Patagonia {150}

Over 150 years ago a small group of Welsh men, women and children left everything they had ever known, to create a new Wales - in order to preserve their culture, language and religion. They travelled 8000 miles away from their home - to Patagonia.

In 2015 Wales’ two national theatre companies - National Theatre Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru - teamed up for the very first time, with one of the country’s leading artists, Marc Rees, and broadcaster S4C to bring to life the story of the 150 Welsh men, women and children who settled in Patagonia in 1865, and the lives of their descendants today.

Melin Tregwynt was asked to create a fabric for the performance uniting Welsh & South American styles. Patrwm Patagonia inspired by the story of those Welsh pioneers who settled in South America 150 years ago.

The pattern is a combination of the Tehuelche (the native people of Patagonia) tradition and the Welsh doublecloth weave. Woven in 100% lambswool it came in 4 different colourways - Pobol, Paith, Camwy and Gorwel, all with a common thread of hot pink.

The pattern was used extensively throughout the National Theatre Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru production of {150} by Marc Rees in association with S4C and held in the Royal Opera House store in Aberdare from June - July 2015.

Our fabric played a key role in the costumes, lighting, soundscape and even the choreography of the performance with a dance inspired by the original peg plan and lifting pattern of the weave.

On her blog, {150} choreographer, Angharad Harrop, explained:

“Using the pattern we have developed a score for the dancers to follow. It’s an intricate step pattern that reflects the precision of the loom, the accuracy of Welsh clogging/stepping and focus and drive of the Welsh settlers who landed 150 years ago and successfully created a community that still thrives today.”

This multi-platform production, combining live performance in Wales with a specially commissioned film from Patagonia, was staged in the Royal Opera House stores near Aberdare - a vast building not normally open to the public, close to the homes of many of the original settlers.