WAHWN News

Wales’ national arts and health conference - Weave - back for two-day event up north

Weave | Gwehyddu, Wales’ national arts and health conference, is returning to North Wales this September for an expanded two-day programme of guest speakers, panel discussions and workshops.

Following the success of the inaugural conference, a one-day event which took place in Newport in 2023, Weave | Gwehyddu 2025 will take place 8-9 September at Wrexham University.

The conference, organised by Wales’ Arts Health and Wellbeing Network in partnership with Wrexham University and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, aims to bring together more than 150 creative practitioners, health and social care professionals, and policy makers from across the country to celebrate Wales’ arts and health programmes and address the need for a long-term preventative approach to tackling health inequalities and pressures on services.

Wales continues to lead the way in placing the arts at the heart of health and wellbeing, driven by the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and a memorandum of understanding between the Arts Council Wales and the Welsh NHS Confederation.

The Weave | Gwehyddu programme will include a keynote speech from Sarah Murphy MS, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, as well as interviews with high profile sector leaders such as Dyfed Edwards, the Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London. There will also be panel discussions and breakout sessions covering subjects ranging from creative approaches to supporting young people’s mental health and arts in dementia work to the use of nature in arts and health, sector-related research and innovation, as well as staff and creative practitioner wellbeing.

This year’s conference is funded by Arts Council of Wales, and sponsored by Public Health Wales, Hapus programme, with CultureStep investment from Arts & Business Cymru.

Tickets are now on sale here. Space is limited so early booking is advised.

Quotes:

Emily van de Venter, Consultant in Public Health (Mental Wellbeing) at Public Health Wales: “Public Health Wales is delighted to be sponsoring this year's Weave conference, celebrating and developing arts and health activity in Wales. There is a wealth of evidence supporting the benefits that creativity brings for our health and wellbeing, whether it's engaging with our own creativity or enjoying that of others; so much so that arts and creativity are one of the ways to better wellbeing promoted through our Hapus programme.”
Dyfed Edwards, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board: “As the North Wales Health Board, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been a partner in the Arts Council of Wales Arts and Health Capacity Building Programme, a pioneering arts and health partnership, which includes the now eight-year-old Memorandum of Understanding between the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh NHS Confederation, to grow and embed the arts and creativity within our hospitals and communities. We are pleased to partner with WAHWN for this second Weave conference, which is a great opportunity for the arts and health community to come together to see, hear, learn and share a range of projects happening across the country, and to continue to shape the direction of the sector for the future.”
Liz Clarke, Programmes Manager for Arts, Health and Wellbeing at Arts Council of Wales "Weave | Gwehyddu is more than a conference—it's where diverse threads of expertise intertwine. As the inaugural event in 2023 demonstrated, it's a vital gathering where practitioners, artists, policy makers, and health professionals weave together shared learning, strengthening the vibrant tapestry of arts in health across Wales. With growing demands on Wales' health and care services, we must continue to create preventative initiatives into the fabric of our communities, creating resilient patterns that support wellbeing. Weave | Gwehyddu is where connections are formed, challenges untangled, and where together, we can design solutions that create a stronger, healthier Cymru.”
Angela Rogers, Executive Director at WAHWN: “We’re witnessing an inspiring period of growth in the arts and health sector here in Wales, driven by an expanding body of research and lived experience that clearly shows the profound impact creativity can have on our health and wellbeing. It’s a privilege to be organising this opportunity in North Wales – a rare space for artists, health and social care staff, as well as researchers and policy makers to come together to share learning, celebrate progress, discuss solutions to current challenges and continue driving this vital work forward.”

Notes to editor:

About Weave | Gwehyddu

Weave will take place 8-9 September at Wrexham University.
Tickets are £25 per day and available to purchase here. Spaces are limited so early booking is advised.
The full conference programme will be shared by early summer.
The inaugural Weave conference took place in October 2023 in Newport. More information can be found here.