This week on Pain in the Arts: 
We’ve had the busiest eight days in Welsh arts we’ve ever experienced — from ballet to Banksy, from London summits to Roath Gallery Weekend, from Choir of Man to a 10‑year photography project that floored us.

Chris heads to London for the Business of the Arts Summit, Jak speaks at Cardiff University, we hit six galleries in one day, and we still find time to celebrate a birthday and review multiple shows.

We also answer your listener questions, including:
• What are the next steps after leaving creative education?
• Should you start an arts Instagram for free tickets?
• How do you pick a creative hobby without fear of being “bad” at it?

It’s a big one. Grab a cuppa.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak dive into one of the funniest, busiest and most chaotic weeks the Welsh arts scene has thrown at them yet.

They head to Cabaret Cardiff for Dyke Systems Ltd, the debut production from new theatre company Fagpacket — a razor‑sharp MLM‑themed comedy that turns out to be one of the best shows they’ve ever seen at Cabaret. From perfect timing to unhinged characters, the pair break down why this grassroots production deserves national attention.

Jak also reviews Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (“The Trocs”), a gloriously camp, technically brilliant ballet performed entirely by male dancers in traditionally female roles. Meanwhile, Roath prepares for Roath Gallery Weekend, with more than a dozen independent galleries opening their doors for a three‑day celebration of local art.

The pair also look ahead to Cherry Vine at Cabaret, the Arts Professional Summit in London, and a packed month of creative events.

This week’s listener questions explore:
• What’s the easiest art form to start as a hobby — especially if you’re scared you’ll be bad at it? 
• If you start an arts Instagram page, will theatres automatically give you free tickets? (Spoiler: absolutely not.)

Warm, witty and full of sector insight, this episode celebrates the joy of grassroots creativity — and the reality of navigating Wales’ arts ecosystem.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak dive into a brilliantly chaotic mix of insurance fraud stories, unstable art exhibitions, election‑day energy, and the newly released Rainbow Wales book. From bank‑holiday burnout to the realities of reviewing theatre, the pair explore the pressures, politics and pleasures of working in the Welsh arts sector.

They discuss the expectations placed on reviewers, the rise of content‑creator demands in theatre marketing, and the awkward truth that some venues only want positive reviews. There’s also a look ahead to Double Indemnity at the New Theatre, the Unstable Arts exhibition preview, and Chris’ upcoming hosting of the Rainbow Wales book talk with Emily Garside.

This week’s listener questions ask:
• If you could be immortalised in any art form, what would it be? 
• Should you delay becoming a full‑time artist because of the Senedd election?

Warm, witty and full of sector insight, this episode blends humour with honesty — and captures the creative pulse of Wales right now.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into a gloriously chaotic mix of musical parody, Cold War theatre, Welsh film premieres, and the big question of how future generations will remember the art we’re making today.

Jack heads to Friends: The Musical Parody with his family — a show that takes affectionate aim at the iconic sitcom — while Chris endures a flatter‑than‑expected production of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Meanwhile, Cabaret Cardiff continues its reign as the city’s most eclectic arts hub, hosting everything from jazz to burlesque to magic.

The pair also attend the Madfabulous film premiere with the Iris Prize, celebrate Welsh storytelling on the big screen, and explore the stunning Swansea Grand Theatre.

This week’s listener questions tackle two big topics:
• Where is all the funding — and are there hidden pots creatives don’t know about? 
• How will our current era of art be remembered by future generations?

Warm, witty and full of sector insight, this episode captures the pulse of Welsh arts right now.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak dive into circus chaos, community celebrations, new tattoos, and the surprisingly dangerous temptation of food in paintings. They also tackle two big sector questions: Should you sack a bad member of staff in a tiny gallery? and Does Wales really need another training school?

The episode opens with a deep dive into the heated debate around Arts Council Wales funding for Michael Sheen’s new theatre company — exploring the fears, the facts, and the potential impact on Wales’ creative ecosystem. From there, the pair head to NoFit State’s Carnation in Barry, discuss the Bro Radio Community Awards, and share their latest tattoo adventure.

Warm, witty and full of sharp cultural insight, this episode blends humour with hard truths about the realities of running creative spaces in Wales.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into community‑driven exhibitions, chaotic but charming audiences, and the ongoing frustrations around arts funding in Wales. From a powerful, people‑focused exhibition at the University of South Wales to a run of eclectic nights at Cabaret, the pair explore how creativity continues to bring communities together — even as funding structures crumble around them.

They also tackle two big questions:

• Are we drifting back toward elitism in the arts? 
• How do you refresh a creative business after 20+ years?

Expect sharp insights, warm humour, and a candid look at how the arts sector is shifting — from who gets to make art, to who gets to access it, to how creatives can keep their work alive in a changing world.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak return from a chaotic Easter half‑term with stories of immersive art, botanical obsessions, and a surprising amount of existential reflection. From Wake the Tiger in Bristol — a sprawling, surreal, immersive art labyrinth — to a beautiful cyanotype exhibition in Cardiff, the pair explore how creativity can be playful, tactile, and deeply nostalgic.

They also dive into the growing trend of “friction maxing” — the Gen Z/Gen Alpha movement bringing analogue creativity back into fashion, from film photography to darkroom experiments. And yes, Jack is already planning to turn the studio into one.

This week’s listener questions spark two big discussions:

• Why do trusts and charities succeed where councils fail? 
• How do you get a book published in Wales?

Expect honesty, humour, and a lot of practical insight into how Welsh arts spaces survive, adapt, and sometimes collapse — and what communities can do about it.

Support the show

This Bank Holiday bonus episode of Pain in the Arts is a rapid‑fire Q&A special, answering as many listener questions as Chris and Jak can squeeze into one chaotic, caffeinated session. With over 300 questions submitted, the pair tackle everything from falling audience spending and festival safety laws to Welsh language accessibility, pottery sales, and how to get kids off iPads and into creativity.

Expect quick answers, big opinions, practical advice, and plenty of laughter as they cover:

• How venues can boost sales in a cost‑of‑living crisis
• What Martin’s Law means for festivals and events
• Where to actually find local authority funding
• How to educate audiences without lecturing them
• Getting children engaged in the arts
• Whether Welsh language theatre leaves people out
• Where to find traditional art in Wales
• How potters can sell work beyond Etsy
…and much more.

It’s fast, fun, and full of genuinely useful insights for creatives, venues, parents, and anyone navigating the Welsh arts scene.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into one of their most varied weeks yet — from contemporary exhibitions and live TV recordings to grassroots awards, cosy crime theatre, and big cultural questions about Welsh identity.

They explore Kelsey Cruz-Martin’s mixed‑media exhibition at G39, celebrate the launch of Wales’ first music talk show, and reflect on the wonderfully chaotic but heart‑warming Get the Chance Awards. There’s also a surprisingly joyful review of Midsomer Murders on stage — a show they expected to tolerate but ended up loving.

This week’s listener questions spark two deep conversations:
• How do we preserve Welsh culture in a rapidly changing Wales? 
• Whose job is it to market an exhibition — the artist or the venue?

Expect humour, honesty, and a lot of practical advice for creatives navigating the sector.

Support the show

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into a whirlwind of Welsh theatre triumphs, queer comedy chaos, and a standout night at Newport Riverfront — all while tackling two big questions creatives across Wales keep asking.

They unpack the brilliance of My Mixed Up Tape by Katie Payne, a production they describe as Welsh theatre history in the making. From there, it’s off to Cabaret for Gagged, a riotous queer comedy night featuring Lee Peart, Kate Cheka, Jane Edwards and Alex Mitchell. Add in a cultural celebration in Abergavenny, a stack of new Welsh books, and the early planning stages of TEDx Bute Street, and it’s been a week.

This episode’s listener questions hit hard:
• How do you raise issues about arts funding without being labelled “dramatic”? 
• Is being Welsh — and making Welsh work — creatively limiting?

Expect honesty, humour, and a few home truths about the realities of working in Wales’ creative sector.

Support the show