Storyhouse Elders
Festival: 12-16 October 2026
What is Storyhouse Elders?
Storyhouse Elders exists to combat loneliness and social isolation – celebrating friendship and community through art.
Storyhouse Elders explores and challenges societal perceptions of age and ageing through a year-round offering of free community events, activities, workshops, and meet-ups, alongside an annual five-day festival.
Who is Storyhouse Elders for?
Storyhouse Elders is for anyone looking for extra connection, opportunities for creative expression, or simply a reason to get out and have a good time.
Many of our activities are designed with older adults in mind, but everyone is welcome to take part.
Age is just part of the story. If Storyhouse Elders sounds like it’s for you, we won’t be checking your ID, so come along and join us.
Storyhouse Elders: Festival
Monday 12 – Friday 16 October 2026
Storyhouse Elders returns this October with a festival of community, connection, and creativity, created specifically for and with older members of Chester’s community.
Join us for five days of crafts, singing, dancing, talks, screenings, and more.
All events are FREE or Pay What You Can. Please book your tickets in advance to secure your place and let us know you’re coming.
Storyhouse Elders: Opening Celebration | 11am | The Kitchen
Storyhouse Elders: Community Arts Project | 1pm-3pm | The Kitchen
Chester Football Club On Screen | 2pm | Cinema
Keep On Dancing Workshop | 2pm | Garret Theatre
Community Groups and Activities:
Crossword Club | 10am | The Kitchen
Shared Reading on Mondays | 11am | Meeting Room
The Pick ‘n Mix Book Group | 2pm | Meeting Room
Chester LGBT+ Book Group | 7.30pm | Meeting Room
Football and Sporting Memories Workshop | 10.30am | Garret Bar
Storyhouse Elders: Community Arts Project | 1pm-3pm | The Kitchen
Singing the Blues Workshop | 1pm | Garret Theatre
Community Groups and Activities:
Family History Buddy | 10am | Library
Triple Spiral Storytelling Workshop | 10.30am | Garret Theatre
Storyhouse Elders: Community Arts Project | 1pm-3pm | The Kitchen
10 Years of Storyhouse: Your Stories | 1pm | Garret Theatre
Reel Talk Presents: Forbidden Planet – 70th Anniversary | 6pm | Cinema
Zentangle Workshop | 10.30am | Garret Theatre
Community Groups and Activities:
Chatter and Natter | 2pm | The Kitchen
Kaleidoscope Monthly Open Mic | 6.15pm | Garret Theatre
The History of the Office of the Sheriff of Chester | 11am | Garret Theatre
Storyhouse Elders: Closing Event | 1pm | The Kitchen
Community Groups and Activities:
Digital Buddies | 11am | The Kitchen
Storyhouse Elders: Opening Celebration
Storyhouse Elders: Community Arts Project
Storyhouse Elders: Chester Football Club on Screen
Storyhouse Elders: Keep on Dancing
Storyhouse Elders: Football and Sporting Memories Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Singing the Blues Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Triple Spiral Storytelling Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: 10 Years of Storyhouse - Your Stories
Reel Talk Presents: Forbidden Planet
Storyhouse Elders: Zentangle Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: The History of the Office of Sheriff of Chester
Storyhouse Elders: Closing Celebration with Live the Beat Intergenerational Choir
FREE Storyhouse Elders Community Groups
Here are some of our regular community groups for the Storyhouse Elders community that you’ll also find during the festival.
Click here to see our full range of community groups at Storyhouse.
Storyhouse Elders: Monthly Event
What our community has to say:
“Storyhouse Elders represents an opportunity for people, particularly perhaps those people who are living by themselves, to come and meet other people.”
“[Storyhouse is] a space for everybody to be able to express themselves. You will have had fun, you’ll have met new friends, you’ll have been inspired, and every year it gets better and better.”
“I’ve done things I wouldn’t probably normally have done: dancing, singing, speaking, wrote a poem. You can see people coming again that you maybe met the last time you came.”
“It’s much better to get out there, be active, keep your brain ticking. It’s all sort of small things, but all helpful.”
“This has helped me to get to know people and also to learn things.”
All Storyhouse Elders Events
Events in this season
Storyhouse Elders: Monthly Event
Storyhouse Elders: Capital Beats Celebration
Storyhouse Elders: Zentangle Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Triple Spiral Storytelling Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Singing the Blues Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Keep on Dancing
Storyhouse Elders: Football and Sporting Memories Workshop
Storyhouse Elders: Community Arts Project
Storyhouse Elders: Chester Football Club on Screen
Storyhouse Elders: Opening Celebration
Storyhouse Elders: 10 Years of Storyhouse - Your Stories
Storyhouse Elders: The History of the Office of Sheriff of Chester