Ahead of Santa's tour of Rhiwbina on Sunday (8 December), he is set to arrive in North Cardiff in spectacular style the day before, that's tomorrow (Saturday) - by speedboat on Llanishen Reservoir.
Santa will race across the water on Saturday (7 December), waving to the crowd at the visitor centre. Once he docks, he will make his way to the café, where an enchanting grotto awaits.
What started as an ambitious idea of Welsh Water's Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs deputy manager, James Ryan, turned into a successful collaboration with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD).
Back in September, James pitched the idea of a student-designed Christmas grotto to Mike Robinson, Course Leader in Foundation Scenic Construction. Three talented third-year BA Design in Performance students quickly embraced the opportunity to bring this festive vision to life.
The students were tasked with creating a unique and magical grotto experience with a budget for materials, provided by Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs. The project involved designing and constructing a set that can be easily assembled and disassembled, ensuring its longevity and potential for future use. The collaboration provided a project that third year students Dominic Shah, Finn Jaques and Perrin Dunn can use for their final year portfolio of work.
The set, a stunning wooden creation inspired by the reservoirs' natural beauty, was meticulously crafted in the RWCMD's workshop in Llanishen, just a short distance away from the reservoirs.
"Working on this project has been an incredibly rewarding experience," said Finn Jaques, from Surrey. "From the initial planning stages to the final set build, we've had the opportunity to manage every aspect of the project. It's been a fantastic learning curve and a lot of fun."
Fellow third year student Dominic Shah from south London said "This project has been very different to the projects we normally work on, we are normally designing sets for plays, operas and musicals. It's been a great opportunity to manage a project from start to finish with budget management and final installation."
A specialist in carpentry and welding, third year student Perrin Dunn from Oregon, was responsible for constructing the timber elements of the set. All components were crafted from scratch and Perrin was responsible for the fit out on site in the visitor centre.
"Collaborating with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama has been a fantastic experience," said James Ryan. "Partnering with a local university to combine creativity, design expertise, and supporting student opportunities has been a resounding success. We can't thank the students and college enough. We look forward to welcoming our first visitors on Saturday to experience the stunning new grotto and meet Santa."
Speedboat Santa's Festive Feasts experience is available every weekend in December with additional sessions on 18/19/20 December. It involves breakfast or lunch and costs £18.95 for children which includes a gift, £14.95 for adults. To book: https://lisvane-llanishen.com/events/santas-festive-feasts/
🎅 You can see Santa for free in Rhiwbina on Sunday, on his tour starting at the fire station at 4.30 and ending at Suburban in Heol Llanishen Fach around 6pm. There will be several stops on the way - see map below.
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