to our website and the theme for our Festival in 2009 is: The Year of the Sheep.

During the 10th to 19th July the seventh Caerleon Arts Festival will celebrate the humble sheep. As well as being one of Wales' most important agricultural products (and the subject of the occasional anti-Welsh joke) sheep and shepherds have inspired poets and painters since classical times.
The core event at this year's Festival will be sheep sculptures in wood by a group of British carvers, between July 17th and July 19th on the Hanbury Field. The organisers are also planning sheep related events during the ten days including the cooking of lamb dishes and wool making since Roman times. Hybu Cig Cymru, the body for Welsh Meat Promotion will be a main sponsor.

From the 10th-19th a ticketed programme of music, drama and the visual arts will be staged at various venues in Caerleon, including Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice at the Amphitheatre on Saturday the 18th. During the last two days of the Festival sculpting will be accompanied by an exciting range of arts and craft stalls and entertainment on or near the Hanbury Field, where admission will be free.

To meet this year's guest Sculptors please click here.

For details of day to day (and evening to evening) activities check our Festival Website Diary by clicking click here.

Why not take a tour of our website and view some of the many pictures and videos taken to celebrate our Festival events over the last six years. If you have any suggestions for the website please drop us a line (you'll find us on the Contacts & Links page) and keep popping back to keep in touch with the News & Events page, where we'll keep you up to date with activities in and around Caerleon over the next few months - and thank you for all your kind support.

Fund-raising by Celf Caerleon Arts - the Festival's parent body - continues so keep an eye on the News & Events for forthcoming activities.

HELP WANTED

Festival volunteers are always welcome. As this year’s Caerleon Arts Festival draws closer we are looking for volunteers to help during the event.  We need people for the three days of events on the Hanbury Field on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 17/18/19th July.  In particular we need:

 FIRST AIDERS

You need to have an up to date, recognised First Aid certificate and be willing to spare a few hours over the weekend.

STEWARDS

For general help on the field during the weekend.

 INFORMATION TENT

To help in the Information tent, greeting visitors, handing out programmes, giving information etc

 The Caerleon Arts Festival is a non-profit community event which is organised and run entirely by a committee of volunteers.  There are no paid staff and every penny raised is used for the Festival.  Please help, even if you can only spare a couple of hours.  Please contact Tim Davidson by phone on 01633 430194  or by e-mail on gardenhouse_511@msn.com.