Daring to Dream charity launches Lleswyl 2025
- Following the resounding success of 2024’s festival where almost 4,000 tuned in, Lleswyl is back for another bumper night of enjoyment
- This fantastic free festival shines a light on all those living with or alongside illness and gives an opportunity to enjoy an inclusive live-streamed music and chat show that everyone can enjoy
Daring to Dream, the charity that supports the emotional health and wellbeing of patients in Wales, is holding its fourth virtual Lleswyl festival in February.
The live-streamed event provides an engaging evening of music blended with inspiring conversations, sharing uplifting stories about individuals and the charities that support them. It also emphasises the vital role of emotional well-being in recovery from illness and in living fully with chronic or life-limiting conditions.
In Wales, 1.2 million adults live with at least one longstanding illness. Clinical treatments focus on the physical aspects of illness, but the emotional impact is frequently overlooked. Illness brings a whirlwind of emotions that can be overwhelming, making it difficult to enjoy life or live it fully.
Lleswyl (meaning wellbeing festival in Welsh) was established by Daring to Dream to raise awareness of the need to nurture patients’ emotional health during difficult times. The event gives those who cannot attend festivals and events in person due to illness the chance to enjoy a jam-packed programme of performances from the comfort of their own home, hospital bed, supported living community or care home. It is enjoyed by many people, irrespective of their health.
Lleswyl 2025 will be held on 21st February and will be hosted by broadcaster Sian Lloyd, radio presenter Jason Harrold and musician Tumi Williams (with BSL interpretation).
Throughout the evening, they will introduce and chat to artists and bands, covering a range of diverse genres, with appeal across the generations. The music sets will be interspersed with engaging live interviews.
It will also be showcasing the incredible work of Macmillan Cancer Care, Diabetes UK Cymru and Cats Protection – all of whom provide important services supporting those living with illness.
The line-up for the evening will feature a vast array of artists including headline act Sidiki Dembélé, Mariatou Dembélé and Modou Ndiaye, who will showcase a coming together of cultures, music and people with artists of global reputation together with the professional musicians of Sinfonia Cymru.
Other performers include The Inner Voices, Rusty Shackle, Pet Shops Boys Actually, Cwmbran Deaf Choir, Adjua, Ar Log, and Choirs for Good Abergavenny.
It will also feature Nana Punk, the brainchild of Jude Price, who wanted to develop a group for women aged 50 and over to come together, to learn to play instruments, write lyrics and perform together. She approached the Wales Millennium Centre with her idea – and they have been encouraging and assisting Nana Punk to start and grow.
Overwhelmed by the number of opportunities for young people and those under 25 Jude decided it was time to take a stand and form a group for people who didn’t usually have these opportunities in the hope of building a group that could perform as a collective.
After suffering a stroke, the project took a new meaning as Jude was able to use the experience to help re-develop her music skills, re-learning bass as well as supporting her language skills and her own emotional health.
Jude is excited to be performing at Lleswyl 2025. She said: “Most people think of a twinset and pearls image for older women but this project aims to showcase creativity in later life. It was a fantastic opportunity for the collective to showcase their collaborative enthusiasm for life and creativity. There’s a lack of creative opportunities for older women; this project aims to plug that gap.”
Gemma Hicks, Senior Community Engagement Producer, Wales Millennium Centre added: “It has been such a privilege to support Jude in realising her vision for the project, seeing the women make such meaningful friendships and seeing the confidence of everyone growing week by week is a pleasure, we can’t wait to see where their journey takes them in 2025.”
Daring to Dream’s founder and chair, Barbara Chidgey, said: “Research highlights that improved emotional health and skills can promote quicker recovery from acute crises and enhance the ability to live well with chronic conditions. At Daring to Dream, we understand the critical role emotional wellbeing plays in helping individuals better manage their physical health and treatments.
“With Lleswyl, we bring our mission to life, shining a light on and reaching out to the 1.2 million people in Wales for whom attending live gigs and festivals isn’t an option. Instead, we deliver an incredible evening of music and conversation right to them. For one night only, Daring to Dream will broadcast world-class musicians into homes around Wales and beyond, to create the ultimate at-home festival experience.”
Barbara added: “This is our fourth Lleswyl Festival and each year it just gets bigger and better. It’s the perfect way to enjoy great bands, live interviews, inspirational patients, and the wonderful charities whose work and patient communities we showcase.
“The event will also highlight Daring to Dream’s campaign to encourage those living with illness to talk about their feelings, enabling them to live their best lives despite their ill-health. In response, Daring to Dream makes spaces to talk in hospitals where patients and families who are having tough conversations when they are at their most vulnerable, can feel better comforted and supported emotionally. These ‘emotional refuges’ provide a much-needed supportive environment to discuss feelings, not just clinical advice.”
You can get free tickets for Lleswyl 2025 from Eventbrite
Lleswyl wlll be live-streamed from 7pm on Friday 21st February from ‘Lleswyl 2025’ channel on YouTube (Lleswyl 2025 – Daring to Dream’s free, inclusive, live streamed wellbeing festival – YouTube)
—
Header image: Cwmbran Deaf Choir