To mark 75 years of the NHS, the annual Weston Arts + Health Festival returned to the town from 29th September to 1st October for a range of celebratory events.

The event is co-produced by Super Culture and the Arts & Culture Team at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and featured a diverse programme of events.

Emily Malins, Arts Programme Manager at UHBW, said: "UHBW Arts & Culture were thrilled to be co-presenting this year's festival.

"Through performance, audio and visual art, special stories were shared from the staff and patients of UHBW, including Weston General Hospital, that are testimony to the NHS's unique capacity to generate extraordinary moments every day, even through challenging times." 

Taking place at favourite locations and outdoor spaces in the town and at Weston General Hospital, there were free events 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.

In total, more than 2,000 people attended the festival across the weekend. Feedback included:

Visiting the event at Marine Lake on Sunday was an uplifting experience in every way. We all found it heartening and felt in better mental health after the experience. Perfectly curated and professionally produced, it was a balanced mix of interactive experience and an opportunity to catch up with the wider community.

With your support, we can continue to bring joy to patients, hospital staff and our communities. If you can help, make a donation. 

Pictures by Paul Blakemore.