Well, Jammy Custard has fully settled into the offices here in Pontypridd, so to celebrate this and say a big “hello!” to our fellow businesses in the surrounding area, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be offering 8 free, one-to-one ‘marketing surgery’ sessions with businesses based in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area. Here’s how it will work:

• 8 businesses can book one-to-one sessions with us at our studio
• Sessions will last up to 2 hours
• Bookable on weekdays between 4pm-7pm from 21st November up to the 16th December
• We will go through your current marketing strategy with you and look for potential improvements or opportunities, both in the short-term and long-term
• Can cover topics such as social media, printed promotion materials, search engine optimisation, website performance and your branding.
• Opportunity to book a follow up session for analysis purposes
• First come first served!

Come and have a few biccies!

Just simply fill in the form below and we will get back to you: [contact-form-7]

Hecate Theatre’s first show, dubbed the “A Halloween Cabaret,” will see a variety of themed theatrical disciplines including; comedy sketches, improvisation, music, story-telling and even circus tricks. The show’s diversity sets the foundations for Hecate’s aim to “re-invent Modern and Classical theatre with an all female cast.”

The light-hearted CoppaFeel charity is raising awareness on how breast cancer can affect women, even at a young age. According to its website, the primary goal is to “reduce the incidence of late detection and misdiagnosed breast cancer”, but it also aims to “instil confidence in young women wishing to seek professional advice when concerns arise.”

Clifton resident and Hecate founder, Hannah Marie Chidwick, described her excitement for the shows and also talked about why the company have chosen to support CoppaFeel. “The team behind ‘A Halloween Cabaret’ have been working exceptionally hard and it’s very rewarding to see it all coming together! As our first show, it’s a big deal for Hecate Theatre – we really want to make a name for ourselves as an exciting and versatile new company. The choice to perform the show with free entry, plus donations at the audience’s discretion, will hopefully introduce as many Bristol residents as possible to our work and put Hecate Theatre firmly on the map! But the show isn’t just about promoting the company – we’re thrilled to be championing CoppaFeel over the next year. As CoppaFeel is targeted specifically at young women, it’s a cause close to the hearts of our all-female company, and we plan to hold more events specifically to raise awareness of CoppaFeel’s work in the future.”

“A Halloween Cabaret” will be performed on the 28-29th October at The Clifton Cow pub on Gordon Road, opposite the student union in Clifton. Performances start at 7:30pm and entry is free, but donations are encouraged. For more information, visit Hecate Theatre’s website www.hecatetheatre.co.uk

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In addition to the clubs September open-mic evening, a second evening of eclectic and diverse folk music was also arranged and headlined by Cardiff post-folk band Hail! The Planes, supported by the glamorous Miss Maud’s Folly, as well as Cliff Price, Cichlid Fish, Davy Cartwright accompanied by Ruth Marie Murphy, Dewi Griffiths and in her first billed performance, 16 year old Laura Marty from Rumney. The night also finished off with a traditional yet energetic Ceilidh dance.

Rumney Folk Club meets once a month at the hall for an evening that is arguably unique to any other folk club in Wales. Bathed in a candle-light atmosphere, artists have travelled from across South Wales and much further a field to come and perform on stage to a diverse and appreciative audience. Patrick Hathaway, who is responsible for promotions and sound engineering duties at the club, explains the appeal.

“Firstly, the candle-lit atmosphere that our volunteers set up is a real crowd pleaser. Then there’s the idea that anyone can come along and play unannounced; we have vastly experienced musicians bringing instruments like zithers and ‘harp’ guitars, and then we also have local stars like Sweet Baboo come along now and then. To add a real contrast, we’ll get something like African drummer troupes turn up, but rather proudly, we’ll have the odd artist performing for the first time and particularly teenagers. In essence, you never know what you’re going to get and our audience love that and always show their appreciation.

It’s a club that’s built for a community – we’ve raised thousands for the hall which is used by lots of different community groups, so we’re proud of what we’ve achieved in the 4 years the club has existed and I think our patrons and artists are too.”

The club meets every 3^rd Friday of the month, with an entry fee of £3.50. A licensed bar and a raffle are also available. For more details, visit: rumneyfolkclub.co.uk. Next meet – 15^th October, doors 7pm

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Sugar Flower by Ceri Dz

Ceri D.D. Griffiths, widely considered as a leading light in the cake and sugar-craft industry, will be creating a cake artistry video tutorial series which will also be supported by a new website and brand identity. Ceri, from Cardiff, will provide demonstrations of some of the key techniques he has used to produce cakes and sugar-craft which have gained him international acclaim. The videos will be hosted on a brand new website which will also feature written and illustrated tutorials as well as Ceri’s delicious Portfolio for hobbyists and professionals to use as a source of inspiration and resource.

The entire project will be carried out by Cardiff creative agency, Jammy Custard Studios. Matthew Creed, co-founder and head of film & video production at the agency described the opportunity as a “delight” and a “privilege to be working with someone whose intricate artistic talents are used so deliciously.”

Ceri, who frequently publishes articles in industry publications and provides demonstrations at international conventions, explained his hopes for the project; “When looking for a design team to create a new contemporary website and video series, I just had to zone in on a company called “Jammy Custard”, after all I am a Cake Artist. The guys at Jammy Custard Studios don’t just think ‘outside the box’, they think ‘outside the cake box’ so to speak, drawing inspiration from a wealth of subjects. I am very excited to announce that by December 2010 my new website will be launched and if the creative ideas the guys are generating are anything to go by, then watch out world, here I come.”

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Davy Cartwright: Acoustic Singer-Songwriter

Llantwit Major’s Davy Cartwright is in the process of completing recording for his new album entitled “More Like The Sea”; a follow on from his wondrous album “Brittle”. To complement the release, the folk songwriter has appointed Cardiff-based Jammy Custard Studios to create a music video for the song “Rambling Rose” which will feature on the album. There are currently no release dates for either the album or the music video, but announcements are expected to follow next month.

Jammy Custard were approached by Davy on the back end of seeing filming and graphic work created for last year’s Rumney Folk Festival and their work with singer/songwriter, Elaine Morgan.

Matthew Creed, head of video production at Jammy Custard, explained what can be expected of the video “Davy Cartwright’s lyrics are quite layered in their meaning and open to interpretation. So, we’re expecting the video itself will follow a narrative of the lyrics, but with a few twists here and there to capture the same affect. We’ll be looking to use digital motion graphics and possibly stop-motion animation for added texture.”

Davy will be making an appearance at this year’s Fishgaurd Folk Festival in Pembroke on the 28-30th May.
For more information about Davy, including upcoming performances and discography, visit his website www.davycartwright.com. [tweetmeme]