{"id":44488,"date":"2018-11-27T14:56:46","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T14:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=44488"},"modified":"2018-11-27T14:56:46","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T14:56:46","slug":"cardiff-character-amelia-unity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2018\/11\/27\/cardiff-character-amelia-unity\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiff Character: Amelia Unity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The multi-talented graffiti artist, b-girl and spoken word poet partners with the RSPB to protect Welsh wildlife<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Amelia

It\u2019s an icy October night and the village of Tongwynlais is dark and silent. But set back from the main road, the village hall lights are warm, and a lively funk beat echoes from inside. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cardiff\u2019s small community of breakdancers are here. Among nine men, Amelia Unity isn\u2019t afraid to jump into the centre of the cypher to show off her skill. She\u2019s taller than several of the guys, comfortable in her hoodie and trainers. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is her place. Amelia has been hooked on hip-hop since hearing Paul\u2019s Boutique<\/em> by the Beastie Boys at the age of 15. She’s since gone beyond the music, delving into all aspects of hip-hop culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming an artist <\/b><\/p>\n

The mural in the village hall is her own work; a gorgeous fairy-tale picture smudged in shades of pink and gold. \u201cI used to get in trouble at school for drawing on the walls,\u201d she admits, laughing. \u201cI wrote Milli Munsta with a paw print in the middle. It was like a logo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amelia would find scraps of wood in skips to practice her lettering style. But it wasn\u2019t until moving to Cardiff that she discovered print shop <\/span>Oner Signs<\/span><\/a> and the city\u2019s \u2018graff\u2019 community.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started buying paint and going to Hailey Park, the legal place to paint then,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI was in a crew called TLC, with three other women and two guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Painting with intent<\/b><\/p>\n

Amelia has found that different modes of painting fit a variety of purposes. \u201cGraffiti is a social thing,” she says. “The art is painting in the public sphere and expressing that we all contribute to our environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent commission was unveiled at the Senedd to support the RSPB\u2019s <\/span>We Need Nature<\/span><\/a> campaign. Amelia painted five boards, each visually representing an element of the Welsh environment. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter Brexit, farming policies will change,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe RSPB, WWF and the National Trust are lobbying the government to ensure that what replaces the European policy works in favour of nature.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Painting on canvas is her format for self-reflection. \u201cI express ideas and thoughts on canvas more than on walls,\u201d she muses. \u201cMy mother passed away five years ago and I painted a lot of butterflies, which symbolise transition and change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"woman

Being a b-girl<\/b><\/p>\n

Amelia\u2019s involvement in Cardiff\u2019s hip-hop scene goes beyond graffiti. \u201cI started teaching DJing at Cathays Community Centre,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThere was a crossover between my class finishing and the b-boys\u2019 training session starting.\u201d<\/p>\n

She began breakdancing, helping to establish the Cardiff City Kings jam in 2009. Almost a decade on, she\u2019s organising training sessions, determined to keep the scene alive.<\/p>\n

Amelia\u2019s twin daughters, Sofie and Brooke, accompany her to the training session tonight. She hopes they\u2019ll keep up breakdance alongside her. <\/span><\/p>\n

She believes breakdance is the most accessible element of hip-hop culture for women. \u201cI think it\u2019s because it\u2019s a physical thing,\u201d she explains. \u201cBreaking is more integrated and progressive.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Whether painting on walls or breakdancing, Amelia has promised herself to always create for the love of her art rather than money. \u201cThat\u2019s where it comes from.”<\/span><\/p>\n