Ballet Boys, Banksy & a 10‑Year Photo Project: Pain in the Arts Delivers Its Biggest Week Yet
If the Welsh arts sector has a pulse, Pain in the Arts has its stethoscope pressed firmly against it — and this week, the heartbeat was rapid. In what Chris J Birch describes as “probably the biggest eight days we’ve ever had in the arts,” the latest episode is a whirlwind tour through ballet, business summits, gallery weekends, working‑class photography, and a birthday trip to London that somehow still involved museums.
It’s chaotic, joyful, insightful and deeply rooted in the lived reality of Wales’ creative ecosystem — exactly what listeners have come to expect from broadcaster Chris J Birch and artist‑writer‑editor Jak Rhys Birch.
The Trocks Take Cardiff — and Steal the Show
Jak kicks off the episode with a glowing review of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo — affectionately known as The Trocs — who brought their internationally acclaimed all‑male ballet parody to the Wales Millennium Centre.
It’s slapstick meets Swan Lake; drag meets discipline; camp meets classical technique. And according to Jak, it’s “one of the best introductions to classical arts you could give a young person.”
The Trocs’ ability to blend technical excellence with comedic timing makes ballet feel accessible, joyful and — crucially — fun. It’s a reminder that the arts don’t need to be solemn to be significant.
Chris Heads to London for the Business of the Arts Summit
While Jak was laughing at pratfalls and pointe shoes, Chris was in London attending the Business of the Arts Summit at Conway Hall — the same venue used in Slow Horses, much to his delight.
There, he rubbed shoulders with Baroness Hodge, explored the future of arts funding, and dove into conversations about how creative organisations can streamline operations to protect artistic output.
It’s a side of the arts sector that rarely gets airtime: the spreadsheets, the governance, the operational scaffolding that keeps creativity afloat. Chris brings it back to Wales with clarity and enthusiasm — and a renewed sense that the sector has tools it isn’t fully using yet.
Cardiff University’s Creative Writing Q&A
Jak also joined Creative Cardiff and Literature Wales for a Q&A with Cardiff University’s MA Creative Writing cohort, discussing the realities of life after graduation.
His advice? There is no single path — but there are many viable ones.
From freelancing to forming collectives, from arts‑adjacent roles to full creative independence, Jak emphasises the importance of building a portfolio, building community, and building resilience.
Finance Awards Wales: Accountants, Comedy &… Kiss?
In one of the episode’s most surreal moments, Chris recounts attending Finance Awards Wales, hosted by comedian Robin Morgan — complete with a Kiss tribute band performing Bon Jovi.
It’s a reminder that the arts pop up in unexpected places, and that Wales’ creative professionals are increasingly being invited into corporate spaces to shape culture, entertainment and identity.
Choir of Man: A Pub, a Stage & a Whole Lot of Heart
The pair also review Choir of Man, the internationally beloved pub‑set musical now touring through Cardiff. With two local cast members and an audience‑participation format that sees spectators pulled onto the stage, it’s a show that blurs the line between theatre and community.
Chris and Jak both enjoyed it — though Chris admits it wasn’t quite his demographic — and praise the Wales Millennium Centre for programming work that reaches audiences far beyond the traditional theatre‑going crowd.
Roath Gallery Weekend: Six Galleries, One Ballet & Endless Creativity
Roath Gallery Weekend returned with a packed programme of exhibitions, open studios and performances. Chris and Jak managed to visit six galleries in a single day, including:
Unstable Arts
Ffotogallery
Self
Albany Gallery
Oriel Makers
Emma Kate Jewellery
One highlight? A near‑private ballet performance inside Self Gallery — a moment of unexpected magic that perfectly captures the spirit of Roath’s creative community.
The weekend also reinforced something the podcast champions often: Wales’ arts scene thrives when its spaces collaborate, not compete.
FASHION: A 10‑Year Photography Project Celebrating Working‑Class Girls
The episode ends with a powerful preview of FASHION, a new photography exhibition at National Museum Wales — the culmination of a decade‑long collaboration between photographer Clementine Schneidermann and artist Charlotte James.
Shot entirely on film, the project documents working‑class young women in Merthyr Tydfil, celebrating their style, identity and agency without voyeurism or judgement.
Chris describes the experience as “deeply moving,” noting the significance of seeing portraits of girls from the Gurnos displayed in the same institution that houses aristocratic oil paintings.
It’s a reclamation of space — and a reminder that Welsh identity is multifaceted, modern and worthy of national recognition.
A Podcast That Captures the Pulse of Welsh Arts
This episode of Pain in the Arts is a masterclass in what makes the podcast so compelling:
It’s grounded in lived experience.
It’s unafraid to critique the sector with love and honesty.
It celebrates grassroots creativity as much as national institutions.
It blends humour with insight, exhaustion with excitement, and culture with community.
If you want to understand what’s happening in Welsh arts — not just the headlines, but the heartbeat — this episode is essential listening. Listen Now