Regina Beach Creative Wellbeing

26/09/2025

https://bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/26-bridges-1/

I'm delighted to have my poem included in this project!

26 Bridges is the creative contribution of writers’ organisation 26 to the Bloomsbury Festival 2025. It’s the latest in a long line of inspiring projects from 26.

There are 26 bridges across the River Thames in London. We paired 26 writer/artist pairs with each of the bridges to create work in words and images. These will be unveiled daily between 17 September and 16 October (the eve of the Bloomsbury Festival 2025).

On that evening of 16 October there will be an auction of the works to raise funds for an NHS clinical nurse specialist for skin cancer care at University College Hospital London. We invite you to enjoy the work daily and bid for any you particularly love. All money will go to UCLH Charity, so please be generous.

Bridge: Hampton Court
Title: The Birds of Hampton Court Bridge
Writer: Joan Lennon
Artist: Thomas Heitler
The work: Foamex 293mm by 340mm
Description: Hampton Court Bridge saves its beauty for the side view – arches like the curve of a swan’s wing were where the poem and image began.

THE BIRDS OF HAMPTON COURT BRIDGE
Joan Lennon
First there was a ferry, followed by three fancy bridges, none of which lasted. Then, in 1933, the modern Hampton Court Bridge was opened. Made of reinforced concrete, it was a workhorse of a bridge, perhaps even an ugly duckling, but an ugly duckling with a difference…

A bridge that’s
concrete-backed for bearing

everyday
traffic
every day:
tyre and trudge –
sturdy
solid
stolid
straight

But see it from the river –

three leaps crossing,
each arch
a royal curve
like the wing
of a swan

cladding of Wren-red bricks
fit for his palace

trimmed
with white Portland stone
(laid down
when birds
were dinosaurs)

while the water threads
through
to the city
city
city
sea

24/09/2025

There are 100 days left in 2025. I'm embarking on 100 days of writing. I didn't pick a word count. I'm not finishing (one of a million) an unfinished project. I'm just committing to showing up and seeing what happens. A sentence or an opus at a time. Join me?

Final call for tonight’s workshop! 💯

Today marks 100 days until the end of 2025.

What will you do with yours?

Join us tonight for a fun and powerful 1-hour workshop to help you make the most of the final days of 2025.

Link in bio☝️

16/08/2025

New Poke shop in Cabot Circus! So yummy! 🥒🥑🥬🍜🌱

03/07/2025

I wrote a blog for Lapidus International about my experience participating in the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Disability Arts Festival. July is Disability Pride Month, which I've never really felt confident to celebrate before. So, here's to being more open and visible this year

Discover how expressive writing helped Regina Beach turn personal healing into a powerful performance celebrating disability, creativity, and connection.

20/06/2025

I'm so excited to present at the Lapidus International Summer Festival tomorrow. I've been working on an anthology project celebrating the work of underrepresented writers in Bristol.

I'm also delighted to announce that every festival attendee will receive an e-copy of the book when it's out in September.

Join me for a fantastic program, 12:30-5pm UK tomorrow, June 21

Free eBook Giveaway!

Everyone attending the Lapidus Summer Festival this weekend will receive a FREE copy of our brand-new Plumb Lines Flight anthology; a powerful collection of poetry exploring the theme of flight and freedom, created by writers from under-represented communities.

Don’t miss your chance to read inspiring work from The Misfits Theatre Company, Diverse UK, and Bristol Drug Project’s Lyrically Lifted.

Tickets for the Festival are available now: https://lapidus.org.uk/summer-festival-2025/

05/05/2025

The has put together a thoughtful, deeply impactful collection of art and artefacts that tell the story of civil rights in the Deep South from segregation to the freedom riders, Brown v. Board, the bus boycotts and church bombings to the first Black mayor and current civil and human rights fights around the globe. Disability rights are also civil rights and visiting the museum with the cast of From Where I Sit was extremely impactful. I actually left feeling very hopeful about everyday citizens’ power to stand up to the current administration. That we will overcome and that this country has always had racist white men wielding power whose views eventually were outlawed as the tide of public opinion turned. We need journalists, protestors, boycotters and upstanders more than ever right now. I believe we can and will rise to the occasion. Many thanks to for facilitating our trip.

29/04/2025

Had a lovely Sound Bath with this evening at the . It was the perfect end to a long day of researching for From Where I Sit. Our group was divided, are you a fan of sound baths?

29/04/2025

It’s MS Awareness week in the UK. It coincides with the anniversary of my MS diagnosis. 4 years ago at the end of April I spent a week in the hospital on a steroid drip, having MRIs and a spinal tap/lumbar puncture after my symptoms became so intense I could hardly walk. I left the hospital with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and my life has never been the same.

Talking about MS can be difficult. 
Whether it’s talking to a family member about what I need or asking an employer for support. Finding the right words is never easy, but opening up can be empowering.

A lot of MS symptoms can be difficult to talk about. It’s easy to see how MS affects my walking. What’s less visible are my bladder and bowel symptoms, my fatigue and the mental health challenges of living with disability.

To mark the week I’ll be rehearsing the stage show From Where I Sit with fellow MSers and this who live with SCI and illness. We started rehearsing in earnest today. It was a long, emotional first rehearsal. has been incredibly supportive of this project. The cast is staying at the Paralympic training facility. Everything is adopted for people with disabilities and they’re even cooking me special anti-inflammatory meals (and doing an incredible job!)

I’ll be hosting a community chat with on Thursday on the Live Well Hub at 10am Eastern/ 3pm UK. It’s free to join.

27/04/2025

I made it to Birmingham for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Arts in Medicine Disability Arts Festival. I’m so honored to be performing and showing the reality of living with Multiple Sclerosis on stage for an international audience.

Next week is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week and while all the work I do with Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, MS-UK, and MS Society Cymru promotes mindset and healthy lifestyle for people living with MS, I didn’t think of my participation in the festival as political until yesterday.

Ariving after a long haul flight London to Atlanta I was advised not to mention the festival or anything about the university and disability when I went through immigration. The largest minority in America (those living with chronic health conditions and disability) is not immune from the federal government’s current sweeping anti-DEI measures. One festival attendee coming from abroad to discuss disability arts programs had already been denied entry to the country seemingly due to anti-DEI sentiment as so other reason for denying their entry was given. The organizers didn’t want that to happen to me. This is appalling. I don’t know if that person will be able to get here and give their presentation.

I was lucky enough to not be questioned at the boarder. I did not have to make the hard choice to tell a white lie about visiting friends and family or state my purpose as a visiting artist about to embark on a truly life changing residency. (This is not hyperbole, my virtual engagement with the Write to Heal program has truly already changed my life for the better.)

My whole career has been about advocacy for underrepresented minorities in education and the arts. I am now part of one of those minorities and am fighting for my own right to exist in this space.

Continues in comments.

23/04/2025

I wrote a blog post for Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis about my experience with therapeutic writing and my upcoming trip to Alabama!

"The research continues to grow about the benefits of expressive writing to help people come to terms with their condition, their emotions, and even past traumatic experiences."

This stress awareness month, discover how therapeutic writing helped Living Well with MS podcast producer Regina Beach manage stress, process emotions, and connect with community - eventually turning her private words into a powerful performance project.

✍️ Read Regina’s 7-minute story to find out more about Regina's upcoming performace at the University of Birmingham at Alabama's Disability Arts Festival and discover some simple tips to get writing: https://loom.ly/otwRPqo

23/04/2025

Hayley is open, honest and real about her symptoms abd how MS affects her relationships at home and work. It was a joy to work on this episode!

“I think that you just need to try and be as open and honest with people as you can.” – Hayley Baker.

🎧 In this powerful new episode of Living Well with MS, artist, educator and trainee Program Facilitator Hayley Baker talks about the value of open communication when living with MS.

From navigating intimacy and family health to tackling taboo symptoms, Hayley shares her personal story with warmth, humour and insight — plus practical tips for those new to the Overcoming MS Program.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://loom.ly/t3dd0xw

23/04/2025

I’ve been working on the co-created theater show “From Where I Sit” for the past two years and it’s finally ready to debut!

The show features the stories from people like me who live with spinal cord illness or injury. It’s funny, it’s inclusive, there’s singing! It’s the final performance from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Disability Arts Festival.

Two of the performances (on May 10 and 11) will be livestreamed and free tickets can be reserved here: https://uab.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5BCIyGZamwGtqV8

I’ve also helped edit and designed an Anthology of the written pieces that inspired the show’s script.

This whole project has been really important to me and I hope some of you can come along to watch! ♿💙🎭