The Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing is back in Waterford for 2022, running from February 7th to 12th.
In this its ninth year, the festival presents musicians, artists, poets, storytellers, filmmakers and dancers, as well as a programme of Wellies, the festival’s events for younger audiences.
The Well Festival champions and celebrates all the ways that the arts help us to feel good. Due to the ongoing pandemic and in line with public health guidelines, many events will again take place online.
Festival highlights
The 2022 programme includes:
- Fancy a lift? - a daily poetry postcard, curated by Waterford writer Joanne McCarthy, delivered virtually online and on meal trays to patients at University Hospital Waterford (UHW)
- Doodling for Wellbeing, an online tutorial to demonstrate the ease and benefits of doodling, by illustrator Sarah Bowie
- Small Acts, a special Garter Lane/Well Festival Artist Residency, which sees movement artist Rachel Ní Bhraonáin working with the Waterford New Community Women’s Shed
- Why Arts?, the Well Festival Keynote conversation, featuring geriatrician, art collector and champion of arts in healthcare Dr Paul Finucane with writer Gemma Tipton
- A number of workshops online and in person, including Get Creative with Natural Materials with Sean Corcoran, Spring has Sprung Pots with Aoife Murphy and Open Gallery at Home with Caroline Schofield and Jill Bouchier
- A special Creative Communities online event for Waterford based artists
- Continuous professional development opportunity with Caroline Schofield who will share her experience of delivering Art at the Kitchen Table throughout County Waterford
- Waterford Healing Arts Trust’s Healing Sounds musicians will deliver a daily Musical Postcard online
- A Better Place exhibition, featuring the work of artist Donna McGee, continues at UHW
- Storyteller Joe Brennan presents The Curing Walk, a story inspired by artist residency at the hospital
- Festival flagship event We haven’t had an earthquake lately, supported by The Book Centre Waterford, returns
- For younger audiences, the Wellies programme invites children and young people to enjoy poetry, art and more
Speaking at the launch of the festival programme, Claire Meaney, Director of Waterford Healing Arts Trust, said
We are delighted to be able to present the Well Festival while we are still navigating our ever-changing circumstances. We continue to be reminded of how valuable the arts are for lifting our spirits and nurturing our wellbeing
The Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing is funded by the Arts Council, the HSE and Waterford City and County Council, with support from Sanofi. The festival is presented by Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford City and County Libraries and Waterford Healing Arts Trust.
More details are available here.
More here on all the upcoming events for Waterford.
