Open Call: Sunshine: sharing writings to brighten our souls….. Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing 2024 invites readers to share their favourite feel-good poetry and prose

Does a good book lift your spirits? Do you reach for a poem to be inspired? If yes, then the Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing 2024 would love to hear from you! The festival is calling on literature lovers to submit their favourite piece of writing (not self-written) for consideration for Sunshine: sharing writings to brighten our souls*…., the much loved flagship event of the festival which celebrates the joy of reading, taking place at The Book Centre, Waterford on Friday 16 February. Submissions should be emailed to wha@hse.ie by Wednesday 31 January with “Sunshine” in the subject line. Successful applicants will be invited to share their selections with the public at this uplifting evening of readings and music. Further details about the festival are available from www.wellwaterford.com

The Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing champions and celebrates all the ways that the arts help us to feel good. Taking place from 12-17 February 2024, the festival features an exciting line-up of fun, free, inventive and sociable arts events for all ages, with musicians, artists, poets, storytellers and dancers, in addition to a programme of Wellies, the festival’s events for younger audiences. Each day, festival-goers will have the opportunity to witness colourful, beautiful, thought-provoking music, art and poetry, and to experience the joy of creativity through a myriad of workshops and interactive opportunities for all ages. The full Festival programme will be available from www.wellwaterford.com at the end of January.

Announcing details of this year’s Sunshine: sharing writings to brighten our souls.., Claire Meaney, Director of Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts, said “We are thrilled to present Sunshine again this year in The Book Centre, Waterford. This lovely event is inspired by Eeyore in AA Milne’s ‘Winnie the Pooh’, where he says “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine”. This is what our ‘Sunshine’ event is all about: sharing writing that helps us to feel good. Sunshine has a special place in our hearts and is consistently one of our most popular events every year. We love re-connecting with old friends and meeting many new, all of whom have in common their love of reading and their desire to share their favourite poems or pieces of prose in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. We are delighted to welcome once again Catherine Drea as our Guest MC. Artist, photographer and writer, Catherine has a wonderful warm and welcoming way of bringing the audience together for this very special evening. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to The Book Centre, Waterford, for their continued kind and loyal sponsorship of Sunshine.”

The Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing is funded by the Arts Council, the HSE and Waterford City and County Council. The festival is presented by Waterford Healing Arts, Garter Lane Arts Centre and Waterford City and County Libraries. The full festival programme will be launched on 25 January and will be available then at www.wellwaterford.com. See the Well Festival also on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram @wellwaterford

Further info: Maeve Butler, Waterford Healing Arts (051) 842664 / maeveM.butler@hse.ie

The deadline for submission of entries for this year’s ‘Sunshine’ event is Wednesday 31 January. Further details from www.wellwaterford.com / 051 842664.

‘Sunshine’ takes place on Friday 16 February at 6pm and is kindly sponsored by The Book Centre, Waterford.