A FREE Kite festival to mark the summer solstice is being held today (21st June) at The Knap, Barry
Members of the public are encouraged to arrive at 5.30pm for ‘Beyond the Clouds’ – an evening of kites, art and fun for all ages.
The event is being organised by Art4u, a nonprofit organisation that aims to share art with the community. Founder Glyn Pooley said: “I’ve been running this kite flying event for 13 years, and it has really picked up over the last few years.
“It started off with maybe 30 or 40 people, but in recent years as many as 150 to 200 have turned up, and the way it’s grown has been extraordinary,” he said.
Professional kitesman Wayne Kiteman (which Glyn says is his real name) from Perth, Australia, will be flying and sharing the beauty of his specialist kites. Glyn said: “He brings some really beautiful, large kites.
“Some are 50 or 80ft long, and the crowd are wowed by it because it’s an amazing sight. It’s something very special to witness.”
People are encouraged to make their own kites to bring along, and Wayne will award a special prize kite for the most exciting and creative on show.
Organisers have also teamed up with the ‘Kites for Peace’ project from Harare, Zimbabwe, whose shared aim is to inspire inner peace through the simple act of kite flying. Glyn explains how the collaboration came about: “There’s a lady called Soraya who set it up right in the centre of Harare amid all the political unrest that they’ve gone through.
“Soraya says it really brings people together and the poorest people in the community make kites out of recycled bits of plastic and anything they can find, which gives young people in particular a real focus and a meaning.
“She travels all over the world with them. There’s an event in the Philippines and one in India, so we’ve made connections with them as well, and when we do it, we send her photographs and videos, which she shares with the youngsters over there.
“The collaboration with our friends in Zimbabwe reminds us that when times are difficult, it helps to come together, be absorbed in nature to help us reset and deal with the situation we are in,” he said.
Glyn is encouraging long-time supporters of the event and newcomers to gather at The Knap today: “It’s a wonderful location to be doing something like this. There will be a spectacular display in the sky, and they’ll experience something simple and creative that brings people together,” he said.
One of the elements Glyn most enjoys is the way in which the annual event appeals to different generations: “The way people of all ages interact with each other is lovely to witness, and it’s funny because we see the adults helping the children put their kites together, but you end up with the adults wanting to fly the kites!”
The event is free to attend, but there will be an opportunity to make a voluntary donation to Art4u.
By MARCUS STEAD
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