Johnny was Invisible Cities’ first guide in Cardiff with his Poetry, Protest and Place tour. After struggling with mental health issues, he decided to take a break. He has since become a mentor and developed a tour for Newport as plans are prepared to launch tours there later this year.
Meet Johnny
I’m Johnny Giles, a tour guide for Cardiff and I’m a poet as well. I got involved with Invisible Cities in 2023. I was in a hostel at that time. It was shortly after I’d lost my job. The training was an amazing experience that gave me something to focus on and keep out of trouble, basically. It built my confidence as well.
You created a tour of Cardiff – what did that cover?
My Cardiff tour is Poetry, Protest and Place. There’s three parts. Poetry: I’ve been writing poetry ever since I was a child, but performing it since I was 19. I’m 33 now. Protest: Because I’ve been involved in various forms of activism, on and off, since 2011. Place: I’ve lived in Cardiff all my life, but it’s through Invisible Cities that I have more of an understanding of the local history of the city.
What were the highlights?
Iconic meeting places where global and local causes have been fought for. At the heart of the tour is the relationship between those tensions – Cardiff as a capital city of a small working-class nation striving to find a place on the world stage.
There have been all different forms of protest, and we’d visit the monuments to changemakers who have shaped Wales both past and present, from Dic Penderyn to Betty Campbell.
Starting at the Betty Campbell monument, the tour led visitors into the creative heart of Womanby Street, piecing together how the Romans, Vikings, the Jutes and pirates all made their mark on the city.
