cARTrefu is an outstanding programme, supported by the Baring Foundation and Arts Council Wales. It is managed by Age Cymru, who also run Gawnwyn, Wales'Creative Ageing Festival, and works to make the arts a regular part of life in residential care. Launched in 2014, cARTrefu offers care homes short residencies by artists working in poetry, music, performance and visual art. Typically, the activity lasts a couple of hours each week and leads to a celebratory event in the final session. An evaluation of the first phase of work has shown very promising results, with 25% of homes commissioning the artists to continue their work after the initial residency.
