Pain in the Arts

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak dive into a brilliantly chaotic mix of insurance fraud stories, unstable art exhibitions, election‑day energy, and the newly released Rainbow Wales book. From bank‑holiday burnout to the realities of reviewing theatre, the pair explore the pressures, politics and pleasures of working in the Welsh arts sector.

They discuss the expectations placed on reviewers, the rise of content‑creator demands in theatre marketing, and the awkward truth that some venues only want positive reviews. There’s also a look ahead to Double Indemnity at the New Theatre...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into a gloriously chaotic mix of musical parody, Cold War theatre, Welsh film premieres, and the big question of how future generations will remember the art we’re making today.

Jack heads to Friends: The Musical Parody with his family — a show that takes affectionate aim at the iconic sitcom — while Chris endures a flatter‑than‑expected production of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Meanwhile, Cabaret Cardiff continues its reign as the city’s most eclectic arts hub, hosting everything from jazz to burlesque to...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak dive into circus chaos, community celebrations, new tattoos, and the surprisingly dangerous temptation of food in paintings. They also tackle two big sector questions: Should you sack a bad member of staff in a tiny gallery? and Does Wales really need another training school?

The episode opens with a deep dive into the heated debate around Arts Council Wales funding for Michael Sheen’s new theatre company — exploring the fears, the facts, and the potential impact on Wales’ creative ecosystem. From there, the pair h...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into community‑driven exhibitions, chaotic but charming audiences, and the ongoing frustrations around arts funding in Wales. From a powerful, people‑focused exhibition at the University of South Wales to a run of eclectic nights at Cabaret, the pair explore how creativity continues to bring communities together — even as funding structures crumble around them.

They also tackle two big questions:

• Are we drifting back toward elitism in the arts? 
• How do you refresh a creative business after 20+ years?

Expect sh...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak return from a chaotic Easter half‑term with stories of immersive art, botanical obsessions, and a surprising amount of existential reflection. From Wake the Tiger in Bristol — a sprawling, surreal, immersive art labyrinth — to a beautiful cyanotype exhibition in Cardiff, the pair explore how creativity can be playful, tactile, and deeply nostalgic.

They also dive into the growing trend of “friction maxing” — the Gen Z/Gen Alpha movement bringing analogue creativity back into fashion, from film photography to darkroom experiments. And yes, Jack is...

This Bank Holiday bonus episode of Pain in the Arts is a rapid‑fire Q&A special, answering as many listener questions as Chris and Jak can squeeze into one chaotic, caffeinated session. With over 300 questions submitted, the pair tackle everything from falling audience spending and festival safety laws to Welsh language accessibility, pottery sales, and how to get kids off iPads and into creativity.

Expect quick answers, big opinions, practical advice, and plenty of laughter as they cover:

• How venues can boost sales in a cost‑of‑living crisis
• What Martin’s Law means...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into one of their most varied weeks yet — from contemporary exhibitions and live TV recordings to grassroots awards, cosy crime theatre, and big cultural questions about Welsh identity.

They explore Kelsey Cruz-Martin’s mixed‑media exhibition at G39, celebrate the launch of Wales’ first music talk show, and reflect on the wonderfully chaotic but heart‑warming Get the Chance Awards. There’s also a surprisingly joyful review of Midsomer Murders on stage — a show they expected to tolerate but ended up loving.

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jack dive into a whirlwind of Welsh theatre triumphs, queer comedy chaos, and a standout night at Newport Riverfront — all while tackling two big questions creatives across Wales keep asking.

They unpack the brilliance of My Mixed Up Tape by Katie Payne, a production they describe as Welsh theatre history in the making. From there, it’s off to Cabaret for Gagged, a riotous queer comedy night featuring Lee Peart, Kate Cheka, Jane Edwards and Alex Mitchell. Add in a cultural celebration in Abergavenny, a stack of new Wels...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris and Jak celebrate hitting 1,000 YouTube subscribers before diving into a packed week across Wales’ creative scene — from circus‑musical mayhem to rooftop cinema and a bilingual ghost story that left them asking, “Is anybody there?”

They explore the rise of analogue culture, the joy of independent Welsh literary magazines, and the upcoming Hay Festival — including some exciting news about covering it from the press pit. Theatre‑wise, it’s been a whirlwind: Barnum brings organised circus chaos to the Wales Millennium Centre, Rick on the Roof captures the heart of Barry in just...

Fresh from the launch of the Manifesto for Music Wales, Chris and Jak dive into a packed week across Wales’ creative landscape — from policy and politics to opera, VR, comedy, and Mean Girls. This episode explores the future of Welsh music, the importance of accessible arts spaces, and why Timothy Chalamet’s viral “nobody cares about opera and ballet” comment has (ironically) reignited public passion for classical artforms.

The pair unpack the five pillars of the new music manifesto, discuss the role of AI in protecting homegrown creativity, and reflect on how political shifts could reshape the arts secto...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris J Birch and Jak Rhys Birch dive into a very Welsh whirlwind: St David’s Day chaos, the upside‑down house that’s still haunting them, and the bow buns that changed their lives. From Cardiff Market’s night‑time food frenzy to Diversity’s 17‑year legacy, it’s a full cultural tour of Wales in one episode.

But things get deeper fast.

A listener asks whether pet portraits still have a future now that AI keeps giving dogs extra limbs, spark...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris J Birch and Jak Rhys Birch dive into a whirlwind of Welsh creativity — from Cardiff’s brand‑new upside‑down house installation to pirouettes, dancing shoes, and the eternal question: does a picture really speak a thousand words?

The episode kicks off with a look at what’s happening across Wales’ arts scene, including a visit to the new immersive house on Queen Street (“you might recognise some local artists or designers inside”) and a night out watching Diversity on tour. But things quickly turn reflective as the pair explore how we e...

This week on Pain in the Arts, Chris J Birch and Jak Rhys Birch dive into a whirlwind of Welsh arts life — from ghost stories and horror theatre to the very real terrors of comparison culture and unpaid creative work.

Fresh from seeing 2:22 A Ghost Story, the pair unpack why live horror hits differently, how escape rooms expose our overthinking tendencies, and why everyone in Cardiff suddenly owns a fur coat. But beneath the laughs, they tackle two big listener questions: How do you stop comparing your work to everyone else online? And how do...