A New Creative Chapter
The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is being reimagined as a place for making, sharing and exploring creativity, as well as experiencing it. With support from Art Fund, we are reimagining the possibilities of the Boat House as a Creative Hub: an active, collaborative space shaped by artists, communities and young people.
While the work Dylan Thomas created during his time living at the Boathouse is internationally recognised, opportunities to take part in creative activity in Laugharne and the surrounding area remain limited and dispersed. This project responds to that gap, creating a focal point where local people can connect with artists, experiment with ideas and access high-quality creative experiences in their own community. It’s about shifting from a place people visit to a place they use.
At the heart of this work is a growing collaboration with Carmarthenshire-based charity, Arts Care, and its team of artists who live and work locally. Together, we are designing a new public programme that invites participation, not just observation, opening up the Boathouse as a welcoming space for creativity to happen, inspired by its landscape, stories and surroundings.
An important starting point for the project is learning from others. We formed a local network with the Gwili Railway and Llandovery Museum to establish a Family Friendly Cohort, guided by Kids in Museums experts. Collaborating with other rural organisations in Carmarthenshire to test ideas, the Cohort is a safe space to share practice and build confidence in working creatively with families. This focus is especially important for the Dylan Thomas Boathouse because welcoming young people and improving access for the whole family is a priority. This network is helping to embed a more open, experimental approach, where audiences shape the experience and creativity is part of everyday engagement.
For young people, the Creative Hub at Dylan Thomas Boat House is creating opportunities to learn through new experiences. Working with schools, teachers and creative practitioners, we are co-designing experiences that connect expressive arts with place, identity and the Curriculum for Wales. These are being developed and tested collaboratively to ensure they are meaningful, accessible and relevant, whether experienced at the Boat House, in classrooms, or online.
This work reflects a cultural shift that will support long-term future plans to renew and revitalise the Dylan Thomas Boat House as a key part of Laugharne’s cultural ecosystem. The vision is a new kind of space for Laugharne and the region: rooted in its unique setting, but alive with contemporary creativity, collaboration and possibility.