Wyeside Arts Centre has announced a groundbreaking short course, ’Havin’ A Laugh?’ which will use comedy skills to improve wellbeing.

It is often said that laughter is the best medicine and the Wyeside are going to put this proverb to the test in a fun and informal way over the next few months.

Starting on February 9, the project will be led by James Meehan and Kiri Pritchard McLean, two of the team behind ‘Gein’s Family Giftshop’ - a deliciously dark sketch show group who have just had a Christmas special screened on Sky One, a mini-series produced on BBC Radio Wales, and appeared in an episode of the ‘Inside No.9’ programme on BBC 2. They have been nominated for a huge variety of major awards over the last two years, including the prestigious Foster’s Comedy Award.

James and Kiri will use their comedy know-how to run a fortnightly programme using the skills that a comedian needs in their arsenal to improve mental wellbeing in a fun and informal way whilst building self confidence, sharing stories and looking at storytelling basics.

Last year, the Wyeside started running taster sessions in association with Mid Powys Mind at various locations around Mid-Wales, and the response and outcomes from participants has been very encouraging.

James Meehan, one of the comedians leading the workshops, said "It was amazing to see people turn up and think they could never speak in front of other people, or have them think that their stories wouldn’t be interesting to anyone else, but through working together we always found ways to see the humour in their experiences, and they discovered new ways to express themselves. Confidence built in each session, and there was a lot of laughter from everyone. Laughter is a wonderful way to have an instant feel-good hit, and can be a fresh way to look at problems or issues in your life."

The sessions will be suitable for anyone from any background, of any age and physical ability. The course starts on Tuesday February 9 and will then run fortnightly between 1-4pm in the Gallery Space at the Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells until April.

The project is being run with the support of the Garfield Weston Foundation and The Arts Council of Wales.

To book a place or for more info including all dates please contact Owen at [email protected] or call 07852 216164 or check the website at www.wyeside.co.uk.