Building on the success of the 2021 festival, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and Culture Weston once again collaborated in October to produce Weston Arts + Health Festival 2022. This year the festival focused on ‘Global Weston’, celebrating the power of creativity and culture for connection and showcasing Weston as a vibrant and diverse place to live and work.
Central to the festival was a photography project celebrating the unique stories of Weston General Hospital’s many and valued staff. The exhibition was installed at Princess Royal Square for the festival and throughout October. Many visited to share in the stories of some of the fantastic people who care for the community of Weston.
From 5-9 October, Weston’s parks, allotments, cafes and seafront were alive with bandstand performances, pop-up poetry, singing trails, community feasts, synchronised swimming, outdoor craft as well as a special programme of events at Weston General Hospital. With something for everyone, Weston Arts + Health Festival 2022 explored and showcased the impact of creativity on health and wellbeing. In the Arts Council England’s Creative Health & Wellbeing plan, published this year, Chair Sir Nicholas Serota shares that “by ensuring everyone in the country has access to high quality creative and cultural activities, they will, in turn, lead happier and healthier lives.”