Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing 2022

This year’s Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing takes place in Waterford and online on the festival’s new dates, Monday 7 to Saturday 12 February. Well features an inspirational line-up of fun, free, inventive and sociable arts events for all ages. 

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 of Arts and Wellbeing 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, giving this Waterford-wide festival the opportunity to reach beyond the county borders and welcome arts fans from near and far.

Each day, festival-goers will have the opportunity to witness colourful, beautiful, thought-provoking music, art, movement and literature, and to experience the joy of creativity through a range of workshops and interactive opportunities for all ages.

Festival 2022 Highlights

• 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.
• Why Arts? The Well Festival Keynote conversation, featuring geriatrician, art collector and champion of arts in healthcare Dr Paul Finucane with writer Gemma Tipton.
• Open Gallery at Home with Caroline Schofield and Jill Bouchier: an inclusive art viewing experience, developed by Waterford Healing Arts Trust, which invites participants to look at, chat about and enjoy paintings from the University Hospital Waterford art collection in a safe and welcoming space.
• For artists interested in working with older people, there’s a unique continuous professional development opportunity with Caroline Schofield who will share her experience of delivering Art at the Kitchen Table throughout County Waterford.
• Storyteller Joe Brennan presents The Curing Walk, a story inspired by his artist residency at University Hospital Waterford.
• The festival flagship event, We haven’t had an earthquake lately, supported by The Book Centre Waterford, features the audience’s favourite feel good, inspirational writings.
• For younger audiences, the Wellies programme invites children and young people to finesse their doodling skills, create a Poet’s Tree and witness the creation of a new inspiring work of art outdoors at UHW by Curtis Hylton of The Walls Project.

The full festival programme is available from www.wellwaterford.com

The Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing is funded by the Arts Council, the HSE and Waterford City and County Council, with generous support from Sanofi.  The festival is presented by Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford City and County Libraries and Waterford Healing Arts Trust.