Name //

Ashley McAvoy

Pronouns //

He/Him

Creative Practice //

Interdisciplinary

Tell us about your work overall and your recent projects //

My work moves between heritage, theatre, music, and storytelling, often blending live performance with immersive media. I’m interested in how myth, memory, and ecology shape our sense of place and identity, and how performance can act as both ritual and reckoning. Recent projects include Arthur & the Bear Goddess, a documentary-exhibition exploring myth and ecology; Stanley Street, a musical rooted in Welsh history; Gwymon: Daughters of the Sea, a film about seaweed, resilience, and interdependence; and Glamorgan Revisited, an Instagram-based archive that reinterprets C.J.O. Evans’ 1936 gazetteer for a contemporary audience.

How did you start your path into what you are doing now? //

I come from a family of musicians and storytellers, so creativity has always been part of my life. I started out as a child actor before studying Theatre at Aberystwyth University, which gave me a grounding in performance and narrative. After university, I spent four decades working with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, where I developed exhibitions across art, archaeology, social history, and natural sciences. At the same time, I’ve been making music for just as long—writing, recording, releasing albums and singles, and touring in bands and solo. Over the years these two paths have converged, and today my work brings together heritage, theatre, and music in cross-disciplinary projects that explore memory, myth, and ecology.

How do collaboration and community influence your work? //

Collaboration is at the heart of everything I do. Whether co-creating with artists, academics, or local communities, I believe the most powerful work emerges from dialogue, shared knowledge, and collective creativity. Community voices bring depth, challenge assumptions, and make projects meaningful beyond the individual.

What do you love about the creative sector in Wales? //

I love that the creative sector in Wales is progressive and forward-looking, yet deeply rooted in ancient culture and heritage. Expression, imagination, and storytelling are central to the experience of Wales, and you can feel that in everything from grassroots projects to national institutions. There’s a strong sense of identity here, but it’s not insular—the sector embraces diversity, equality, and internationalism, creating space for many voices and perspectives. I also value the bilingual culture and the way artists continually reimagine traditions in response to contemporary challenges. It feels like a place where creativity can make a real difference.

Where else can we find you? //

Instagram // @alchemy.savoy / @glamorgan_revisited

https://ashleymcavoy.bandcamp.com/

https://vito.bandcamp.com/music

https://curveside.bandcamp.com/