It feels like autumn is just around the corner but hopefully you’ve all managed to find a little piece of sunshine somewhere amidst the wind and rain. Here's what we've been up to in August...

This month we launched free online storytelling courses for young people in film making, print and radio production led by a team of expert mentors. The courses begin on 9 September and run from 4.30pm - 6.30pm on Zoom every Wednesday until the end of September. Places are filling up fast and more information can be found in our blog.

We also announced to members of the national access scheme Hynt that they can now book tickets online for carers and companions which is fantastic news and something we've been working towards for quite some time making our ticketing system more accessible and a better experience.

Our ticket office closed on 1 August but our reduced team are monitoring emails periodically and checking social media channels weekdays from 9am - 5pm if you need help with bookings.

We've also updated our FAQ section to help answer some of your questions, so please take a look before contacting us directly.

We’ve also been advocating for a basic living wage with Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe in calling for a Basic Income pilot to pay artists a basic living allowance and help Wales recover from the pandemic.

We're thrilled to be part of the new season programme with Frân Wen in which we are working in partnership on a new Welsh language production currently in R&D phase, so more on that soon.

On 11 August we lit the building up in red once again for #LightItInRed to show our continued support for the arts and all of the incredible freelancers that work within the arts and events sector which has been hit hard by the pandemic.

Unfortunately we've not been able to run any family activities since lockdown but on 4 August we teamed up with Cardiff Council to run some free, socially distanced activities outside for #PlayDay2020 with chalk drawing for children taking place under the overhang of our building (Wales' largest umbrella).

The following day we ran drumming and dance workshops with musicians from the local community including: The Successors of the Mandingue, Balafon master and traditional drummer N'famady Kouyaté and Keith Murrell and friends along with some fantastic carnival costumes on display. Photos from the day are our Instagram page.

If you're passing...we're currently featuring an art exhibition in our windows produced by a group of young artists as part of a competition run by Mycelium and is well worth a look! And we're hoping to use this space to feature more art and exhibitions in the future.

Our fully accredited online radio training programme filled up almost immediately and took place this month too. This is the first time the course has been run online and we're planning to do more of these over the coming months.

Our Radio Platfform team have interviewed some stellar guests this month including BBC Radio 1 presenter, Huw Stephens.

Many of the team also took part in a live Q&A with the former editor of BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat programme, Rod McKenzie.

The platfform's latest show 'Nicloud' - which addresses thought provoking issues for young people in a lighthearted way - aired for a second time and there was a brand new episode of the Cardiff Dub Club.

The sixth edition of #Sgwrsio discussed the Welsh language in politics with BBC political correspondent and presenter, James Williams and Luke looked back on an interview with former Dragon's Den presenter and Yo Sushi owner, Simon Woodroffe. As usual all the shows are available to listen to again for free on Mixcloud. And that's it for another month.

Many of the activities we're still able to carry out are a direct result of your kind donations, membership renewals and grant funding.We'd also like to thank the Arts Council of Wales, Moondance Foundation and Garfield Weston,  Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity and The Simon Gibson Charitable Trust for allowing us to continue supporting the creative talent, young people and communities that need creativity now, more than ever.