ends

Notes to editors

For more media information please contact [email protected] 020 3204 4410

The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales, caring for the nation’s third largest collection of listed structures, as well as museums, archives, and hundreds of important wildlife sites. We believe that living waterways transform places and enrich lives and our role is to make sure there is always a place on your doorstep where you can escape the pressures of everyday life, stretch your legs and simply feel closer to nature.

The Arts on the Waterways programme was initiated by the Trust in 2012 in partnership with Arts Council England, and more recently with strategic support from the Arts Council of Wales. We work with talented artists and leading arts institutions which are based near waterways to inspire more people to experience and appreciate our waterways www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/waterway-arts

About Addo: Addo is a not-for-profit arts organisation that develops, curates and manages projects in the public realm. Founded in by Co-Directors Sarah Pace and Tracy Simpson in 2011. Tracy Simpson, Co-Director of Addo will leads the curation and management of the arts programme for the project. Tracy runs the Addo North office in Wrexham and is leading on Artist Residencies with Glandwr Cymru, the canal and river

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trust in Wales, CADW and the Arts Council of Wales as well as public art residency and consultancies and a series of collaborative projects with Glyndwr University in Wrexham.