A place to create, connect, discover and belong.
YMa is a place for culture, creativity and the arts in the heart of Pontypridd — a welcoming home for people, ideas, artists and communities.
Our building has lived many lives. For generations, people have walked through these doors to meet, learn, work, create friendships and make memories. Today, that spirit continues as YMa: a contemporary creative and community hub rooted in its history, connected to its town and looking towards the future.
We believe culture is something we experience together.
It can happen on a theatre stage or cinema screen, around a table, in a workshop, through music, movement or conversation. It can begin with a child discovering theatre for the first time, a filmmaker sharing a new story, or someone simply walking through our doors and deciding to take part.
Creativity across generations
Children, young people and families are an important part of our future.
We want to develop a vibrant programme for, with and by children, young people and families across RCT — connecting theatre, cinema, creative learning, schools, artists and community partners.
At the same time, YMa is proudly intergenerational.
We believe something special happens when different ages, experiences, cultures and perspectives meet.
Everyone should feel they belong
Access and inclusion are the foundation of our programme. They are part of how we think about YMa.
We want people who may not traditionally think that theatre, cinema or arts spaces are "for them" to feel that there is a place for them here.
That means listening.
It means learning.
It means removing barriers where we can and working with communities rather than making assumptions about what they need.
And it means creating an environment where different bodies, voices, languages, identities, experiences and ways of participating are welcomed and valued.
More than a venue
YMa is a building, but what makes it alive are the people inside it.
We are interested in the relationships between artists and audiences, culture and community, creativity and wellbeing, heritage and new ideas, Pontypridd and the wider world.
Our ambition is to build relationships.
To nurture artists.
To grow audiences.
To create opportunities.
To spark curiosity.
To bring people together.
And to make YMaizing experiences!
Listening. Connecting. Creating. Growing.
These four ideas guide how we are developing with our communities:
Listening to our artists, audiences, communities and partners.
Connecting people, ideas, generations and opportunities.
Creating space for imagination, experimentation, participation and new work.
Growing relationships, audiences, creative confidence and a sustainable cultural future.
We are still evolving — and that is part of what makes YMa exciting.
There is room for new voices, new partnerships, new audiences and ideas we haven't imagined yet.
Because YMa isn't simply somewhere culture happens.
