Take Five: Weston Arts + Health Festival

The highly anticipated "Take Five: Weston Arts + Health Festival" is thrilled to announce its return for a sixth year, promising an exciting and inclusive programme of free creative wellbeing events in Weston-super-Mare from Thursday, July 10th to Saturday, July 13th, 2025.

This much-loved festival is set to transform the iconic Weston shoreline with free performances, hands-on workshops, and engaging activities taking place in the Festival Hub, a beautiful stretch-tent on the beach, adjacent to Revo Kitchen, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1BE. The festival celebrates the breadth of the creative health offerings across the region, with the beach welcoming a wide range of activities designed to help people connect, participate, and celebrate.

Visitors can take part in a range of creative activities that include mindful photography walks, poetry, singing, paper crafting and dancing. This year's festival will highlight the diverse communities that enrich the hospital and town. Attendees can join a guided walk exploring the "Hidden Histories of Weston" with Weston Councillor, John Crockford Hawley. This walk offers a chance to explore Weston's significant role in transforming mental health treatment during the Victorian Era. Alive Activities, known for connecting care home residents with babies and parents through singing, will offer interactive storytelling sessions focused on people's memories.

"The 'Take Five: Weston Arts + Health Festival' embodies the power of creativity to enhance wellbeing and build stronger communities, showcasing the many creative opportunities that exist on the doorstep year-round," says Fiona Matthews, Creative Director at Super Culture. “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Super Culture, once again, on the sixth Weston Arts + Health Festival. Starting with an uplifting programme for staff and patients at the hospital, full of music and creative activities. We then focus on our connection to the town and wider community with lots to enjoy on the beach.

Image - Weston Arts + Health Festival – Take Five 2024. Credit Mark Gray

The Festival programme focuses on the Five Ways to Wellbeing which are a set of evidence-based actions to improve personal wellbeing, with a focus this year on learning new skills. We invite you to join us to discover something new and celebrate all that Weston has to offer.” says Frances Macadam, Head of Arts Programme for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW).

Highlights of the beach programme include:

● Intergenerational Singing Workshops: Led by Alive Activities, known for their heartwarming sessions that bring together babies and care home residents.

● Community Blanket Making: Join Hugs in the Making and Rebels Picnic to contribute to beautiful blankets using traditional ‘granny squares’.

● "Life-Changing Books" Discussions: Staff from North Somerset library services share how literature has positively impacted people’s lives.

● Open Water Swimming Sessions: For those feeling brave enough, head to the beach for invigorating sessions led by experienced Open Water Lifeguards (OWLs) Liam Giddings and Yasser Kobieh.

● Singing for Happiness: Join renowned Gospel Choir leader Kim Samuels on the sand and fill your lungs with sea air and song! Includes an introduction by Creative Health researcher Kat Branch who affirms that singing really is what the doctor ordered.

● Learn to balance on the high wire!: We know that lack of balance contributes to falls in older age. Acclaimed tightwire artist Phoebe is here to bring a fun dimension to the art of balance.

● Keralan Dance to get the heart pumping: NHS staff are at the forefront of this brilliant Keralan dance troupe, who will lead an uplifting and participatory afternoon of movement Beyond the shoreline, the Festival extends its vibrant programme throughout the week in various community settings and at Weston General Hospital:

● Weston Museum: Will host a new exhibition titled "Life in a Coastal Town, A creative exploration of community and belonging," offering unique insights into the town's identity.

● Weston General Hospital: Will host a full day of arts and health activities, bringing the benefits of creative engagement directly to the hospital environment as part of its year round arts programme.

● The iconic Promenade: Will be a hub of activity, welcoming samba, processions, and the wondrous Poetry Machine!

● The Grand Pier: Will host a session on the development of a Creative Health network for North Somerset, embedding this work sustainably for current and future generations.

The "Take Five: Weston Arts + Health Festival" is co-produced by Super Culture and The Arts & Culture Programme, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW). All events are free, bookable in advance or drop-in. Visit https://superculture.org.uk/whats-on/ for full programme details and follow @superculturewsm for the latest updates.

Weston Arts + Health Festival 2025 is generously supported by funding from Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity and Arts Council England. Additional support is also gratefully received from Arts and Humanities Research Council and Bristol University (as part of Coastal Community and Creative Health programme), Alliance Homes, West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Diverse Artists Network and Alive Activities.

Join us from July 10th to 13th for a celebration of arts, health, and community in Weston-super-Mare.