A new UK first in the form of an LGBT+ wellness festival is coming to Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, in June. The three day event, which is set to take place between June 10 to 13 will see "dozens" of activities for attendees to get stuck into. From wild swimming to spoken word events, the wellness festival has been described as a new "wholesome" experience for LGBT+ women to connect and make meaningful connections.
Out & Wild is a festival focused around connecting through shared experiences, with dozens of activities over the three days, from wild swimming to yoga to creative writing and sport tasters. There will be music every evening, with silent DJ sets under the stars at the end of the night. Only available to those 18 years and above, the new festival has promised that family events and pop ups will be making an appearance in the very near future. Approaching 50 years of Prides here in the UK, organisers thought it was time for something new to be launched that benefits the community.
Partnered with the likes of Pink News and Swim Wales, the new festival has received funding support from the Welsh Government. Cardiff's Queer Emporium and LGBT+ BAME group Glitter Cymru are set to be involved as well. Co-founded by Polly Shute and her partner, the two wanted to create a safe and different space for LGBT+ women which was created by women.
Read more: 'Torture won't fix me' Protestors gather in Cardiff against transgender conversion therapy'
"It came out of a sheer frustration that, although there are 40 Prides in the UK, most of these still feel quite male orientated in terms of the way they're developed, and the focus of their content," she said.
"When we went to research with our audience, what they were looking for, particularly queer women, those who are non-binary, they really wanted something that was a bit more wholesome. But they wanted something that was more based on kind of shared experiences, that had some sort of focus on on wellness and well being. We do have quite a few straight women that want to come just because they want to be in in that kind of space. Because some of the other things that I found out whilst we were doing research, we realized that 40% of women under 40 have been assaulted at a festival. So this idea of it being a female space, it's also making it a safe space, as well as something that connects people.
Falling in love with the location for it's beauty and surroundings, Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire was an accidental dream come true for organsier Polly.
"It's a tiny village that has about 250 inhabitants, and I just fell in love with it to be honest, it is absolutely stunning. It has a bit of everything. So yes, it has the space for camping. It overlooks the river. So we've been very lucky that we've had a lot of support. The space has been regularly rated by people like Forbes and National Geographic.
"So the Welsh Government has funded us for three years, which is just amazing. We also announced today actually that Swim Wales are going to be partnering with us. And even down to the local village. In a small tiny village in Wales, you might expect them not to be the most supportive around an LGBT+ event coming, [but they're] volunteering and helping us serve coffees in the morning so it's just been amazing to get the support, not just from the big organizations, but right down to people and the local villagers."
More information surrounding the festival can be found via their website.
