As the company becomes 30 years old, and with founders getting long in the tooth, it seemed appropriate to create an archive to celebrate the company’s diverse history before it is lost in the sands of time. A couple of years ago the creative directors started to talk about the early years, the people and the shows and frankly couldn’t remember very much of what went on, and we realised, to build the whole picture it was going to be a long process, we’d need to involve a lot of ex performers and crew and we’d need lots of volunteers to help us. The archive project was born.
In January 2015 we started a year-long project to archive the company’s history and heritage. We contacted all the performers and crew past and present and asked them to go through their draws to find artefacts, film, photos and documentation and recorded them telling their stories. Over 200 current and ex nofitstate members have been involved in this process.
The project is titled 'From Ball's Up to Bianco'
[See a 10 minute documentary about the process, above. Watch full screen if you prefer, by clicking bottom right in YouTube]
It describes how a group of youthful Cardiff-based jugglers assisted by thousands of performers, crew, advocates, audience members and partners, became directors of one of the most successful UK contemporary circuses. We know we didn’t achieve this on our own and want to give credit to the many creative people that helped us get there.
This website is only a small part of the project. During the year volunteers have received training on artifact and materials preservation from Glamorgan archive and Cardiff Story Museum. Our own collection of posters, photos, programmes and press cuttings will be preserved in The Glamorgan Archive for future generations to access. The oral histories we have recorded and collected are available to listen on this site but will also be kept at the Cardiff story museum.
Lots of people have worked for loads of hours in a crowded corner of our community space at John Street. They have collected, collated and edited all the material we gathered. We hope you enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Nofitstate was born in Splott, Cardiff, has performed all over the world, and from 11th to 23rd Dec at our building in Four Elms, in the heart of our community, we will open our doors for a physical exhibition. This will give our community a chance to see the results of the project, before the collection makes its way to its new permanent home at the Glamorgan Archive. There it will stored in a fireproof, temperature controlled room and will be available for visitors to browse or to use for research into the UK contemporary circus sector.
We want to take the opportunity to thank the archive volunteers. without whom this project would never have happened and the many people that have worked for, supported, funded, watched or joined in with nofitstate over the last 30 years. Without you there would be no story to tell. This is your story.
Thanks also to Heritage Lottery Fund for making this project possible.
And finally we dedicate this archive to founder and creative director Ali Williams who is leaving us after 30 years of inspired vision, leadership , commitment and passion. Ali we will miss you and wish you well for the next part of your journey.
Wrth i’r cwmni droi’n 30 oed, a’r sefydlwyr yn tynnu ymlaen mewn oedran, penderfynwyd creu archif i ddathlu hanes amrywiol y cwmni cyn iddo fynd rhwng y cŵn a’r brain. Beth amser yn ôl, dechreuodd y cyfarwyddwyr creadigol sgwrsio am y blynyddoedd cynnar – y bobl a’r sioeau – ac, i ddweud y gwir, doedden nhw ddim yn gallu cofio’n dda iawn. Felly, sylweddolwyd y byddai rhoi’r darlun cyfan at ei gilydd yn broses hir ac y byddai angen holi llawer o'r cyn-berfformwyr a'r hen griw a chael llawer o wirfoddolwyr i’n helpu. Dyna oedd dechrau prosiect yr archif.
Ym mis Ionawr 2015, cychwynnwyd ar brosiect blwyddyn i archifo hanes a threftadaeth y cwmni. Aethom ati i gysylltu â’r holl berfformwyr ac aelodau’r criw, o’r dechrau tan yn awr, a gofyn iddyn nhw fynd trwy eu droriau i chwilio am luniau, dogfennau, eitemau a ffilmiau a buom yn eu recordio’n adrodd eu straeon. Mae dros 200 o aelodau a chyn-aelodau NoFit State wedi cymryd rhan yn y broses.
Teitl y prosiect yw 'O Balls Up i Bianco'
[Cewch wylio ffilm ddogfen 10 munud am y broses, uchod. Os hoffech wylio ar sgrin lawn, cliciwch ar y dde, ar y gwaelod, yn YouTube]
Mae’n disgrifio sut yr aeth criw o jyglwyr ifanc o Gaerdydd ymlaen, gyda chymorth miloedd o berfformwyr, criw, eiriolwyr, aelodau o gynulleidfaoedd a phartneriaid, i fod yn gyfarwyddwyr un o syrcasau cyfoes mwyaf llwyddiannus Prydain. Rydyn ni’n gwybod nad ar ein pen ein hunain y gwnaethon ni hyn ac mae arnon ni eisiau dweud 'Diolch yn fawr' wrth y llu o bobl greadigol sydd wedi'n helpu ni.
Dim ond rhan fechan o’r prosiect yw’r wefan hon. Yn ystod y flwyddyn, mae gwirfoddolwyr wedi cael eu hyfforddi i ofalu am arteffactau a deunyddiau gan archifwyr Morgannwg ac Amgueddfa Stori Caerdydd. Bydd ein casgliad ni o bosteri, ffotograffau, rhaglenni a thoriadau o’r wasg yn cael ei gadw yn Archifau Morgannwg fel y bydd ar gael ar gyfer yr oesoedd a ddêl. Gallwch wrando ar yr hanesion llafar yr ydym wedi’u recordio a’u casglu ar y wefan hon ond byddant yn cael eu cadw yn Amgueddfa Stori Caerdydd hefyd.
Mae llawer o bobl wedi treulio oriau bwygilydd mewn cornel gyfyng o’n hadeilad yn John Street. Maent wedi casglu, trefnu a golygu’r holl ddefnyddiau a gasglwyd. Gobeithio y mwynhewch ffrwyth eu llafur.
Ganed NoFit State yn y Sblot, Caerdydd ac mae wedi perfformio ym mhedwar ban byd. Rhwng 11 a 23 Rhagfyr, byddwn yn agor drysau’n hadeilad yn Four Elms, yng nghalon y gymuned, ar gyfer arddangosfa o’r gwaith. Bydd hyn yn rhoi cyfle i’n cymuned weld canlyniadau’r prosiect cyn i’r casgliad symud i'w gartref parhaol newydd yn Archifau Morgannwg. Yno, caiff ei storio mewn ystafell ddiogel rhag tân lle rheolir y tymheredd. Bydd ar gael i ymwelwyr bori trwyddo neu ei ddefnyddio i ymchwilio i sector syrcas gyfoes Prydain.
Hoffem fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddiolch i wirfoddolwyr yr archif – hebddyn nhw, fyddai’r prosiect hwn erioed wedi digwydd. Diolch hefyd i’r llu o bobl sydd wedi gweithio i NoFit State, ei gefnogi, ei ariannu, ei wylio neu ymuno yn y gweithgareddau dros y 30 mlynedd diwethaf. Hebddoch chi, fyddai ’na ddim stori i’w hadrodd. Eich stori chi yw hon.
Diolch hefyd i Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri am wneud y prosiect hwn yn bosibl.
Ac, yn olaf, hoffem gyflwyno’r archif hon i’r sefydlydd a’r cyfarwyddwr creadigol, Ali Williams, sy’n ein gadael ar ôl 30 mlynedd o weledigaeth ysbrydoledig, arweiniad, ymroddiad ac angerdd. Ali, bydd arnom hiraeth ar dy ôl; dymuniadau gorau ar gyfer rhan nesaf y daith.