Charity celebrates creativity in older age with its annual Gwanwyn Festival

Festival aims to help reconnect communities post pandemic

Age Cymru's annual Gwanwyn Festival returns in May 2022 to celebrate creativity in older age across the whole of Wales with a range of events and activities. 

Gwanwyn, the Welsh word for spring, offers opportunities for older people to become involved in arts and creative activities either as practitioners, organisers, or audience members. It also helps older people to recognise the benefits that being creative can bring to their health and well-being.

There’s a wide range of activities taking place from choirs to creative dance and from creative writing to crafty cuppa’s and everything in between!

The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Connection’ because, for many, the recent pandemic severed links between families and friends, and thereby increasing levels of loneliness and isolation. As restrictions ease, the charity wants to show how creativity can lead to new or help re-establish social connections.

Age Cymru’s Kelly Barr, who is co-ordinating the festival, says: “This year, we are promoting a range of fantastic in-person and online events. As ever we aim to challenge preconceived and stereotypical ideas of ageing and older people and, at the same time, encourage artists throughout Wales to reflect the lives of older people and the communities in which they live.

“But of course, this year Gwanwyn has the extra responsibility of encouraging older people to safely re-engage with their communities after two years of living with the pandemic.”

For a full list of the events taking place in Wales visit: https://www.gwanwyn.org.uk/events/

The Gwanwyn Festival is supported by the Welsh Government.

Ends