A new café offering arts and crafts sessions, poetry evenings and live music is set to open its doors in Neath town centre later this month. Hybrid Arts Cafe fills an empty unit previously occupied by the renowned Plaza cafe, which was run by the same family from its launch in the 1930s until its closure in 2011 and was particularly popular with local people wanting to catch up and relax with friends and family over a cup of coffee while sitting in the sun.
The new "arts café" is the brainchild of an early years primary school teacher with a "life time passion" for creating music, poetry and art - and a desire to give people in the community the chance to engage with the arts and showcase their own creativity.
Paula Griffiths, 45, wants her café to be an inclusive, family-friendly space where people of all ages can come and relax in a welcoming environment. Her plans for the new business include running pottery workshops for children on Saturdays and hosting regular poetry evenings and live music events.
"The café was originally the Plaza Café, which opened in the 1930s.," she said. "The same family still own the premises and I'm leasing it off them and turning it into an arts café. It's been renovated but the flooring is original - it's got almost 100 years of memories!"
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Explaining the premise behind her new venture, Paula said Hybrid Arts Cafe would offer something you couldn't find elsewhere in Neath. She said that when people finished work, they often didn't have anywhere they could go for a coffee and catch up with a friend so she hoped Hybrid Arts Cafe would become the go-to place for people to socialise throughout the day and into the evening, whilst surrounded by art and entertainment.
"What I'm passionate about, what I believe, is that the arts should be inclusive not exclusive. Hybrid Cafe will be open to all - I want everybody to have contact with the arts," she said. "Neath is my home town and I am passionate about my community. This new business will further develop the regeneration of our town. With late night opening along with arts, crafts, music, poetry and literature events planned for all ages!"
"The café will be a 'home from home' environment, with a range of comfortable seating, dining and café tables, serving great coffee and delicious food all week," she added. "It's Neath's first arts café and a special focus will be on providing creative opportunities for children and young people. We aim to give local artists a platform to exhibit their work free of any commission and opportunities will be provided for budding singer songwriters to regularly showcase their talents!"
When the café opened later this month, Paula said it would be serving hot and cold food, barista coffee service - and delicious Frank's ice cream! Plus, as well as table service, the café will also have a 'grab and go' section for people to choose breakfast and lunch items to take away, which they can pay for at a self-service kiosk, if they're in a rush."
Paula has been in the arts scene for nearly all her life, has had two books published and has led a local community group on its mission to regenerate sports facilities in Neath. Her new café has been named after her desire to run a business "with social responsibility". She plans for a percentage of her annual profits to be invested in arts activities in the community.
Recapping her career so far which had led her to opening the new café, she explained: "I've always been involved in the arts, since quite a young age. Over the years, I've set up many community projects, including Voice in the Vale Community Arts in 2002. This project worked with local artists, writer and singer-songwriters to publish a local CD and book, showcasing the talent in our community - which our own local celebrity Max Boyce also contributed poems to."
"I went on to publish a second book called Little Seeds in 2005," she added. "[It] involved working with children from 10 primary schools in Neath to produce a beautiful book of their poems and their accompanying illustrations created by the children of Neath around themes of family and friends, the environment and even outer space! The book is bursting with the amazing imagination of our little seeds!"
"In 2017, I set up a community group to lead the regeneration of the disused Dyfed Road Tennis Courts in Neath, which had lay in a state of disrepair for a number of years. After successfully securing funding from Sports Wales and Tennis Wales, the courts were regenerated and it's now a fully modernised community tennis court."
Hybrid Arts Café is set to open in late-March in Orchard Street in Neath. The café will be open from 8am to 4.30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 8am to 8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 8am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
People who want to play music, sing, share their poetry or short stories or exhibit their art or other creative talent are invited to contact Hybrid Arts Café via Facebook here or email: hybridartscafe@outlook.com
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