Commissions & Micro-residencies Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail
~ new art inspired by landscape, ecology and deep time ~
A unique opportunity for organisations working in North Wales to be paired with creative individuals - working together, learning from each other and creating something new.
The Micro-Residency
Organised through an open call for proposals, the chosen artist is embedded within the host organisation - meeting, learning, inquiring, discussing, creating and exploring. The residency experience is tailored specifically for the artist and organisation, ensuring that everyone gets the most out of the experience.
The Commission
The results are premiered during the annual Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail, where the artwork, performance and related events are shared with the wide audience of the Trail - over 1,300 in 2026! - an exceptional mix of local and national artists, naturalists, makers, volunteers, neighbours and friends, coppice crafters, dog walkers and sea swimmers.
The entire process is documented by our friends at Culture Colony, creating documentary films of the entire engagement.
The Organisations
The 2026 Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail featured three new commissioned works inspired by:
• The diverse geology of Ynys Môn, supported by GeoMôn UNESCO Global Geopark
• The unique ecosystems of Ynys Môn, conservation and biodiversity, supported by Red Squirrels Trust Wales
The selected artists responded to the island’s natural heritage — from deep geological time to present-day environmental challenges — using locally sourced materials, ecological data and site-specific research.
The 2026 Awardees
Mai Thomas
GeoMôn UNESCO Geopark Commission
Mai spent time with the erratics of Lleniog Beach, learning their origin stories and understanding their complex material makeup. Her monumental scale drawings were created entirely from natural pigments derived from the landscape itself.
Angharad Ffion Martin
The Red Squirrels Trust Wales & Magical Mammals
Angharad learned about the complex and intertwined ecosystems of our most local environment - the Aberlleiniog woodland. She has created a series of animal forms, light and sound sculptures created from natural and foraged materials, covered with semi-translucent naturally preserved leaves.
Ellen Davies & Meilyr Tomos
GeoMôn UNESCO Geopark
They’ve created an interactive soundscape that turns geology and climate data into music and movement — blending live cello, traditional notation and immersive audio. They have tapped into the seismic activity of the Menai Strait and dove deep into the geological record, interviewing geologists and seismologists, recording in the field, composing, creating and writing.
Diolch - Thank you
The Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail receives core funding from the Sustainable Development Fund, a Welsh Government initiative on the Isle of Anglesey ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB).
Huge thanks to GeoMôn UNESCO Geopark and Red Squirrels Trust for supporting our very first set of commissions and micro-residencies, allowing the selected artists to embed themselves within their organisations, generously sharing their expertise, resources and time.
About the Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail
The Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail Presents over 50 artworks, installations, performances, guided walks and community projects within the Aberlleiniog community woodlands, along the springs and rivers, around Aberlleiniog Castle, on Lleiniog beach and at Llangoed Village Hall.
This free annual event is an exceptional confluence of local and national artists, naturalists, makers, local volunteers, neighbours and friends, coppice crafters, dog walkers and sea swimmers. The Trail takes place annually, within the timings of the well-established Anglesey Open Studios.
We work in partnership with all the landowners and related committees - Menter Môn, Llangoed and Penmon Community Council and Anglesey County Council highways department.
The Trail is headquartered and hosted by Llangoed Village Hall.
The Trail is produced by Plas Bodfa Projects CIC, who manages the fundraising, permissions, the collaborative projects, commissions, communications and the Open Call.