To mark this the 75th anniversary of the NHS, the annual Weston Arts + Health Festival returned to the town 29 September – 1 October 2023 for a weekend of celebratory events, with a diverse programme of events themed around 75 years of extraordinary stories in a special Happy Birthday homage to the NHS.

Taking place at favourite locations and outdoor spaces in the town and at Weston General Hospital, there was something for everyone to enjoy – from swimming, rowing, singing, theatre, poetry, yoga, creative workshops and community artwork to a series of exhilarating coastal walks in partnership with Natural England to mark the launch of the new North Somerset stretch of the King Charles III Coastal Path.

On Sunday 1 October, local NHS stories featured within a new audio commission and bespoke soundscape created for SW!M 75. SW!M 75 is a live synchro inspired performance, co-produced with Diverse City and supported by National Grid’s Community Matters Fund and it showcased Weston’s newly established Super Synchro group, who made a stunning routine to complement real stories by NHS workers.

Co-Directed by Claire Hodgson and Deborah Paige

Choreographed by Claire Hodgson

Audio Created by Deborah Paige

Sound by Harry Bassett

 

Listen to the SW!M75 SoundScape: