Festival showcases health and wellbeing ideas

The Weston Arts + Health Festival has four days of events centred on improving people's health and wellbeing

An arts and health festival is to showcase opportunities that are available all year round in Weston-super-Mare to aid people's wellbeing.

The four-day Take Five event aims to highlight the value of taking five minutes each day to pause and do something enjoyable.

The festival programme has a tea party theme, with events taking place at Western General Hospital, on the beach and at venues across the community.

"The hospital has musicians, poets and artists in residence, which many people don't know about. We wanted to share some of that brilliance with the wider public," said organiser, Fiona Matthews.

A highlight of the event is a charity auction of more than 100 crocheted tea cosies

A highlight of the festival is the charity auction of more than 100 crocheted tea cosies, knitted by hospital volunteers and residents of social housing provider, Alliance Homes.

Visitors will have a chance to plant vintage tea cups with seedlings or for those aged over 60, dress up for a glamorous 1940's themed afternoon tea party on the beach.

"The festival introduces people to things they perhaps wouldn't consider otherwise joining, or may feel too nervous to try," said Ms Matthews.

The 1940s themed afternoon tea party is run by the tongue-in-cheek cabaret Posh Club

“We’re especially pleased that this year’s festival involves the majority of our creatives in residence,” said Frances Macadam, Head of Arts Programme for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW).

Tickets to the festival are free, but some events have to be booked in advance.

The festival is running between 11 to 14 July.