North Wales has an abundance of artists and creative talent ranging from painting, crafts, sculpture, design, photography, film-makers and more, but where are they and how do you find them - it is a case of hidden talent. There are also resources for the local community to access their own creativity and take an interest in the visual arts, but these are limited.

This environment could continue as it is with all this talent and creativity being an un-discovered treasure and not appreciated by the local community and the public at large. The artists would continue to have a limited focus or outlet to show their creativity and to share it with the local community. They would be denied access to a wealth of resource for themselves and have minimal opportunity to value and discover the relevance of the visual arts in general and specifically to their own community.

There is however an opportunity for artists to have a focus for their work and to be able to share with other artists as well as creating a stimulating artistic environment for themselves, the local community and North Wales itself. This could include regular workshops, exhibitions, evening classes, talks by local artists as well as visiting artists and residential courses to name a few. There could also be a place for artists and the community to meet, for example a centre which has a cafe and other facilities. With such a broad base of artists, a wide range of media would be represented, including painting, sculpture, crafts, design, photography, multi-media and film; in fact there are so many artists in North Wales that there really is no limit to what is available.

To create this opportunity and facility for all concerned an artists forum is being held on Saturday the 3rd of May at 2pm. All artists and people involved in the visual arts local to North Wales are invited to attend this forum for the creation of the Snowdon Art Centre, to be at the genesis of creating this resource for local artists and the community. All ideas for the possibilities of the centre and what it can offer will be employed in it’s design and implementation. The centre plans to offer a comprehensive range of workshops, talks and courses. Artists working in a broad range of media from design to painting and film are encouraged to participate.

The forum starts at 2pm with an introduction and background. This will be followed with an open floor, for ideas for the centre, conducted by a chairperson. A secretary will document all contributions and this will be published soon after the event and made available to anyone who may be interested.

Ultimately the centre will be dedicated to local artists and the local community. The key objective is to provide a resource and environment to enable and access creativity through art. The mission will be to enhance the appreciation of art and it's relevance to life. The inspiration for artistic production will be sourced from North Wales, embracing the environment, community and heritage.

The forum will be held at Hendre, a unique venue, being part of one of the best preserved Victorian Farmyards in Britain. Hendre is an ideal location to hold the forum with facilities for a meeting room, a gallery and workshops. They can also provide refreshments for the participants either at a bar or a tea room. Hendre is situated between the coastal village of Llanfairfechan and the University City of Bangor on the A55 Expressway, just on the foothills of the Snowdonia Mountain Range.

As part of the Forum there will also be a small exhibition of local artists running from 30th April to 3rd May, which will be open to the public, this will also be held at Hendre. The centre will also be a charitable foundation and non-profit making, with all funds generated being invested back into the centre.